Scented rose geraniums lend their perfume and subtle flavor to this old-fashioned cake. Pressing the leaves to the sides of the bundt pan gives a fantastic visual effect.
Ingredients:
Cake:
10 to 12 medium large rose geranium leaves, flattened* and oiled
4 additional geranium leaves finely minced
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
8 geranium leaves
Directions:
Arrange flattened geranium leaves, dull side up, in bottom of a greased and floured 10 inch Bundt or tube pan and set aside.
Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating well.
Add minced geranium leaves.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning with flour and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla.
Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1½ hours or until pick comes out clean.
While cake is baking. Put the syrup ingredients in a pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the leaves and set aside.
Put cake on a rack. Pour syrup slowly over the hot cake poking holes in the cake if necessary.
Cool 40-60 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely before serving.
Servings: 15 – 20 slices
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Tips
To flatten leaves, arrange them between two paper towels and place a couple of phone books on top. Flatten for several hours or overnight.
Try combining the minced geranium with some of the sugar with a mortar and pestle.
Recipe contributed by Ellen Greenberg
Photo credit: Image Publications
https://www.image.ie/editorial/pretty-simple-tasty-rose-geranium-leaf-pound-cake-145120