Lavender Buttercream
This lavender buttercream recipe makes the fluffiest frosting with deliciously delicate floral notes. It's balanced perfectly with a hint of honey!
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 878kcal
Ingredients
Lavender Milk
- 1/3 cup whole milk 80g
- 1 Tbsp dried culinary lavender 3g
Lavender Buttercream Frosting
- 7 large egg whites, room temperature 210g
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400g
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 454g
- 1/4 cup lavender milk, room temperature - recipe above 60g
- 2 Tbsp honey 42g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- purple gel food coloring optional
Instructions
Lavender Milk
- Pour 1/3 cup milk into a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, until the milk begins to simmer.
- Remove the pan from the stove top and add in 1 Tbsp dried lavender.
- Let the mixture steep for 15 minutes, then pour the liquid through a strainer into a small bowl. Some of the milk will evaporate in the process and will also be absorbed by the dried lavender, but that's ok! You only need 1/4 cup to make the frosting.
- Set aside to cool completely before using in the frosting.
Lavender Buttercream Frosting
- Before making the frosting, be sure to thoroughly clean your mixing bowl; if there’s any grease it can make it difficult to make the meringue.
- In a medium sized pot, add about 1-inch of water and bring to a simmer.
- Add 7 egg whites and 2 cups of granulated sugar into a clean metal or heat-proof mixing bowl.
- Place the bowl on top of the pot filled with simmering water. The bowl should create a seal over the pot. Make sure the water isn’t actually touching the bottom of the bowl, or it can cook the egg whites.
- Whisk the mixture constantly for about 3 minutes, until it reaches 160°F / 71°C. You can test the mixture to see if it’s ready by rubbing a tiny bit between your fingertips. The sugar should be fully dissolved, and it should feel super smooth and hot to the touch.
- Once it reaches this stage, lift the bowl away from the pot and dry the bottom with a towel. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on a medium-high speed with a whisk attachment. Mix for about 10 minutes, or until you have stiff, glossy peaks that stick straight up. While the meringue whips, I like to add something cold around the base of my bowl. I find the meringue stays quite warm while it whips up and placing a bag of frozen veggies around the base of the bowl helps cool it back to room temperature. This can prevent your buttercream from becoming soupy in the next step.
- Mix in 2 cups of unsalted butter at a medium speed, 1 stick at a time. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The frosting should have a thick, whipped consistency once all the butter is mixed in. If it looks lumpy or broken, keep mixing until it looks fluffy and thick. If it doesn't seem to come together after an additional 10 minutes of mixing, check out the troubleshooting section in the post above.
- Once the consistency is right, swap out the whisk attachment for a paddle attachment and add in 1/4 cup lavender milk, 2 Tbsp honey, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp fine salt, and a couple drops of purple gel food coloring (if desired). Continue mixing on a low speed for a couple minutes to make the frosting extra smooth.
- The frosting should have a thick whipped consistency at this point. If it looks lumpy or broken, keep mixing until it looks smooth and thick.
Video
Notes
Yield: 6 cups of frosting
1 batch of frosting is enough to fill and frost a seven- or eight-inch layer cake, or frost about 3 dozen cupcakes.Tips for Making the Best Lavender Buttercream:
- If your frosting breaks / curdles, just keep mixing!! It should come back together with the help of your stand mixer. For more troubleshooting tips, check out this post.
- Traces of grease in your mixing bowl can prevent your meringue from forming stiff peaks. You can wipe down your tools with lemon juice or vinegar to make sure they’re grease-free.
- Eggs are easiest to separate when they’re cold.
- Heat your egg white / sugar mixture to 160 F to make the egg whites safe to eat. I like to use a digital thermometer to track the temperature.
- Whip the meringue until your peaks are stiff enough to defy gravity.
- Use vanilla bean paste and a good quality honey to really amp up the flavor of this frosting.
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature and add it in slowly (1 Tbsp at a time).
- Mix your finished buttercream on the lowest speed with a paddle attachment for a few minutes to make it smooth.
Making This Lavender Frosting in Advance and Storage Tips
Make this lavender frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to room temp to get the consistency nice and smooth again. A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious! If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 878kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 295mg | Sugar: 76g