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This lavender cake is moist and tender, with a delightful and delicious lavender flavor in both the cake and the cream cheese icing.
Each slice is filled with tender layers of vanilla cake infused with a subtle lavender flavor. The tangy cream cheese buttercream has a hint of lavender, making this cake a great summertime dessert.
When I purchased my dried culinary lavender, I began thinking of scones with lavender, and adding it to shortbread cookies. But at the top of my list was a lavender cake.
This cake is a simple, two-layer cake that comes together easily and has a wonderfully fragrant flavor. The cake layers are moist and fluffy, with a hint of lavender that is complemented by hints of vanilla. I topped the cake with some fresh lavender to make it extra special.
? The Ingredients
Here is a list of the ingredients you will need for this recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.
- Cake flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Egg whites and a whole egg
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Lavender oil
- Dried, culinary lavender buds
Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract and lavender oil
I am not the cake baker in the family, as that award goes to Dahn. But every now and then I will do my bit with a cake made from scratch. This particular recipe, tender white cake, is from the King Arthur Flour website with my adaptation of the lavender buds and lavender oil.
To bake this cake
When preparing this cake, I used a recipe that has a slightly different method of mixing. It uses a paste method (also known as a reverse creaming method) instead of the traditional creaming method.
Most recipes for butter cakes start out with creaming the butter and sugar which creates tiny air bubbles in the butter which will later expand in the oven and contribute to the rise of the cake. It also helps contribute to a light and fluffy texture.
Our recipe uses the paste/reverse creaming method. I first learned this method of baking from The Cake Bible. The paste method starts by mixing the flour with the butter.
This paste coats the flour particles with fat and minimizes gluten formation. It also minimizes the air particles that are formed while baking, which results in a finer crumb with a slightly denser but very velvety texture.
Here is a brief overview to get an idea of what to expect with this lavender cake recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the soft butter and mix until it resembles damp sand.
- Beat in the egg whites one at a time, then add the whole egg.
- Whisk the milk with the vanilla extract and the lavender oil. Add this mix ⅓ at a time, to the batter. Fold the crushed lavender buds into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake.
I have to tell you, though, that using the lavender flavor was a total experiment as I had to determine how much lavender would be enough but not too much.
I have had lavender cookies where the lavender was so faint that I wondered why they bothered, but too much and it can be overpowering. So, it took a couple attempts for me to discover the amount of flavoring I wanted.
Using culinary lavender oil:
One word of caution, the lavender oil is very powerful and my first attempt I thought I was being pretty conservative…. it was a total failure. I was determined to get this right though and as the oil was not equipped with a dropper so I purchased one and finally got the amount of lavender correct. It is perfect!
I enjoyed this cake so much, I asked Dahn to use this recipe for the cake at my 50th anniversary party. She filled the cake layers with lemon curd and covered it with fondant. It was absolutely beautiful.
If you haven’t seen our anniversary cake yet, take a look. While you’re at it, you should check out the wine barrel cake she made for Don’s 80th birthday party or any of her other cake designs.
This cake makes me happy and I love the light floral flavor and the cream cheese icing has just enough lavender oil for a light flavoring and compliments the cake deliciously. It would be fun to get my lady friends together and do a little English Tea party with some fancy sandwiches, tea (like lavender tea) and serve this cake for dessert. Just thinking…:)
Tips for Success
To avoid any pesticides of commercially grown lavender, make certain you use culinary lavender with this recipe. Culinary lavender is meant for consumption and is the safest choice when used in baking and cooking. Lavender infused sugar is an easy way to incorporate it in your baking.
Use room temperature ingredients. Let the butter, milk, and eggs sit out for a while. If they are cold, the cake batter will not emulsify as well.
Make sure you scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl frequently.
Check out these recipes:
- Lavender Madeleine Tea Cakes
- Old-Fashioned Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Einkorn Honey Almond Cake
- Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting
- Brownies with cream cheese buttercream
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Lavender Cake with Lavender Cream Cheese Icing
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
Lavender Cake
- 2-¾ cups cake flour, (300 grams)
- 1-⅔ cups sugar, superfine is best (330 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup butter, (12 tablespoons) softened and room temperature
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 whole large egg, room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8-10 drops lavender oil, about ⅛ teaspoon (see Notes)
- 2 teaspoons culinary lavender buds, pulverized in a pestle or ground in a spice mill
Lavender Cream Cheese Icing:
- 1 cup of butter, 2 sticks, room temperature
- 16 oz of cream cheese, 2 packages, room temperature
- 5 – 6 cups of powdered sugar, (565 to 678 grams)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2-5 drops of culinary lavender oil, or to preferred taste-see Notes
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Prepare two 9”x2” round pans by lining them with parchment paper and then spray the paper with non-stick spray.
- Mix the dry ingredients on slow speed for 2 minutes to blend. Add the soft butter and mix until evenly crumbly, it should resemble damp sand.
- Add the egg whites one at a time, then add the whole egg, beating well after each addition to begin building the structure of the cake. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with each egg addition.
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk with the vanilla and the lavender oil (see Notes). Add this mix ⅓ at a time, to the batter. Beat just until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Fold the crushed lavender buds into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs stuck to the toothpick. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Lavender Cream Cheese Icing:
- With an electric mixer, and using the paddle attachment, not the whisk, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness. With the mixer on the slow speed, carefully add one drop of the oil at a time and mix well. Taste for flavor and add more oil a drop at a time to get the desired taste.
- Spread icing on the cooled cake and refrigerate until serving.
Notes
- Lavender oil is super powerful and you will need to drop in a couple drops at a time, mix it well and then taste it to determine if you need more. I used 10 drops and was delighted with the results.
- If you do not have lavender oil you could substitute by heating the milk that is listed in the ingredients with 2 or 3 teaspoons of dried culinary lavender. Bring the milk to a boil, remove from the heat and let it steep until it is room temperature, then strain it through a sieve before adding to the cake batter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
This is probably my favorite cake that I’ve made! When I told my boyfriend that I was going to make a lavender cake, he said it sounded terrible … but he liked it a little too much went back seconds every night until the cake was gone! I definitely will be using this recipe again. I’ve also been adding the culinary lavender and lavender buds to my pancakes and they’re so delicious!!
Oh, I am so happy to hear your experience with this cake! The pancakes sound delicious and I will have to give them a try, thanks for your input, I’m glad your boyfriend was so impressed with your great baking adventure!
Is it okay if I dont use actual lavender like the plant. I only have the oil and none of the stores near me sell culinary lavender.
Hi, Amy….That is a great question, thank you! I have never used only the lavender oil but if you cannot get the culinary dried lavender and decide to use just the oil, I would follow the amounts of oil listed in the recipe without adding any additional oil until you have tasted first to determine how strong the flavor is. Add drops in increments and taste with each addition to increase the flavor. We would love to hear how this works for you.
Can I make these into cupcakes?
yes, you can. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 24 minutes for standard-sized cupcakes.
Made this recipe and despite using the toothpick test for done-ness, when my layers cooled, they were gummy and flat. What did I do wrong?
It sounds like the gluten was over-developed. Beating the batter too fast and too long will develop gluten in the flour. The cake will be fully cooked but gummy in texture as if it is under-baked.
I absolutely love this cake and have made it for a lot of special occasions. Lately though, I’ve noticed that my batter is separating after I add the milk. It looks a little curdled and broken. I don’t want to over beat though. I know that there are some tricks to get batter emulsified properly. But maybe my butter is too soft to start with or something else? Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!
That ‘curdled’ look happens when the emulsion is broken. It usually happens if the ingredients are not at room temperature. Perhaps your milk is cold when you add it to the batter? If you start to add the milk and the batter breaks up you could warm the rest of the milk up a bit and add it slowly. The nice thing about this recipe is that with the reverse creaming method it is harder to over-beat the batter. Since you start out by adding the butter to the flour mixture, the flour gets coated in butter and the fat molecules protect the flour from developing gluten quite as fast. So with that in mind, you can get away with a bit more beating of the batter if the emulsion breaks.
Thanks for your question, I will modify the recipe card to make sure it specifies room temperature ingredients. I hope this helps with your next batch.
Hi hi. I literally just read every single comment. Why? Bc I am gonna try your recipe, which sounds amazing and looks delish. Someone asked me to make a lavender cake. I am pretty good at replicating recipes but also making them Mine by adjusting certain ingredients. Yours sounds absolutely perfect. Lavender buds? Check! Lavender oil? Check! Those two ingredients seem to make or break the recipe. With that being said, I am using LorAnne lavender oil. Will this make a difference? As far as intensity in oils. Another thing. if I decide to forego the oil, use two teaspoons of buds to flavor milk, will I still need to add two teaspoons of buds to the batter itself?
Thank you again for your recipe. Let the baking begin! I’ll keep you posted.
Hi Rachel, thanks for the comment. It looks like the LorAnne oil is food grade but I don’t know if it is more concentrated. I would start with less and slowly add more as you taste test. If you use the buds to infuse the milk then you shouldn’t need to add more to the batter Too much lavender in the batter will make it taste a bit like soap so taste test as you go. We would love to hear your results.
Hi again. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe. Excellent. Soft moist and a great balance of lavendar flavor. I played around with the lavender buds and oil for 3 days straight. I got it right the first try with your recipe, which I accidentally used more butter than recipe called for. Absolutely perfect. Then I wanted to see how it can be played into my vanilla recipe which uses cake flour and AP flour. I tried it 2 other different ways. I think my guiness pigs, ahem, I meant taste testers are gonna quit. They won’t. Free desserts? Who could pass that up? Sorry getting off topic. Anywho…i kinda moved ingredients around and settled on this variation. I used 1.5 tsps of lavendar buds to infuse the milk. The remaining half tsp of buds I grounded into a rough powder form and folded that and 4 drops of oil (using a pipette) into the batter. I was the jackpot! With that being said I used your version for the top tier and my version butter than recipe called for) for the bottom tier. Client loved it. So now I have 2 tried and tested versions of lavender cake under my belt. Thanks a million again.
I’m so glad it turned out Rachel. It sounds like you had a great time with the recipe and I bet your taste testers did as well 🙂
Hello,
I accidentally purchased lavender extract instead of the oil…can this still be used the same in this recipe or would you recommend looking for the oil instead?
Hi, Heather….yes, you can use the extract. I have also used the lavender extract from Olive Nation which is for culinary use. I would suggest starting with a small amount and taste as you go. Thanks for reaching out to us, this is a great cake recipe!
I have never been accused of being subtle. That being said, this cake was delicious! I thought I’d gone light on the lavender with 2 teaspoons of the ground leaf and 6 drops of the lavender oil. I didn’t think the taste of the finished product was overwhelming but my husband said it was “different” which means heavy handed in spouse speak. Still, I want to take another run at this using more of the lavender oil and not put it in the CC frosting. Not having experience with the reverse cream method I didn’t know what to expect and think I let it cook too long as it was a bit on the dry side and didn’t get as much rise as I would have liked to have seen. Thank you for this recipe. It really is a winner and too much fun not to try. To give myself some perspective on the taste of lavender I did make some lavender cookies at the same time as the cake. The cookies did seem a bit on the strong side. The cake was too light, the cookies too strong and the third try will be just right! If not, I’ll have to just wander aimlessly through the woods tasting porridge’s from bear caves and such. 🙂
Hi, Jo Ann…I love your narrative and happy that you took the time to respond and comment on our cake recipe. Yes, lavender is a unique flavor and one that I personally love. I too, had to experiment to get it ‘just right’ for my taste buds. Keep going, girl…you’ve got this! ♥️
Hello!
I just wanted to chip in and say that this post is amazing. When I saw it, I immediate fell in love; the crumbs looked so fine and the cake so beautiful! So ofc I had to try it. I made it for a friend last week with a few variations. Firstly, I didn’t want to purchase lavender oil, so I heated the one cup of milk (which the recipe calls for) and added 3tsp of culinary dried lavender to it. I brought it to a boil and let it steep until it was room temperature and made sure to sieve it before adding to the final cake. I also paired this cake with a traditional vanilla flavored cream cheese frosting, because I felt the lavender in the cake was strong enough.
Although I felt the 3tsp of dried lavender were slightly too much, everyone else loved it. I might try this cake again but with 2.5tsp for a lighter flavor. Additionally, I felt like this recipe was slighttttyyyyy on the dry side. Still have to experiment with a bit more to see where it goes!
Thanks for this recipe!!
Hi, Amrah! Thanks for chipping in here we are so happy that you like this lavender cake recipe. I love your idea of steeping the lavender leaves in the milk as a sub for the lavender oil. I have included your tip in our recipe notes. Lavender has a wonderfully unique flavor that is subject to our individual tastes and a little bit goes a long way. With regard to the cake being a bit on the dry side I have noted a typo in our baking times which read 25-35 minutes and corrected that to 25-30 minutes. Too much bake time will result in a dry cake. When you bake the cake again, try checking for doneness when it has baked for 27 minutes. There should be a few crumbs on the cake tester when it is done. Thanks again for your comments. 🙂
I won a blue ribbon for your cake at my town fair
Congratulation to you, Brenna! I love it that you won! 🙂
I won a blue ribbon for your cake
Woohoo! You did good, Brenna I am soooo happy for you! Thanks for the feedback, I will toast a glass of wine to you! 🙂