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Love En Plein Air – A Valentine Cake
This beautiful and easy to make cake is flavored with bay leaves. Adapted from Helene Hendersen’s Malibu Farm Bay Leaf Scented Yogurt Cake. All photos by Saori Wall, Food Stylist: Amanda Weir
Feature, Food

Love En Plein Air – A Valentine Cake 

Adapted from Malibu Farm’s Bay Leaf-Scented Yogurt Cake 

By way of Helene Henderson’s, Malibu Farm Cookbook, available at www.malibu-farm.com. Support our local restaurant—The Malibu Farm restaurant and cafe at the Malibu Pier are currently re-opened for outdoor dining and take-away.

6 to 8 servings

Bay Leaf Scented Sugar:

  • 6 small fresh bay leaves
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup sugar
  • (we added a dash of ground cardamom)

In a food processor or blender, combine bay leaves and lemon zest in the sugar until pulverized.  

We varied the recipe to add a dash of cardamom powder and fresh orange zest. Work with what you have or what’s available to you. All photos by Saori Wall with food stylist Amanda Weir

Cake

  • 1 stick butter, (swap for vegan butter)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the bay leaf-scented sugar with the butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl until soft and fluffy.

Add:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup yogurt ( for a vegan version, substitute dense, sweet fruit like bananas or applesauce for the eggs and yogurt )

Sift in the dry ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
 We recommend lining your cake pan with a fitted + cut baking sheet (trace bottom of cake pan with a pencil over baking sheet) before laying your dry bay leaf pattern.

Combine wet and dry ingredients, pour into a buttered and floured cake pan. You can also line the pan with parchment to make it easier to remove. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until done.

We made a simple icing by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar with a few drops of lemon juice

Serve with whipped cream and berries, or make an icing by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar with a few drops of lemon juice.

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