Lavender Raspberry Cake

Lavender packs a big-flavor punch and pairs perfectly with fruity flavors, making it ideal for summer weddings. This fragrant dessert layers lavender cake with raspberry Italian meringue buttercream and raspberry compote for an unforgettable bite. The lavender raspberry cake recipe creator Deva Williamson says it is “a surprising cake with a flavor profile to make your heart flutter, and your mouth sing. This box-mix extender recipe offers versatility to store-front bakeries and home bakers alike.”

Not only can you save time with a boxed cax mix, but this recipe uses the all-in-one method, which saves time on cleanup, too. When shopping for lavender, make sure it is culinary lavender, which will be free of any pesticides or other chemicals that you wouldn’t want near your food. Also, as you plan the cake, note that it is best to make the compote a day ahead so that it has sufficient time to cool and set.

Makes 36 cupcakes, one 10-inch cake, two 9-inch or 8-inch cakes, three 6-inch cakes

Ingredients

Lavender Cake

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 heaping tablespoon culinary lavender buds
• 18 ounces white cake mix
• 3 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1⅓ cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ounce lavender oil (such as LorAnn)

Raspberry Compote

• 10 ounces frozen raspberries
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• 1 ounce vanilla extract
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Raspberry Italian Meringue Buttercream

• 8 egg whites
• ½ cup water
• 1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• ¼ cup raspberry preserves
• ⅛ cup Amoretti raspberry swirl (optional)

Instructions

Make the Lavender Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and line the pans with parchment paper.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl for a stand mixer and mix at medium speed until fully incorporated.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes. Check for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the center
4. of the cake. The toothpick should come out clean if fully baked.
5. Remove the pans and cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Make the Raspberry Compote

1. Add all ingredients to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
2. As the raspberries begin to thaw and ingredients marry, stir gently until simmering.
3. Occasionally stir until the mixture tightens up and is reduced by 50 percent.
4. Remove the raspberries from the heat, cool, and store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Make the Raspberry Buttercream

1. Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pot, add 2 cups sugar and ½ cup water and to 240°F.
3. While the sugar syrup is heating, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
4. With the mixer running, slowly stream sugar mixture into your egg whites, avoiding the whisk and the sides of the bowl. Run the mixer on high for approximately 12 minutes or until the bowl is cool to the touch.
5. Add softened butter pieces and vanilla to the meringue and fully incorporate.
6. Divide the finished buttercream into 2 parts. Into the first batch, add raspberry preserves, then set aside. Into the second batch, incorporate Amoretti raspberry swirl (optional).

Assemble the Lavender Raspberry Cake

1. Trim the cake layers so they are all level.
2. Place the first cake layer onto a cake board, ice with raspberry buttercream, and pipe a dam of buttercream.
3. Spoon the raspberry compote onto the cake layer, staying within the boundary created by the dam.
4. Continue to layer the cakes with the raspberry buttercream and compote.
5. Crumb coat the cake and refrigerate to set.
6. Add a final coat of buttercream and decorate.

This Lavender Raspberry Cake recipe originally appeared in the March/April 2019 issue of American Cake Decorating.

Deva Williamson

Deva Williamson is a self-taught decorator and food photographer from St. Louis, MO. After being in the culinary industry for 18 years, she sought out different ways to express her artistic bent. Inspired by color, blooms, and visual storytelling, cake decorating showed itself to be the perfect outlet of artistic expression. Deva spent years growing her buttercream skills but afterward realized how important it was to not only get a picture of her cakes, but a good one to remember each by. As the owner of Big Laugh Kitchen, you can not only count on Deva to be generous with her stock photos for bakers, but she also strives to share her knowledge to help fellow bakers grow and be encouraged.