Nutmeg, apple, peppermint, and French vanilla. See below for ingredients and step-by-step instructions.
Photography by Justine Hand.
The taste of the Mediterranean and Victorian England all in one: rose geranium, olive oil, and Meyer lemons were the key ingredients in my cake.
Fully edible, rose geranium leaves arranged at the bottom of my cake pan made a pretty pattern after the cake was baked.
Zest and minced geranium leaves mixed with sugar bring out even more of the flavorful oils. Compared to standard lemons, the juice of the Meyer variety is sweeter.
Minced rose geranium leaves.
I added olive oil, then eggs, to moisten the cake.
More Mediterranean flavors: Greek yogurt and lemon juice.
I mixed the batter with a wooden spoon until it was smooth.
Pouring the batter over the leaves so they did not move required a gentle hand.
Golden brown and freshly baked from the oven.
To avoid obscuring the pretty geranium leaves on top, I left my decoration simple: just a few more leaves and some powdered sugar. I thought that the subtle rose flavor gave the cake a layer of complexity that was surprisingly sophisticated.
(Note: I omitted an additional glaze called for in the original recipe because I thought it would overpower the rose flavor.). (This releases the oils in both the zest and leaves.) In a third bowl combine yogurt with 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
Meyer Lemon, Olive Oil Cake with Rose-Scented Geraniums
Poke holes in your cake (I avoided the geranium leaves) and brush the entire cake with syrup.