If you follow @adagioblog in Instagram, you’ve realized the blog as accomplished a pretty big thing. 2018 is turning out to be an exciting year as I have started a long term collaboration with Smeg Nordic! For the whole year, I’ll be creating recipes and other contents for them and I want to write a few lines to thank you. Yes you, my dear readers and followers, thank you! If it weren’t for you, my passion couldn’t have become my dream job, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for following the blog and making my recipes!
The first recipe I created for Smeg is a Blueberry Lavender crunchy cake. I first designed this recipe for my friends’ farewell party before they moved to a new city. Being both intolerant to gluten and dairy, I had to use some extra imagination to figure out what to make and to make it taste good. One thing I knew, though. I wanted to use blueberries and lavender. I discovered this taste combo it some time ago and now I am all the time pairing these two ingredients!
For a long time I couldn’t find any dried lavender in Finland and that’s the main reason why I didn’t share any recipes that would have included them. I even thought of trying using the fresh lavender they use in store even if they say it’s not for cooking purposes, but then I thought I wouldn’t want to blog-murder someone… Anyways, my patience has paid off! Edible lavender can be finally found in stores, for example from Tiger.
Here comes the recipe. This measurements yield for 2 6 1/2 inch (16cm) cakes, that would later be cut into two layers each, but one can also decide to make it in a basic 8-9 inch pan with high sides. I used two 4 1/2 inch (11,5 cm) pans because smaller cakes are more photogenic 😃 and for that I halved the portions.
Yum
- 400 g dark chocolate (50-70%)
- 6 eggs
- Pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 4 tbsp oil (for example sunflower)
- 130 g (3 dl, ⅞ cup) rice flour
- 2 tbsp honey (optional)
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 300 g (5 dl, 2 cups) cashew nuts (soaked overnight)
- 120 g (2 dl, ½ + ⅓ cup) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tsp dried lavender
- 4 tsp lime juice
- zest of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 dl oat yogurt
- 50 g dark chocolate (70%)
- Preheat the oven at 175°C/350F.
- Melt the chocolate and the coconut oil either in a bain-marie or in the microwave.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks and whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm peaks will appear. Set aside.
- Add the egg yolks, oil, rice flour, instant coffee and baking soda (and honey) to the melted chocolate and mix.
- With a spatula, carefully fold in spoonfuls of egg white mixture into the batter (do not overmix!).
- Place baking paper and grease the borders of two 6½ inch (16cm) springform pans and divide the batter into the two pans.
- Bake both cakes for 25-30 minutes. Check if the cakes are cooked by inserting a toothpick into the cake: if it will come out clean, the cake is ready. Let the cool.
- Dry the cashew nuts. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Let the frosting harden a bit by putting it into refrigerator for at least half a hour.
- Chop the chocolate grossly with a knife
- Once the cakes will be cooled, remove them from the springform pans, even them out with a knife and cut them into two lengthwise, so to have four layers.
- Place the first layer on a plate or cake stand and spread a thin layer of frosting, leveling it out. Sprinkle some chocolate crumbs.
- Sprinkle some chocolate on the frosting, being careful not to go too close to the edges.
- Repeat the procedure for all the layers and cover the cake top and sides with a very thin layer of frosting. Place the cake and remaining frosting in the refrigerator for at least half an hour to let them harden and stabilize and frost the cake a second time with a thicker layer of frosting.
Kerstin
It looks delicious I´m gonna try it, I just hope I can find dried Lavender. But, Should I bake it 175 or 200C, Place it in the middle or bottom part of the oven?
Thais FK
Hi Kerstin! Try Tiger, that’s where I found it. Or then I would guess that a tea shop would have it too. Bake it at 175C and place it in the middle 🙂 Would love to know it will turn out!
Kerstin
I don´t know what went wrong. I didn´t find any laender but that´s not the big problem. I made the frosting around noon yesterday, so about 20 hours ago and I´m still not able to put it on the cake because it´s too runny. I´ve had it in the refrigarator since I had mixed it and I´ve looked at it several times but it wont set. And the colour seems to be much darker than yours, mine is more blueberry blue. I checked the measurements several times and I did according to the recepie.
Thais FK
Hello again! This might be due to some consistency differences among different kinds of oat yogurts and coconut oils. Some are more firm and some more runny. Try to add more coconut oil (like 4/5 tbsp). Also, the cashew nuts have to be very well drained and dry.
For the blueberries, the final color depends whether they are wild blueberries or another variety.