If Paula Deen and Ina Garten were to have a test tube love child by combining their respective sheer-brilliance-in-front-of-a-gas-range genes, I’d say a little prayer at night that I could rewrite history and BE that baby.
A little bit country, a little bit gourmet, and a whole lotta’ butter and GOOD olive oil.
My job as a food blogger/baker/cook/foodie/writer is to present you with recipes that awaken your soul and cause your taste buds to experience utter ecstasy (the joyful kind, not the MDMA kind). Health-consciousness has never been my aim, and frankly, I’d be lying if I said I had your health in mind when constructing these recipes. I don’t. It’s on you to practice moderation in your eating. Eat one cupcake instead of five, do crunches during commercial breaks while watching the crime show du jour, or delicately let down the oh-so-seductive “super-size it” option at the drive-thru window.
Publicly shaming the likes of Paula, McDonald’s, and Hostess (may you rest in peace) is a misguided attempt to peg our collective chunky-monkeyness on anyone other than ourselves. The only one forcing Ding Dongs down your throat is you, kid.
There’s a reason most of the world’s premier chefs and restaurants serve food cooked in fat (butter, oil, rendered animal fat): IT TASTES GOOD!!!!
Take a hint from this poignant (and probably doctored) Golden Arches sign:
In order to stick it to the cookin’ with fat naysayers (and use up all the dried lavender I had leftover from the Almond Lavender Cupcakes), I’ve given a classic Paula Deen recipe a from-scratch face-lift that would live up to even Ina Garten’s refined palate:
Lavender-Infused Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 Tablespoons (one stick) butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons rainbow sprinkles (optional)
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 Tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons dried lavender
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line a 9" x 13" baking dish with parchment paper
- In an electric mixer, add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix for a few seconds until blended
- Add egg and butter (and sprinkles, if desired) and mix thoroughly
- Using hands, pat batter into lined baking dish until completed covered (try to make base as even as possible!)
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat cream cheese until smooth
- Add powdered sugar and continue to beat
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, and butter and beat
- Add dried lavender and mix by hang with a wooden spoon
- Pour mixture over base layer in baking dish, spread until even
- Bake for 42-46 minutes, until top starts to brown (center should still big gooey!)
- Allow to cool, then cover in plastic wrap and allow to set for 4 hours (or overnight) before cutting
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving
DISCLAIMER: This recipe may cause love handles. Consume mindfully.
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says
I love the sound of your cake and it looks so delicious!
kailley says
Thanks so much! It’s worth every single calorie! The hardest part about making this recipe is waiting for it to set before digging in 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
great recipe! love the addition of the lavender! must try this!
kailley says
Thank you! The lavender is just subtle enough to provide a burst of fresh flavor without becoming overpowering. Baking with lavender is a fairly new thing for me– I can’t get enough of it!
Winnie says
It looks amazing and sounds wonderful!
I have dried-lavender and I’d definitely love to try this cake
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks!! It requires a little patience (and maybe a little exercise post-consumption to compensate for all the buttery goodness), but it’s well worth it!
Renee says
I made these last night, substituting lemon extract because we were out of vanilla. They were a huge hit and the lemon/lavender combo was delicious! I am having difficulty not eating the rest of the pan in one sitting!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
I’m so glad they turned out well for you, Renee! The lemon/lavender combination sounds fabulous– I’ll have to try that substitution the next time I make these =)