Lemon Lavender Cake
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This lemon lavender cake is light and citrusy while delicately balanced with floral lavender notes. Every bite is heavenly and moist.
This lemon lavender cake is light, tender, and beautifully fragrant. The double layers are made with sour cream, which keeps the crumb soft and moist without feeling heavy, while plenty of lemon adds a bright, fresh flavor. Culinary lavender is folded into the batter to add gentle floral notes that sit quietly in the background, letting the citrus shine even more.
Once cooled, the layers are stacked and lightly frosted with a tangy lemon sour cream frosting. It’s smooth, lightly sweet, and just thick enough to hold everything together without overpowering the cake. Finished with candied lemon rounds and fresh lavender, the cake feels elegant but still inviting — the kind of dessert that looks special without trying too hard.
This recipe has become a true family favorite, and it’s one my daughter asks for again and again. Every time I make it, I’m reminded why — it’s fresh, balanced, and the kind of cake that disappears slice by slice until there’s nothing left but a few crumbs on the plate.
How to make candied citrus wheels
To do this, you will need to make a simple syrup by heating equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. Once you have a simple syrup on the stovetop, simmer the lemons in it for about 30 minutes. Transfer the lemon slices to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and dehydrate them for about an hour on your oven’s lowest setting.
Tip: Save the lemony simple syrup for making lemonade or cocktails!
Ideas for decorating lemon lavender cake
In the photos, I used candied lemon wheels and fresh lavender, but feel free to get creative. Here are some ideas:
- Pretty lavender icing: A drop of two of purple food coloring and a touch of lavender extract with bring out the floral vibes.
- Fresh or dried lemon slices work in place of candied. Note that fresh lemon slices should only be added right before serving as their juice will run.
- Coconut: Some coconut flakes on top of the frosting adds texture and a subtle coconut flavor.
- Extra lemon: This cake is wonderful served with lemon curd. You can also use lemon curd as a filling between the layers.
Lemon Lavender Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
Lemon Frosting
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter (at room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Lemon slices and fresh lavender (to decorate)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line 2 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer) beat the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat for 2 minutes more.1 cup butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 3 large eggs
- Add the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and HALF of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until nearly combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and the lavender and mix just until combined.1 cup plain yogurt, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
- Divide the cake batter between the two prepared pans and then bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes and then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting and Decorating
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the powdered sugar, sour cream, butter, and lemon juice and beat until smooth.2 ½ cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Place one cake on a plate or cake stand and cover the top with frosting. Put the other cake on top and frost the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with lemon slices and fresh or dried lavender.Lemon slices and fresh lavender
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Oh my goodness Kristen, what a gorgeous cake – two of my favorite flavor combos! Thank you for sharing this recipe, this cake is a must for me!
That makes me so happy to hear! 😊 It’s one of my favorite flavor combos too — I’m excited for you to try it. Hope you love it just as much when you make it! 💛
My frosting is too sweet and too thin. Suggestions ??
Hi Cynthia! The frosting is supposed to be thin and sweet so you only need a thin layer. But if you’d rather a thicker layer of frosting, I would opt for a traditional buttercream frosting as it’s thick and not as sweet. For that, you need 2 parts powdered sugar and 1 part softened butter. You can thin it with a little lemon juice to add that lemony flavor. I hope that helps!
Really good cake but I think the icing could have done without the sour cream.
You could definitely opt for a traditional buttercream instead!
This cake was amazing! Soo flavorful, light, and moist! Made it as my 30th birthday cake and it was perfect. Highly recommend! Thank you for this gem!
Happy birthday! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe!
Perfect flavor combination and a perfect crumb! This was surprisingly easy and a huge hit, thank you!
What a refreshing, and delightfully flavored cake. I can’t wait to make this again.
Love the lemon lavender flavor combo and this cake was perfect for an afternoon tea.