Lemon-Rosemary Bundt Cake

I’ve been posting a lot about foods that I find at Farmers’ Markets and the supermarket. But, as Mr. Brillantes reminded me early on in this blogaventure, this leaves out at least one important way that food can get to your table: from your own backyard!

I grew up in a family that kept a pretty substantial garden out back, growing everything from asparagus to zucchini. In the yard right now are some pretty fat leaves of rainbow chard, a vast array of citrus trees heading toward their peak, an incredibly persistent oregano plant, and the two things I picked for this cake: lemons and rosemary

You might think this is a totally normal combo, or you might be thinking I’m a little crazy to put these things together in a cake. Either way, you’re in for a surprise. The light, zippy lemon zest paired with the piney, earthy flavors of the rosemary and olive oil make for a flavor combination that is out of this world when paired with a sweet, sweet honey topping. Garnished with a few periwinkle rosemary flowers, green sprigs of fresh rosemary, and bright lemon zest, these cakes are dressed up for Fat Tuesday, but would be delightful with tea in the garden on any sunny afternoon!

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Lemon-Rosemary Bundt Cake

Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup olive oil
½ cup whole milk
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest (colored part only), plus more for garnish
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
3 large eggs
Any light-bodied honey (such as clover or wildflower), for drizzling

Method
1.  Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease and flour a 14 cup Bundt cake pan*
2.  Combine flour, rosemary, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Place sugar, olive oil, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon extract in a medium bowl and mix until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until will incorporated. Make a well in the flour mixture, and slowly pour in liquid ingredients, mixing as you go. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, continue mixing just until smooth.
3.  Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Place cake on serving dish and drizzle with honey.  Sprinkle with lemon zest and allow to soak in for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

*Note: I used a pan with six baby Bundts, and had enough batter left over to make an additional 5 cupcakes.

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On growing rosemary: Rosemary is one of the easiest herbs to grow, and is pretty hearty in a wide array of climates. To start a rosemary plant, it is best to obtain a mature plant from a nursery or garden center, which you can place in your yard right away. If you’re more ambitious, it is possible to start a plant from a cutting by rooting it in water and transferring it to potting soil after a few weeks. Once you have an established plant, it will need 6-8 hours of full sun every day, as well as good drainage and air flow to prevent the formation of powdery mildew, a chalky white substance that chokes the leaves and eventually kills the plant. If you live in a frost-free area, rosemary will continue to grow year-round and develop tiny blue flowers which make it a beautiful ornamental plant. If the weather in your area begins to dip below 30 degrees, bring the plant inside and place it near a window to allow it to get enough sun.