Zesty lemon and aromatic lavender make this Lemon and Lavender Cake the perfect sweet treat in Spring. It’s simply delicious. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dessert. Lemon lavender cake goes beautifully with tea.
Find the full recipe at the end of this post.
Spring is in the Air (and in the Kitchen)
There’s just something about springtime and baking. I love it! It’s the perfect time of year to play with the fresh and tangy flavor of lemon and the intoxicating fragrance of lavender. If you have never baked with lavender before, you are in for a treat!
The first time I tried a cake baked with lavender it was baked for me by my husband for Mother’s Day. It was outstanding! My eyes had been opened to the incredible flavor lavender can add to food, particularly baked goods. I always loved the way lavender smelled, but I didn’t realize how good it tasted too.
Ingredients in Lemon and Lavender Cake
- Granulated sugar
- Edible dried lavender
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Eggs
- Vanilla Greek yogurt
- Olive oil
- Lemon and zest
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon curd
- Heavy whipping cream
- Fresh mint (for garnish)
How to make Lemon and Lavender Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a food processor add the granulated sugar and lavender and pulse until the lavender has broken down and is thoroughly incorporated into the sugar.
Next, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt together into a large bowl. Stir in the lavender and sugar.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, and oil.
Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir. Add the lemon zest and juice, but don’t over-mix batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the cake comes away from the inside of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle of it comes out clean. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and peel away the parchment paper. Allow the cake to cool slightly.
Finally, in a medium bowl whip the heavy cream with the lemon curd until it’s light and fluffy.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving. Serve each slice with a dollop of lemon whipped cream and a sprig of mint.
Variety is the Spice of Life
Lemon and lavender cake is delicious as is. However, you can also add poppyseed to it if you like. Or, try baking the batter in two 6-inch round pans (be sure to reduce the cooking time to about 25-30 minutes) and spread some lemon curd or strawberry preserves in between the two layers. Adding fresh sliced strawberries in between the two layers is delicious too!
Another option is making a lemon and lavender simple syrup to drizzle over the top of the cake. In the food processor whip up another batch of sugar and lavender only this time, use half a cup of sugar to a teaspoon of lavender. Then, in a small pot bring the sugar and lavender, a little bit of lemon zest, and a 1/2 cup of water to a boil on the stove. Let it simmer until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat off and let the syrup cool. Drizzle it over the top of the cake before serving. The simple syrup makes the cake extra moist and decadent.
Lemon and Lavender Cake
Zesty lemon and aromatic lavender make this Lemon and Lavender Cake the perfect sweet treat in Spring. It's simply delicious. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dessert. Lemon lavender cake dolloped with lemon whipped cream and a sprig of mint goes beautifully with tea.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons edible lavender
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup lemon curd
- Fresh mint sprigs, garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a food processor add the granulated sugar and lavender and pulse until the lavender has broken down and is thoroughly incorporated into the sugar.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt together into a large bowl. Stir in the lavender and sugar.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, and oil. Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir. Add the lemon zest and juice, but don't over-mix batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the cake comes away from the inside of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle of it comes out clean. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and peel away the parchment paper. Allow the cake to cool.
- In a medium bowl whip the heavy cream with the lemon curd until it's light and fluffy. Dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving. Serve each slice with a dollop of lemon whipped cream and a mint sprig.
Notes
- You can also add poppyseeds to the batter if you like.
- Try baking the batter in two 6-inch round pans (be sure to reduce the cooking time to about 25-30 minutes) and spread some lemon curd or strawberry preserves in between the two layers. Adding fresh sliced strawberries in between the two layers is delicious too!
- You can also make a lemon and lavender simple syrup to drizzle over the top of the cake. In the food processor whip up another batch of sugar and lavender only this time, use half a cup of sugar to a teaspoon of lavender. Then, in a small pot bring the sugar and lavender, a little bit of lemon zest, and a 1/2 cup of water to a boil on the stove. Let it simmer until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat off and let the syrup cool. Using a toothpick or skewer, poke a few holes in the top of the cake. Drizzle the syrup over the top of the cake before serving. The simple syrup makes the cake extra moist and decadent.
More of my Favorite Cake Recipes
The Best Vanilla Strawberry Cake
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Thank you for this beautiful recipe!
You’re welcome, Diane! Have a happy Easter!
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