Lemon Lavender Cake (Printable Version)
Fragrant lemon and lavender cake with citrus glaze. Elegant dessert for afternoon tea or celebrations.
# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 tablespoons culinary dried lavender buds
07 - Zest of 2 lemons
08 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
10 - ⅔ cup whole milk
11 - ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Lemon Lavender Syrup
13 - ¼ cup water
14 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
15 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
16 - ½ teaspoon culinary dried lavender buds
→ Lemon Glaze
17 - 1 cup powdered sugar
18 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
19 - 1-2 teaspoons milk as needed
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a small bowl, combine sugar, lavender buds, and lemon zest. Rub together with fingers to infuse the sugar.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
04 - In a large bowl, cream the butter with the lavender-lemon sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract.
05 - Mix in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and lemon juice, starting and ending with flour. Do not overmix.
06 - Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - While the cake bakes, make the syrup: combine water, sugar, lemon juice, and lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let steep 5 minutes, then strain.
08 - Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Remove to a rack. While warm, brush with lemon-lavender syrup.
09 - When cake is completely cool, whisk glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the cake.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The combination of bright lemon and gentle lavender creates this sophisticated flavor that somehow still feels comforting and homey
- That syrup brushed over the warm cake keeps it incredibly moist for days, which means you can actually enjoy the whole thing without it drying out
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once you add the flour will make your cake tough, so stop as soon as everything is combined
- Brushing the syrup onto a completely cold cake won't absorb properly, so timing that step while it's still warm makes all the difference
03 -
- Zest your lemons before juicing them since it's much harder to zest a lemon that's already been squeezed
- Room temperature ingredients prevent the batter from curdling and ensure even baking throughout the cake