Rose Geranium Buttermilk Pound Cake

Source: Today's Herbal Kitchen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup finely minced fresh rose geranium leaves
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
6 whole fresh rose geranium leaves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs on at a time. Mix well. On slow speed, add vanilla extract and next 3 ingredients.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda. To the batter, add dry ingredients in 3 portions and buttermilk in 2 portions, alternating between the two. Mix well to moisten flour. Place whole rose geranium leaves in the bottom of prepared Bundt pan. Carefully pour batter into the pan. Bake for exactly 1 hour, 10 minutes, even if cake does not appear done at the end of cooking time. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar or frost.

Yields 10 to 12 servings.