This lemon lavender cake has the perfect balance of flavor between the delicate floral notes of lavender and bright citrus!

How to Make This Lemon Lavender Cake

To make sure this cake turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together! I’ve also included a video tutorial of the process below.

I figured it might be helpful to know what tools I use too, so I’ve shared a list below.

Not all of these are mandatory, but they make the process a lot easier. If you don’t have all these things on hand, feel free to improvise and work with what you have.

• Saucepan
• Fine mesh strainer
• Heat-proof bowl
• 3, 8-inch cake pans or 4, 7-inch cake pans
• Serrated Knife
• Spinning cake stand
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• 10-inch greaseproof cake board
• Large offset spatula
• 1 Large piping bag

Step 1: Make the Lemon Curd

Make the lemon curd first so that it has time to cool and thicken.

I love making lemon curd with this recipe because it helps use up the egg yolks that would be left over after making the Swiss meringue buttercream.

This lemon curd can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to a month.

However, if you’re running short on time, you can also use store bought lemon curd.

Step 2: Make the Lavender Milk

Next, we tackle the lavender milk. This step might seem odd, but steeping dried lavender in steamed milk is the best and easiest way to incorporate that delicate floral flavor into our cake layers and buttercream.

It’s important that you let the lavender steep for 15 minutes to allow the flavor to infuse into the milk.

Step 3: Bake the Lemon Lavender Cake Layers

Then it’s time to make the lemon lavender cake batter following the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Pour half of the cake batter (about 900g) into a separate bowl. Use a small drop of gel food coloring to color one bowl of batter purple and the other bowl yellow.

Alternate spoonfuls of both colors of batter into the prepared pans. Use a butter knife or a small offset spatula to swirl the batter together. 

Bake the layers for 33-36 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.

Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip the cake layers onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer.

If you’re making these in advance, you can wrap and freeze them at this point.

Step 4: Make the Lavender Frosting

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the lavender frosting.

I like to use my Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) as a base, because it isn’t too sweet and really lets the flavors in this buttercream shine through!

Wait to color the frosting until the cake has been filled and frosted.

If you aren’t a fan of SMBC, I’d recommend adding the lavender milk to a batch of my American buttercream or 1.5 batches of my hybrid buttercream.

This frosting can also be made in advance if needed and kept in the fridge for up to a month.

Step 5: Stack and Fill the Cake Layers

Then it’s time to assemble this cake! Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate. Use a dab of buttercream to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

Spread a thin layer of buttercream on top of each cake layer.

Pipe a thick ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake layer and fill the center with lemon curd.

I like to add about 1/2 cup of lemon curd between each layer.

Flip the top cake layer upside down to make it easier to frost and get sharp corners.

Step 6: Chill and Crumb Coat the Cake

Chill the cake in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to prevent the layers from sliding, then add a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covers the cake layers.

Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake again in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Step 7: Add the Second Layer of Frosting & Decorate

Set aside 2/3 cup of frosting, then add a second layer of frosting to the cake with the remaining buttercream. Use a large offset spatula to give the frosting a textured look.

Color half of the reserved frosting yellow, and the other half purple with gel food coloring.

Use a small offset spatula to add colorful swipes of frosting around the cake and blend them into the white frosting. Then enjoy!

Substitutions and Swaps – Lemon Lavender Cake Layers

This recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this cake recipe.

• Culinary Lavender – I like to use culinary lavender that I order on Amazon in this recipe. You can also find it at some specialty food stores.
• Whole Milk – Skim milk, half and half, or alternative milk can also be used to make the lavender milk.
• Cake Flour – This recipe turns out best with cake flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour if that’s all you have on hand.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar because it will change the texture of the cake layers.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this cake recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and also omit the salt)!
• Egg whites – I like to use the pasteurized egg whites that come in a carton, but you can also use 7 fresh egg whites or 4 whole, large eggs. If you have an egg allergy you can try using flaxseed eggs or an egg replacer.
• Sour Cream – You can also use full-fat yogurt, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or even sunflower oil would work great!

Substitutions and Swaps – Lavender Buttercream

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and omit the salt)!

Making This Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

I highly recommend making the components of this cake in stages. It breaks the process up and makes it so much more approachable!

The lemon curd can be made up to a month in advance and stored in the fridge. Just be sure you save the egg whites to make the Swiss meringue buttercream.

The cake layers can also be made in advance and frozen. They taste just as great when they’re frozen as when they’re fresh, I promise!

You can make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Tips for Making the Best Lavender Lemon Cake

• Let the dried lavender steep in the milk for 15 minutes to give this cake an amazing flavor!
• Properly measure your flour. Either spoon it into the cup measure, then level with a knife or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Ingredients at room temp mix together better, so be sure to set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. This makes them easier to stack and frost.
• Level the room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack and fill.
• Chill the cake before adding on the crumb coat. This will help lock all the lemon curd filling in place and prevent the cake layers from sliding.
• If your cake layers do seem to be sliding, insert a wooden dowel or chopstick through the center of the cake to help keep the layers in place.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this lemon lavender cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Let me know by leaving a rating and comment below.

Tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets if you share on social media so that I can see your amazing creations.

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