Lemon Lavender Cake

The days are getting a bit more summery here, but I still have one more delicate, delicious Spring bake to share with you! This Lemon Lavender Cake is light, tender, flavorful, and decadent!

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This Lemon Lavender Cake is two layers of light, moist lemon cake with a smooth and silky lavender buttercream! The textures and flavors of this beauty are a masterpiece!

If you enjoy this recipe, you might also like to check out my recipes for Strawberry Lavender Pound Cake, Blackberry Lavender Brownie Pie, and Honey Lavender Latte Cookies!

Ingredients

Here's everything you need to whip up this gorgeous cake! Measurements for each of the ingredients are listed in the recipe card, below.

Lemon Cake Ingredients

• Flour - Provides structure and moisture for the cake. I used all-purpose flour.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda - Provide leavening for the cake.
• Salt - Helps to balance and enhance the flavor of the cake.
• Sugar - For sweetness and keeping the cake soft and moist.
• Lemon Zest - For flavor. You want to use only the yellow part of the rind, and not the white pith underneath, as it's bitter!
• Unsalted Butter - For moisture and richness. Unsalted butter so that you control the amount of salt in the recipe. You want your butter to be at room temperature so that it will get light and fluffy.
• Eggs - Provide the cake with structure, additional leavening, and a little richness. Your eggs should be at room temperature.
• Lemon Extract Paste - For a punch of lemon flavor without adding much liquid! If you'd like, you can substitute with an equal measure of lemon extract.
• Lemon Juice - For flavor, and reacts with the baking soda and baking powder for a bit more rise to your cake!
• Milk - For flavor, richness, and moisture. You want your milk to be at room temperature. I used whole milk.

Lavender Buttercream Ingredients

• Milk - Serves as a base for the custard. I used whole milk.
• Heavy (Whipping) Cream - Also serves as the base of the custard, and provides more creamy decadence to your buttercream.
• Dried Lavender - For flavor. You'll want to make sure that you're using culinary lavender, since other lavenders aren't meant to be eaten and could have been sprayed with harmful chemicals. I bought my lavender here.
• Sugar - For sweetness.
• Flour - To thicken the custard for the buttercream. I used all-purpose flour.
• Salt - To balance and enhance the flavor of the buttercream.
• Unsalted Butter - The butter makes your custard into a buttercream! You want to use unsalted butter so that you control the amount of salt in your buttercream. The butter should be softened at room temperature for 30-40 minutes before using. Too cold and your buttercream will not the smooth, and too warm and your buttercream will be runny.
• Vanilla Bean Paste - For another layer of flavor and beautiful black specks of vanilla bean in your buttercream! If you'd prefer, you can substitute with an equal measure of vanilla extract.

Hint: If you're a fan of lavender, make sure to check out my post on how to make homemade Lavender Sugar!

Instructions

Note that before starting to make the buttercream, there is a step to infuse the milk and cream with the lavender. This requires warming the mixture, letting the mixture come to room temperature as it steeps, then cooling the mixture. Though mostly hands-off, this a time-consuming process, so you may want to tackle the lavender-infused milk/cream before you begin the cake recipe. Additional detail on making this cake is included in the recipe card, below.

How to Make Lemon Cake

• Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
• Combine the sugar and lemon zest, then run the mixer on low to allow the oils from the lemon to infuse the sugar.
• Add the butter and cream together until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, lemon extract paste, and lemon juice.
• Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk, taking care not to overmix.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake until lightly golden.

How to Make Lavender Buttercream

• In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, and dried lavender over medium heat until just beginning to simmer. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. Once chilled, strain the lavender from the mixture.
• In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt, then gradually add the milk mixture and whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat until the mixture has thickened, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
• Once the custard is at room temperature, beat with the whisk attachment, adding the butter a few pieces at a time. Add vanilla bean paste and mix to combine. Beat buttercream until light and fluffy.

Storage

If you'd like to make the cakes in advance, you can make them the day before, wrap them well, and leave them on your counter to frost the next day. You don't want to store them in the refrigerator, as this can dry them out! For longer-term storage, make sure that the cakes are completely cool, wrap tightly, and you can freeze them for up to three months.

If you'd like to make the buttercream in advance, it will keep in an airtight container (you don't want it to absorb odors!) in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer up to three months. When you pull from the fridge, place the buttercream on your counter to come to room temperature, then re-whip using the whisk attachment on your mixer. From the freezer, thaw overnight in your refrigerator, then proceed with bringing to room temperature on your counter and re-whipping.

Once the cake is frosted, I store mine in the refrigerator, where it keeps for 2-3 days. Once sliced, I'll press some plastic wrap up against the cut edges of the cake to help it from getting dry. The buttercream is quite firm straight out of the fridge, so I usually put the cake out on my counter about an hour before I want to serve it so the buttercream can warm up.

This cake recipe is such a gem! The custard-based lavender buttercream is officially my favorite ever. The lovely lavender paired with the lemon is just *chef's kiss* and I can't get enough! Pleeeeease make this cake and let me know what you think!

Other Posts You May Like

Lavender buttercream recipe adapted from basil buttercream in Sarah Kieffer's Vanilla Bean Baking Book.

Lemon Lavender Cake

Amee

This Lemon Lavender Cake is two layers of light, moist lemon cake with a smooth and silky lavender buttercream! The textures and flavors of this beauty are a masterpiece!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 38 minutes mins

Chill Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 13 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Calories 668 kcal

Equipment

• 2 8 inch cake pans
• kitchen scale
• Offset Spatula

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark while you bake!

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Lemon Cake

• ▢ 2 cups flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1¼ cups sugar
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
• ▢ 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 2 eggs, at room temperature
• ▢ ½ teaspoon lemon oil (see note)
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ ⅔ cup milk, at room temperature (I used whole milk)

Lavender Buttercream

• ▢ 1 ½ cups milk (I used whole)
• ▢ ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon dried culinary lavender (see note)
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (see note)

Instructions

 

Lemon Cake

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
  2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Be sure to only include the yellow part of the rind, and not the white pith underneath, as it is bitter. Run the mixer on low for a few minutes to allow the oils from the lemon to infuse the sugar.
  1¼ cups sugar, 3 Tablespoons lemon zest
• Add the butter and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, at least three minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Add the eggs one at a time, allowing the first egg to incorporate before adding the second. Add the lemon oil (see note) and lemon juice and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
  2 eggs, at room temperature, ½ teaspoon lemon oil, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk: with the mixer on low, gradually add half the dry ingredients, followed by the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated, taking care not to overmix.
  ⅔ cup milk, at room temperature
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans (a kitchen scale helps with this; see note). Bake until lightly golden on the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached, 23-25 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool at least ten minutes in the pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If you'd like to make the cakes in advance, you can bake them the day before, wrap them well, and leave them on your counter to frost the next day. Storing the unfrosted cakes in the refrigerator may dry them out. For longer-term storage, make sure that the cakes are completely cool, wrap tightly, and you can freeze them for up to three months. Just thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then frost.

Lavender Buttercream

• Combine the milk, heavy cream, and lavender (see note) in a small saucepan. Over medium-low heat, warm the mixture until just simmering. Remove from the heat and let cool enough that it can be placed in the refrigerator. Chill at least two hours, or up to overnight.
  1 ½ cups milk, ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream, 1 Tablespoon dried culinary lavender
• Once cooled, use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the lavender from the milk and cream mixture. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the milk and cream mixture and stir to combine.
  1 ¾ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
• Cook the mixture over medium heat while stirring constantly. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and whisk until the mixture has thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed until the bowl cools to room temperature, about 5-10 minutes.
• Once the bowl has cooled to room temperature, reduce the speed to low and add the butter. Once the butter is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla bean paste (see note) and mix to combine.
  1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• If not using the frosting immediately, place it in an airtight container and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. You'll have to take the frosting out of the fridge to warm up for it to be a spreadable/pipeable consistency. If necessary, the frosting can be re-whipped to a smooth consistency.
• Frost the cooled cake layers with the buttercream, and top with lavender and lemon slices, if desired.
• If you'd like to make the buttercream in advance, it will keep in an airtight container (you don't want it to absorb odors!) in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer up to three months. When you pull from the fridge, place the buttercream on your counter to come to room temperature, then re-whip using the whisk attachment on your mixer. From the freezer, thaw overnight in your refrigerator, then proceed with bringing to room temperature on your counter and re-whipping.

  Once the cake is frosted, I store mine in the refrigerator, where it keeps for 2-3 days. Once sliced, I'll press some plastic wrap up against the cut edges of the cake to help it from getting dry. The buttercream is quite firm straight out of the fridge, so I usually put the cake out on my counter about an hour before I want to serve it so the buttercream can warm up.

  Enjoy!

Notes

Note on cake pans: This recipe is written for an 8-inch two-layer cake. I suggest using pans that are light in color to avoid overbaking the cakes (as darker pans bake the cake faster).

Note on kitchen scale: You can just eyeball it, but a scale will help to ensure you have the same amount of batter in each pan.

Note on lavender: You'll want to make sure that you're using culinary lavender, since other lavenders aren't meant to be eaten and could have been sprayed with harmful chemicals.

Note on vanilla bean paste: I love the flavor of vanilla bean paste, and the black flecks of vanilla bean in leaves in the buttercream! If you don't have vanilla bean paste or prefer not to use it, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 668kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 6gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 323mgPotassium: 131mgFiber: 1gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 1320IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.

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