Name: Lemon lavender cake recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves: 12
Cuisine: British, Baking
Ingredients: 175g self raising flour; 1tsp baking powder; ½tsp salt; 175g softened butter; 175g golden caster sugar; 3 eggs; Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons; 1 tbsp dried lavender

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 19 July 2023

This lemon lavender cake is almost too pretty to eat! This easy cake uses an all-in-one method for minimal stress and dirty dishes.

This floral twist on a classic lemon drizzle cake has a delicate flavour and is a lovely easy bake for a sunny afternoon. Each slice is under 300 calories and all the ingredients are mixed in one large bowl for minimum washing up.

Ingredients

175g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
½tsp salt
175g softened butter
175g golden caster sugar
3 eggs
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 tbsp dried lavender

For the syrup:

100g caster sugar
2tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1tsp dried lavender

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Method

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Grease a 2lb loaf tin and line with a sheet of baking paper that overhangs along the longest sides of the tin. This will make it easier to lift the baked cake out.
In a large bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together, then add the salt, butter, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, juice and lavender. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until you have a smooth cake batter.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for around 1 hour, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
While the cake is cooking, make the syrup. Mix the sugar, lemon juice and zest together then add the lavender.
Once the cake is out of the oven, carefully poke holes over the top using a skewer. Pour over the glaze and leave to cool completely. Remove from the tin and cut into slices.

Top tips for making lemon lavender cake

The cake will store in an airtight container for a couple of days. You can bake it in a round cake tin if you prefer but the cooking time will vary. If you’d like more tips on how to make lemon lavender cake or for inspiration on different flavours, continue reading below.

Can I cook with lavender from my garden?

This recipe calls for dried lavender. Bart spices sell dried lavender and big supermarkets should stock it or we also found it on Amazon. It’s best to use food grade lavender or lavender bought from the supermarket as plants from garden centres may have had pesticides sprayed on them.

It’s also important to keep in mind that while all lavender varieties are edible, they do vary in intensity and flavour. The most popular and common variety for cooking is the angustifolia variety.

What does lavender do in baking?

It adds a wonderful floral flavour to your bakes but it should be used sparingly. It has a surprisingly intense flavour and if used in too large a quantity, it can make the finished cake taste a little soapy or medicinal. The lemon and sugar in this recipe balance the floral flavours nicely but you could also add a quarter teaspoon of very finely chopped rosemary or thyme for a herby note too.

What substitutions can I make?

Omit the lavender completely if you don’t have any or use some rose essence for an alternative floral flavour. Again, using this sparingly. For a herby twist lemon cake goes really well with fresh rosemary or thyme. A little goes a long way and it’s most enjoyable if very finely chopped.

The secret to successful baking starts with accurately weighing your ingredients. If you need a new set of scales, food editor Jessica Dady recommends this set from Salter.

Salter 1150 BKDR Digital Kitchen Scales - <a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Salter-Digital-Kitchen-Platform-Weighing/dp/B00B5QL09S/ref=asc_df_B00B5QL09S ?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View at Amazon

These sleek kitchen scales are easy to clean and read thanks to the clear digital screen. You can swap between metric and imperial measurements so there’s no need to calculate the conversions if you’re using an American recipe. They have a 5kg maximum weight capacity which is more than enough for most cake and bread recipes.

If lavender is too experimental for you we recommend trying our lemon cake with olive oil. It has a wonderful delicate flavour and a delicious moist texture. Our lemon and peach cake is a great choice when peaches are in season or if you want a hybrid between lemon cake and cheesecake, try our lemon ice cream cake recipe.

This recipe is courtesy of baking blogger Maxine Owen.

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.