Lemon Lavender Cake (Printable)

A fragrant and elegant cake featuring zesty lemon and subtle floral notes of lavender, perfect for afternoon tea or special occasions.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Components

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ 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 Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - Combine sugar, lavender buds, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Rub together with fingers to release essential oils and infuse the sugar.
03 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
04 - Beat softened butter with lavender-lemon sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and lemon juice. Begin and end with flour. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
07 - While cake bakes, combine water, sugar, lemon juice, and lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes, then strain.
08 - Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Brush warm cake generously with lemon-lavender syrup.
09 - When cake is completely cool, whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake and allow to set before serving.

# Tips from dashanddishes:

01 -
  • The aroma filling your kitchen while it bakes is genuinely therapeutic
  • People will assume you spent hours on something far more complicated
  • The syrup keeps it moist for days unlike so many other cakes
02 -
  • Culinary lavender is essential, ornamental varieties can be bitter or unsafe
  • Overmixing once flour is added will make the cake tough instead of tender
  • The syrup step seems optional but it is what makes this special
03 -
  • Measure lavender carefully, more is definitely not better here
  • A glass pan can cause edges to overcook before the center is done

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