Pelargoniums: An Herb Society of America Guide

Recipes

Rose Geranium Pound Cake

Originally from Southern Herb Growing, we now prepare this famous cake with chopped rose geranium and stir into the batter rather than lining the pan with whole leaves.

1½ cups butter, cut into small pieces
3 sups sugar (may use vanilla sugar–decrease vanilla extract)
5 eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
6 ounces lemon-lime soda (do not use diet soda)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rose geranium leaves or 1 tablespoon oil concentrate
Sifted powdered sugar for garnish and additional rose geranium leaves

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease (do not use spray type coating) and flour a 10-inch bundt or
tube cake pan, or 2 large loaf pans. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add flour alternately with soda, beating well. Stir in lemon juice, vanilla extract and chopped rose geranium leaves.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan, smoothing top. Bake 1¼ hours or until cake tester comes out clean when inserted into middle. If necessary to prevent over-browning (ovens vary), place a piece of aluminum foil lightly over the cake toward end of baking. Remove cake from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in pan; invert carefully on serving plate. Slice and serve with vanilla custard, lemon curd or other sauce. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar and garnish with fresh rose geranium leaves.

Note: Cake freezes very well. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil, then in large plastic freezer bag. Let come to room temperature before serving. Cake can also be warmed in a low oven; keep tightly wrapped in foil to warm.

Yield: 16 slices

Recipe © Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay, The Flavour Connection

Next recipe: Strawberry Geranium Muffins

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