You gotta try this!!

I had book group at my house last month. We read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen( One of my all time favorite books!). What to serve as a treat with that book? A lovely Almond Lavender pound cake, made with English lavender, of course! Don't be afraid to try this delicious treat because it has lavender in it. It is a subtle addition, but it makes this moist cake something to remember! If you're really apprehensive, don't sprinkle any on as garnish, the straight blossoms are pretty potent, but it's fun to get a shot of that strong flavor every once and again. You gotta try this "show off" dessert!
Even my 4 year old loved this cake...in all it's stages.

Lavender Pound Cake
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons dried lavender flowers, divided
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8teaspoons boiling water
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Additional dried lavender flowers
Grease a 10-in. fluted tube pan and sprinkle with sugar; set aside. Place 1/2 cup sugar, the almonds and 1 tablespoon lavender in a food processor; cover and process until finely ground. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy; beat in almond mixture until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and half-and-half. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. For drizzle, in a small bowl, combine water and remaining lavender. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain, discarding lavender. In another small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and enough infused water to achieve desired consistency; drizzle over cake. Garnish with additional lavender.

I found dried lavender flowers at my local natural foods store. Some places sell it in bulk. Don't be afraid of the price tag. At my store, it was almost 30 dollars a pound, but I got almost two cups for 5 dollars. You only need a tiny bit for this cake, probably a dollar's worth or under.

Also, the cake kind of stuck to the pan. You can avoid this by just greasing and flouring it, but you won't get the sweet outer crust. It will still be delicious!