Blueberry Lemon Lavender Cake

Recipe and Images Provided by In Bloom Bakery

There’s just something calming about lavender. You see it in sprays, soaks, and scented candles, with a distinct, instantly recognizable scent that, according to many naturopaths and health experts, awakens the senses and relaxes the body and mind.

And it’s not every day that you see a dessert with lavender as a primary ingredient, but this Blueberry Lemon Lavender Cake is worth the prep time, and it captures everything we love about his flower – including its purple color!

In Bloom Bakery was kind enough to pass along this recipe to us, and we’re thrilled to pass it along to you. Let’s set the scene, shall we?

The blueberry cake you didn’t know you needed, with lemon zest and ground lavender

Tell the truth: when’s the last time you set out to make a cake, only to find that you’re missing key ingredients? Substitute ingredients often fit the bill, but deviate from recipes at your own risk. Since this blueberry lemon lavender cake is a symphony of flavors, you’ll need all the instruments to make it exactly as intended.

If you don’t have what you need, go get it before you start your prep time. Accept no substitutions, unless sugar is out of the question. In that case, take out your sucralose, stevia, or even allulose and adjust the recipe.

So, where do you start? The cake, of course! Grab all your ingredients and set them out. Some standout ingredients include vanilla bean paste, cupcake flour, and of course, Minerva Dairy Butter.

What makes the butter from our creamery, the oldest family-owned one in the United States, better? Careful craftsmanship. Because we only make it in smaller batches, we’re able to practice strict quality control. If our butter isn’t spectacular, it doesn’t make it to you.

That being said, we’ve perfected the recipe. With 85% butterfat, our butter is rich and creamy beyond belief. Toss out butter because it doesn’t taste great? It almost never happens because we have the formula down pat.

Make your blueberry lemon lavender cake a feast for the eyes

There seems to be no end to what you can use to garnish cakes. Glossy sugar beads. Shreds of white chocolate – even edible flowers! For this dessert, perfect garnish = perfect presentation. This makes this the cake you spot from the other side of the room – and it’s totally okay to fall in love when you see it there.

To score an “A” for presentation, you only need a few ingredients to take this blueberry cake’s appearance to the next level.

The first garnish? Flowers. The easiest way to get them is to gather them from your garden – or a neighbor’s – but don’t forget to ask first! Another eye-popping garnish? Fresh lavender sprigs. Lavender sprigs look very similar to fresh sprigs of thyme, only with a delicate, fragrant, purple leaves.

The final touch is fruit. Add whimsical ribbons of lemon, plump blueberries, bright red raspberries, or slices of lemon. How you choose to arrange your presentation is up to you, just know that the contrast between the light purple frosting and fresh flowers, fruit, and lavender sprigs is one way to wow anyone who comes across this sensational, elegant dessert.

If you’re still not convinced that the best butter makes the best cake, know that butterfat-rich butter adds a creamy texture and multi-dimensional taste that just can’t be duplicated with cheaper, store-bought versions.

In our Minerva Dairy family, our grandma Lorraine was one of the biggest advocates for our world-class butter, knowing full well with every fiber of her being that butter makes everything better. And as I watch over our small batch butter, as it churns slowly in our creamery, I can vouch – from experience – that she was right.


Prep Time: 1 Hour
Servings: 10

Ingredients:

For the Cake

  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 10 tbsp softened Unsalted Minerva Dairy Butter
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/4 cup cake flour
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 tbsp dry, ground lavender
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups blueberries
  • 2 tbsp flour for tossing the blueberries with

For the Frosting

  • 8 oz softened cream cheese
  • 1 cup softened Unsalted Minerva Dairy Butter
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup blueberries
  • 1 tsp vanilla



directions:

For the Cake

  1. In a large bowl, cream 10 tbsp of softened, unsalted butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar together.
  2. Add in 4 large egg whites, 3 tbsp lemon juice and 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk 2 1/4 cups of cake flour, 1/4 tsp of baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp dry, ground lavender together.
  4. Alternate adding 1 cup of buttermilk and the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mix until it is all combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as you go.
  5. Toss 1 1/2 cups of blueberries in two tablespoons of flour and then fold them into the batter. (This will help them from sinking so much while the cake bakes.)
  6. Divide the batter evenly between 3 6″ cake pans. Bake the cakes for 38-42 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
  7. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting

  1. Microwave 3/4 cups of blueberries in a medium sized bowl for 3-4 minutes or until the skins have burst and the berries have thickened. (Make sure the bowl is big enough to allow for rising). Alternatively, you can heat the berries on the stove over medium heat until they break down and thicken but this takes much longer.
  2. Let the berries cool completely. (They should be very thick once completely cooled). Transfer them to a food processor and pulse until they’re all blended and there aren’t any clumps of skins.
  3. Add 1 cup of softened, unsalted butter to a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until pale in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  4. Then add in 8 oz of softened cream cheese and mix until fluffy again.
  5. Sift in 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, a little at a time, and mix into the butter and cream cheese until all is combined together.
  6. Lastly mix in 1 tsp of vanilla. The frosting should be light and fluffy once everything has been mixed together. (Mix the frosting for longer if it’s not quite fluffy yet).

Assembling the Cake

  1. Once the cakes are completely cooled you can assemble the cake. You can simply fill each layer and ice the outside with blueberry cream cheese frosting. However, if you are looking to make a really beautiful cake, follow the extra steps in the above blog post.

In a family of 6 generations of butter lovers, it’s safe to say there was a lot of cooking…and a lot of butter. We encourage you to get in the kitchen, cooking with and for your loved ones. Always remember, if all else fails, just add butter!

We hope you enjoy this Blueberry Lemon Lavender Cake by our friend In Bloom Bakery. For more delicious recipes featuring Minerva Dairy’s better butter, head to our Recipes page. Be sure to keep up with our latest creations through our Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram page.

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