Some artificial flavorings and scents are not quite right. Take banana for instance. Anytime I’ve had something made with banana flavor it tastes off. Store-bought banana popsicles or candy taste nothing to me like the real thing. The same goes with heavy handed coconut flavoring. Too much and a cake tastes like the way suntan lotion smells. Lavender is in the group too. Real lavender smells incredible. Artificial lavender scent is not appealing to me at all. Imagine wind blowing through a lemon orchard and then across a lavender field. It is the heavenly scent coming from the oven when baking a Lavender Lemon Cake.
It was time again to bake a lemon bundt. Anne of From My Sweet Heart picked lemon for June’s Bundt Bakers theme. Trying to figure out what to bake was difficult after my incredible Triple Lemon Bundt Cake. It was the absolute best lemon cake I’ve baked. The challenge was on and so a recipe search began. Most of what I found was the additional ingredient of berries. While those sounded lovely I wanted something different. A continued search turned up lavender and it was intriguing. I had to give it a try out of curiosity.
Two flavor enhancing techniques are involved in this cake. First is rubbing lemon zest into sugar. Add lemon zest to a bowl of sugar then use your finger to rub it together. It releases lemon oil from the zest and really brings out natural lemon flavor. It’s so much better than using lemon extract. The other is making lavender powder by grinding dried culinary lavender with turbinado sugar. It also releases natural flavor in a most wonderful way. Using these two techniques makes the flavors real and true instead of an artificial off taste.
Lavender Lemon Cake is moist with medium crumb. Buttermilk is what I attribute to the moisture. It seems to be the case with almost any cake I’ve baked with it. Plus it gives an ever so slight and underlying tang. The flavor of the cake? Did I mention a wind blowing through a lemon orchard and across a lavender field? Yep, it smells like that when it is baking and tastes like it too. The cake received rave reviews from folks at my husband’s work. One said it was the best treat I’ve baked to date. And there I thought triple lemon bundt cake was the best. You never know.
Do you enjoy lemon cake? Scroll down to find a big list of recipes. I’m excited to check out each one. Bundts are so pretty thanks to the pans. Minimal if any topping is needed. A simple glaze or sugar dusting does nicely. Take a look at Lavender Poppy Seed Scones and Lavender Poppy Seed Shortbread for more recipes with lavender.
Lavender Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
For the cake:
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Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup Bundt cake pan.
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Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
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Place sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Use your fingers to rub sugar and lemon zest together (releases lemon oil for more flavor).
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Place lavender and turbinado sugar in a spice grinder. Grind until it is a fine powder. Add powder to lemon-sugar mixture and stir or whisk to combine.
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Beat butter and sugar mixture in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
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Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
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Add lemon juice and beat until combined.
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Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
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Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly in the pan.
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Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Cool cake in pan for 12 minutes. Prepare glaze.
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Remove cake from pan onto a wire rack over parchment or waxed paper. Use a pastry brush to brush glaze on warm cake.
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Cool cake completely.
For the glaze:
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Place confectioners sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Warm honey until runny either in the microwave for about 10 seconds or in a small saucepan.
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Add honey to sugar and lemon. Stir to combine. Brush glaze onto cake.
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If glaze thickens and does not brush easily onto cake, microwave it for about 10 seconds and stir.
Recipe Notes
Lavender Lemon Cake is a moist cake baked in a bundt pan and flavored with real lemon and lavender plus topped with a honey lemon glaze.
Recipe adapted from Lavender-Lemon Bundt Cake on the Williams-Sonoma website.
Are you searching for lemon cake to bake? Take a look at these bundt cake recipes with lemon by talented bakers from around the world:
- Bee’s Knees Lemon Honey Bundt from Food Lust People Love
- Blueberry-Lemon Breakfast Bundt from Cali’s Cuisine
- Bundt Cake de Limón from La Mejor Manera de Hacer
- Eggless Lemon Bundt Cake from Seduce Your Tastebuds
- Extra Lemon Bundt Cake from Los Chatos Chefs
- Lavender Lemon Cake from Magnolia Days
- Lemon & Lime Cheese Bundt Cake from Un Mordisco Un Pecado
- Lemon Apple Upside Down Bundt Cake from Simply Veggies
- Lemon Basil Bundt Cake from Tartacadabra
- Lemon Bundt Cake from Recipes, Food and Cooking
- Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Tart Lemon Glaze from Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Lemon Confetti Bundt Cake from Our Good Life
- Lemon Curd Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze from I Love Bundt Cakes
- Lemon Honey Bundt Cake from Brunch with Joy
- Lemon Marble Bundt Cake from Jenny and Sweets
- Lemon Meringue Chiffon Cake from Baking in Pyjamas
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake from Liv for Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seeds Bundt Cake from La Cocina de Aisha
- Lemon Poppyseed Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake from From Gate to Plate
- Lemon Ricotta and Poppyseed Bundt Cake from Spice Roots
- Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake from Love and Confections
- Lemon-Cranberry Poppyseed Bundt Cake from Take A Bite Out of Boca
- Mini Limoncello Bundts from Living the Gourmet
- Pink Lemon Pound Cake from Making Miracles
- Pink Lemonade Bundt from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Rhubarb Pound Cake Bundt with Lemon Glaze from Brooklyn Homemaker
- Soft Lemon Rosemary Bread from Passion Kneaded
- Spring Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake from Adventures in All Things Food
- Strawberry Lemonade Bundt Cake from Baking and Creating with Avril
- Sweet Lemon Bundt with Blackberry Glaze from From My Sweet Heart
What is Bundt Bakers? It’s a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Bundt Bakers Pinterest board for incredible bundt cake recipes and inspiration. Stacy of Food Lust People Love heads up our group and has a #BundtBakers page where you can find information and links to the recipes for each month.
How is the monthly theme determined? We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our homepage.
Jenny says
Wow, I love your bundtcake, its presentation, your way with words… 🙂 I am definitely going to bake this using all of the great advices you have provided.
Cali @ Cali's Cuisine says
A beautiful bundt! I am quite impressed with your use of lavender. I have always wanted to use lavender in baking but have never had quite enough courage to give it a go. Maybe I will now…
PJ says
Such a different cake! I like the way you have explained the techniques to get the maximum flavor from both the lemon and lavander.
Stacy says
Whenever we are in the Channel Islands, one of my favorite things to do is just to drive by the lavender farm on Jersey. The whole area smells so delightful. Now I’m wishing they’d plant a few lemon trees as well. 🙂 I bought a bag of culinary lavender last time I was there though so I’ll be making your beautiful cake!
Aisha says
I agree with you about artificial flavouring. I bought a bottle of coconut flavour and used it only once… I didn’t like it at all.
The combination of flavours of your bundt is great… love it!!!
Mary says
It´s seems so tasty, although I don´t like very much the lavender in the food.
Love the pictures!!
Rebekah @ Making Miracles says
This bundt is absolutely gorgeous and I LOVE the sound of those beautiful flavors together – amazing!
Rebekah @ Making Miracles says
Had to come back and post again – just realized we’re both in Georgia! 🙂
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
I can almost smell this incredible cake.
Ansh says
I just HAVE to bake this cake soooon! It sounds like a cake I would love. Looks perfect and I can only imagne the fragrant lavender and lemon. Two of my favorite scents!
Great Cake Renee!
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook says
Absolutely beautiful spring-y bundt cake.
Tux | Brooklyn Homemaker says
I don’t think you could have painted a more delicious picture of the flavor profile of your cake. Beautiful language to go along with a beautiful cake.
We just started carrying culinary lavender where I work so I may just have to give your cake a try! Sounds like it’s right up my alley!
shilpi says
I love your Bundt… So refreshing and beautiful..
Shaina says
I love the depth of your bundt pan, it makes for such a gorgeous shape. The flavors here sound incredible. Yum!
avril says
Beautiful! I have yet to bake with lavender – your beautiful cake is encouraging me to do so now. 🙂
Catherine says
It has been ages since I’ve had lavender in a dessert…it is such a beautiful ingredient, and how perfect it goes with lemon. This bundt looks absolutely perfect! I wish I had a slice this evening. xo, Catherine
Irmina says
¡Delicioso! Mis felicitaciones.
Un saludo.
The Ninja Baker says
LOL You are right Renee. No one wants to eat suntan lotion! Real coconut, banana and lemon beat the artificial flavorings…although I’ve used all 3. (Don’t tell!) Anyway, I do have culinary lavender in my pantry and am definitely saving your recipe. And am now motivated to buy a spice grinder =) Thanks too for the reminder about rubbing lemon zest into sugar =)
Lara Tartacadabra says
Loooove this Bundt cake with the combination of Lavender and Lemon!! I use the same technique of rubbing the lemon zest with the sugar, never lets me down! The lavender I haven’t tried yet, can’t find any culinary lavender here in Spain until so far, but I am going to try again 🙂 Congratulations with your bundt!
Olivia @ livforcake says
I am always in awe of your photos Renee. I love the style and I honestly stare at the pictures forever. That first image had me mesmerized. What kind of lens do you use? The photos make me feel like I’m about to sit down for the best summer dessert on the perfect summer day in a lush green back yard, with birds chirping and sun shining. Sigh! Love it.
Ok so enough about my daydreaming, this cake looks so so so good! I don’t know that I’ve had a lavender flavoured ANYthing and I think I need to get on that. Thanks for the tip about rubbing the zest into the sugar! Will definitely be doing that from now on.
Renee says
Likewise Olivia I am always in awe of your photos. Thank you so much for such kind words.
I have a Nikon d5100 camera and for the photos in this post I used my AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm 1:28 G lens. It’s the primary lens I use lately and sometimes I switch to my 50mm/f1.4.
Kelster says
I can’t stand artificial banana and coconut! So so wrong! I’ve never seen culinary lavender or fresh lavender. I need to check them out. I was just thinking about it last week. My mother used to buy a lot of lavender scented products. Not my favourite and i often wonder what the real thing is like.
Love your cake!
[email protected] in Pyjamas says
I’ve been wanting to bake with lavender for a very long time but never found the right recipe until now. I’ll be giving this a go Renee 🙂
Constance Wilson says
LOVE that bundt pan shape! Where did you find that pan?
Renee says
I found the pan at TJ Maxx. You can get it on Amazon. Search for Kaiser Bakeware Kaisercast 9-1/2-Inch Classic Bundtform Pan
Tammy says
I just found this and it said it was rated 5.0 with 67 reviews. Where’s the reviews. All I see are comments from people talking about your presentation and wanting to try it. Has anyone tried it?
Tammy says
Sorry 33 reviews. Reviews to me mean people have tried it.
mom3kids says
Real review: Made exactly as shown with one exception. Cake turned out looking nice and people seemed to like it but, in my opinion, it didn’t have much flavor. The only change I made was I used the zest from 2 lemons and really didn’t taste it. I even added Meyer Lemon flavoring. Never used lavender before so I didn’t add more because I didn’t want to end up with a soapy taste. I only cooked it 55 minutes and it seemed a little, dry. If I ever made it again, I’d make extra glaze and keep it warmed to serve on slices because in my opinion, once past that edge where the glaze is, it needed something.