Lavender Champagne Cake with honey cream cheese frosting

I have absolutely no chill when it comes to this cake.

Zero.zilch.nada.

It’s amazing. And that’s a bold statement. But so amazing that I ate it for breakfast before Mr. LTSL was even awake. I wish I was lying but #RealLife.

And I would only make it for the specialist of occasions … you know, like Friday night.

Kidding … kind of.

 

But it’s mother’s day weekend and we gotttaaa celebrate mama!! Also, this mother’s day is super-extra-special aannnnd we need cake.cake.cake.!

First, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all the people mamas out there, all the expecting mamas out there, all the adopting mamas, all the pet mamas, and all the women who are holding it down!!

I have no words for my mom, seriously she’s my everything – she loves cake, her laugh is infectious and her kindness can put mother Teresa to shame (not true, mother Teresa wins life … by Mama LTSL comes a very close second).Don’t get me wrong though, her sass is something similar to Queen Bey’s Lemonade video. I’ll just warn you, don’t mess with mama’s family – she’ll juice you!!

Now that we’re all afraid of my mom – let’s talk cake!! More specifically naked cake … such as this one. Funny story, a couple years ago for my bridal shower I wanted a naked cake – something with fruits and fresh flowers, simple but elegant. I walked into a bakery and simply asked Hi, do you guys do naked cakes – the kind baker responded, why – yes, I’ve done a few ass cakes over the years.

I looked at my mom – my mom looked at me and we walked out pretty much peeing our pants.

  

But this cake. AHH – the lavender makes it taste like spring, the honey cream cheese frosting is sweet but not too sweet and it’s sooooo preeeetttyyyy!! Also, champagne. YYYEEESSS! We’re winning folks, simply winning all of the golden stars.

Lavender Champagne Cake with honey cream cheese frosting

• 3 cups all-purpose flower
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ tbsp. dried lavender
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 egg whites
• 2 cups champagne
• Prepared cream cheese frosting
• 1 tbsp honey

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans (or 1 10 inch and 1 8 inch because you realize your 9 inch pans are at your parent’s house after making the batter *rolls eyes*).

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder sea salt, lavender and lemon zest .

In a mixing bowl beat butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla and beat in the eggs one at a time.

Beat in flour mixture and champagne in three alternating additions, starting and ending with flour to prevent curdling.

Pour batter into pans and bake 35 minutes.

Let cool.

In a small bowl, combine can of cream cheese frosting and honey.

Once the cake has cooled, cut each cake in half horizontally and frost the middle. Stack each layer and repeat, only frosting the middle ( that’s why it’s called a naked cake heh. without any bums in sight).

Lemon, Coconut Sweet Bread

I have a little bone to pick … with life that is.

Why is Meyer lemon season seriously .0823123 seconds long?!?! And how the heck to I get my hands on some without them going bad?!

See, originally I wanted to make this recipe using Meyer lemons – because they’re so little and cute and lemony, but not super tart. So I bought a bag ( I could have bought a car for less … by.the.way. – not the point) I ended up keeping them on my counter for a couple of days – and poof – they turned.

  

Heartbreak.

So I used regular lemons. And this bread came out spectacular however if you have Meyer lemons, please use them instead and kindly send me a slice of bread … and a box of tissues.

Rant over.

Also, why do people say, I have a bone to pick .. that’s gross – I’m kind of wishing I didn’t say that now. But what’s done is done – when life gives you lemons – make bread … okay, now I’m definitely wishing I didn’t say that. Although, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t on the floor laughing.

….

Normally, I share what I bake for the blog with family, friends and co-workers – this bread though, it didn’t even make it out of our home … the top gets so crusty and it smells so lemony as it bakes. I’m clearly welcoming spring with open arms with the combination of lemon and coconut – it was a gamble with the citrus and sweet coconut buuuttt Daaaamn, Daniel!

Lemon, Coconut Sweet Bread

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 4 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Zest
• ½ cup dried coconut
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp Malibu rum
• 2 c milk
• ⅔ c olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine brown and granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, sea salt, lemon zest and dried coconut.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, lemon juice, milk, Rum and olive oil.

Combine, the wet and dry ingredients.

Pour into a well-greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour ( it should pass the crumb test by this point)