August is a quiet season for baking... Let these light and pretty lavender numbers tempt you back into the kitchen

LAVENDER AND HONEY CAKES
Makes 12

40g salted butter (room temperature)
120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
120ml milk
1 egg
1 tsp lavender essence

for the icing
80g unsalted butter (room temperature)
160g icing sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp lavender essence
Purple food colouring
Dried lavender to decorate (optional)

you will need
12-hole cupcake or muffin tin lined with 12 paper cases

1 Preheat oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F. Measure the butter, flour, caster sugar and baking powder into a bowl and use an electric whisk to beat until the butter is incorporated and you have a sand-like texture.

2 In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg and lavender essence and add slowly to the dry mixture, mixing to form a batter.

3 Pour the batter into the cupcake cases, about a heaped tablespoon in each, and bake in the centre of the oven for 15 mins or until lightly golden and springy to touch. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4 To make the icing, whisk together the butter, icing sugar, honey and lavender essence for a couple of mins until smooth. Add as much purple food colouring as you like, then put in the fridge for 15–20 mins until firm.

5 Ice the cakes using the back of a spoon and garnish with a sprig of dried lavender.

Recipe from Milly’s Real Food by Nicola Millbank (HarperCollins).