Easy Lavender Almond Bundt Cake

The countdown is on… I’m three days away from hopping on a plane to New York City for a 4-day girls’ trip! Since I’m already packed and my itinerary contains enough food for about two weeks (which means no more planning necessary), I’ve been trying to make the countdown go faster. What better way to prepare than with a NYC movie marathon?! The options are endless: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Bride Wars, The Devil Wears Prada, Home Alone 2, Men in Black, Serendipity, When Harry Met Sally, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days… you get the point. And how better to prepare for a movie marathon than to bake something sweet?

My favorite bundt cake has always been an almond poppyseed cake that my mom made while I was growing up… but I decided to tweak it a little, add some Young Living lavender essential oil, and see what happened. I even surprised myself when this super-easy lavender almond bundt cake turned out tasting pretty great!

Ingredients:

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sour cream (I used light)
• 1/2 cup white sugar (+more for dusting the bundt pan)
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 drops Young Living lavender essential oil

NOTE: I am only referring to Young Living Essential Oils which are 100% pure without a drop of adulteration or dilution. Oils purchased at a grocery store can contain chemicals and perfume grade oil, which you shouldn’t put in your body. If you want to know more about Young Living oils, and why I think they’re awesome, email me: [email protected] 

Preparation Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325*F
• Grease and sugar bundt pan
• In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, sour cream, sugar, almond extract, and Young Living lavender essential oil. Mix until smooth
• Beat eggs in one at a time
• Pour batter into prepared pan

• Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

I also made an icing, which I drizzled over the top of the cake once it cooled. I used powdered sugar, milk, and 1 drop of Young Living Lavender essential oil. You could use almond extract instead of lavender oil, or no icing at all, since sugaring the pan gives it a crispy shell.

The cake was enjoyed by all…. and as for the movie marathon? We all got tired after You’ve Got Mail and called it a night.

Stay tuned for posts about NYC!