White Chocolate Lavender Tea Bread

White Chocolate Lavender Tea Bread

Lavender is such a well-loved aromatic herb, a wonderful addition to tea and baked goods alike. Its floral scent and taste are unique and full of beneficial properties.

This white chocolate lavender tea bread is bursting with the taste of spring, a dense lavender tea bread coated in white chocolate that made my entire house smell like sun-warmed lavender fields. It's the perfect way to welcome spring back into our lives.

How to Make Lavender Tea Bread

This lavender tea bread, tweaked from a Bon Appetit recipe, isn't a one-bowl quick bread, unfortunately, but it is worth the effort. The smell alone is soothing when infusing milk with lavender and honey, and reminds me of the warm honey milk my mom would make when I couldn't sleep as a child. When the bread is baking in your oven, the scent fills your rooms and is intoxicating.

To make this lavender tea bread, you begin by infusing hot milk with honey and dried lavender buds, which you can find online or at your local apothecary. Bring these three ingredients to a gentle simmer while stirring, then remove from heat and let steep covered for thirty minutes.

While your milk infusion is steeping, preheat your oven to 350°F and thoroughly butter a Bundt pan. Next, mix your dry ingredients together.

After a half-hour, strain your milk mixture into a medium-sized bowl, then whisk in the sour cream.

Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and room temperature butter together until fluffy, then add eggs one at a time. Once the eggs are incorporated, add your flour and milk mixture in alternating turns three times. Only blend until all ingredients are incorporated, as overmixing will create tougher bread.

Scoop the sticky batter into your well-greased Bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool for ten minutes before using a plate to invert the Bundt pan and let cool completely. If it sticks, run a small rubber spatula along the top edge.

Once the lavender bread has cooled, melt white chocolate in the microwave at 20-second intervals, stirring in between. Martha Stewart claims chopped-up bars melt better than chips because chips contain stabilizers. That being said, my chips melted just fine, but who argues with Martha?

Once the white chocolate is completely melted, use a pastry brush to paint the bread with white chocolate. Sprinkle with lavender buds, but beware this will add a much more potent lavender flavor. Shaved white chocolate would work here as well.

Tea Pairings

Lavender, Lavandula, is a small purple flower that grows upright on a sprig of dusty green lavender leaves. The flowers are used in food, drinks, aromatherapy, body care, and potpourri.

A part of the mint family, lavender is best known for its calming effects on the nervous system. Lavender can be used to help induce a restful sleep or for calming feelings of anxiety during the day. It can also improve mood and help ease depressive symptoms. A cup of tea, such as Calm Chamomile Bloom, can be a delicious way to try lavender's peaceful effects for yourself.

For this lavender tea bread, I've paired Lavender Daydream white tea which combines lavender, rose, and mango and peach natural essences for a soothing tea with a slight caffeine boost. This tea is a calming yet energizing blend.

White Chocolate Lavender Tea Bread

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons dried lavender blossoms (plus more for decoration if you choose)
  • 2 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup white chocolate
Directions:
Warm milk, honey, and lavender buds on medium low heat until simmering, stirring often.
Cover and remove from heat, letting steep for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter a Bundt pan and set aside.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Once 30 minutes have passed, strain your milk mixture into another medium bowl and discard solids.
Mix sour cream into milk mixture.
Using an electric mixer, cream room temperature butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
Alternating three times, add the milk mixture and the dry mixture.
Scoop batter into prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Allow bread to cool for 10 minutes, then use a plate to invert the Bundt pan, releasing the bread. If it sticks, run a small rubber spatula along the top edge.
Allow bread to cool fully.
Melt white chocolate in the microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring in between.
Using a pastry brush, paint white chocolate on the bread and sprinkle sparingly with lavender buds or shaved white chocolate.

Mary Hadzimichalis

Mary is a creative kitchen and garden witch with a passion for tea. She lives on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland with her husband and three cats. Her baking, creating, gardening, and women's healthcare advocacy can be followed on Instagram.
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