Earl Grey Lavender Cake

5 from 2 votes

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If you love floral notes in Earl Grey tea, you will adore this easy-to-make Earl Grey lavender cake made with lavender cream cheese buttercream frosting.

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time40

Cooling time2

Total Time4 10

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 423kcal

Author: Joanne Stekler

Equipment

Stand mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

Earl Grey lavender cake layer

2 cups (256 grams) cake flour plus more for flouring the pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (113 grams or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey tea (or 2 tablespoons from 4 tea bags)
½ teaspoon ground culinary lavender
2 eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

Lavender cream cheese buttercream

1 cup (227 grams or 8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ cup (113 grams or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cup (175 grams or 6.2 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon ground culinary lavender
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drop red and 1 drop blue food coloring, if desired

Instructions

Earl Grey lavender cake layer

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly butter a 9 inch round cake pan, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, butter the parchment paper, and then flour the pan.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl.
2 cups (256 grams) cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer and medium bowl, cream the butter, sugar, Earl Grey tea, and lavender until the butter is light and fluffy, scraping down as necessary, about 3 to 5 minutes.
1 stick (113 grams or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey tea (or 2 tablespoons from 4 tea bags), ½ teaspoon ground culinary lavender
Add the eggs and vanilla, one addition at a time, beating on medium speed for a minute after each addition and scraping the bowl down as necessary.
2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla
Add approximately half of the flour mixture, and beat on low until it is just incorporated. Add the buttermilk, and beat until just incorporated. Add the remaining flour and beat until just incorporated. During this process, scrape down the bowl as necessary.
1 cup buttermilk
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, and give the pan a few thwacks on the countertop to remove any air bubbles.
Bake on a middle shelf in the oven for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick into the center comes out free of crumbs. I usually start looking at cake layers 5 to 10 minutes before and start checking with a toothpick very few minutes once the cake stops wobbling.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Lavender cream cheese buttercream frosting

Cream the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed.
1 cup (227 grams or 8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, ½ cup (113 grams or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
Add the sugar and lavender and beat on low speed initially (until the sugar doesn't fly out of the bowl) and then on medium speed until well mixed.
1½ cup (175 grams or 6.2 ounces) confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon ground culinary lavender
Add the vanilla and food coloring (if using) and beat until completely incorporated.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 drop red and 1 drop blue food coloring, if desired

Notes

Variations:

You can up the lavender flavor in this cake by increasing the lavender in the frosting. Or brush the baked cake layer with a lavender simple syrup.

The cake layer can be cut in half. Spread about one half cup of the lavender buttercream frosting in between the halves, then frost the rest of the cake.

Nutrition