Double Dark Chocolate French Lavender Cake

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line a 9-1/2 inch spring form cake tin with parchment paper and spray the paper and the sides of the pan generously with cooking spray. Sprinkle bottom with a bit of sugar, shake out excess.
3. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a large, heavy-based pan along with cubed butter and remaining sugar.
4. Cook over moderate heat until the chocolate and butter have melted, and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from heat. Stir in vanilla and lavender, and leave the mixture to cool slightly.
5. While chocolate mixture is cooling, beat the egg whites in a large bowl with a hand mixer until foamy.
6. Add salt and cream of tartar then beat until mixture becomes puffy and white and you can see peaks when you pull beaters out.
7. Sprinkle reserved sugar over egg whites, and beat until stiff and glossy.
7. Beat the egg yolks into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition.
9. Beat in the flour just until combined.
8. Beat 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining whites with a spoon. Carefully pour batter into the prepared pan, and tap the pan gently to release air bubbles.
9. Place pan on a baking sheet and Bake for about 35 minutes to 45 minutes, until well risen and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the cake appears to rise unevenly, rotate after 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a wire cooling rack, and remove the sides only.
10. Do not attempt to remove the cake from the base before it is completely cooled as this cake is very fragile. Cool completely.
11. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Remove from base, carefully peel off parchment paper and move to a serving platter.