Lemon, blueberry and a hint of lavender combine in this moist, fluffy vegan lavender cake. Perfect for special occasions, it’s so flavorful no one will guess it contains no eggs or dairy.
I don’t always reach for lavender in sweets, but this cake won me over. The lavender is subtle and plays beautifully with bright lemon and fresh blueberries. The result is elegant, delicate, and delightfully balanced.
To infuse the cake with lavender, dried culinary lavender is steeped in warm non-dairy milk and then strained. For a stronger floral note, stir in a teaspoon of lavender extract with the other extracts.
This recipe is adapted from a popular vegan lemon cake and shares the same moist, tender crumb and bright lemon flavor. If you enjoy lemon desserts, you’ll likely love both versions.
Lavender milk
To make lavender milk, heat 1 1/4 cups unsweetened soy milk (or another neutral non-dairy milk) in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender. Let steep about 25 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the lavender. Chill completely before using in the batter.
If you like, lavender milk also makes a soothing warm drink: sweeten with a tablespoon of maple syrup, agave, or sugar and add a drop of vanilla.
Between the cake layers I like to spread a thin layer of blueberry jam for color and a bright fruity note, though you can substitute vegan lemon curd if preferred. For the frosting, the included buttercream is delicious, but you could also use a vegan Swiss meringue buttercream and tint it a pale purple if desired.
More delightful vegan cakes
- Vegan Strawberry Cake
- Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- 1 Bowl Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Funfetti Cake
- Vegan Coconut Cake
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
Vegan Lemon Blueberry Lavender Cake
Pin
Comment
Ingredients
Lavender milk
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
The cake
- 1/2 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) vegan butter, softened
- 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil (grapeseed, vegetable, or canola)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon pure lemon extract
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, plus more for decorating
Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups vegan butter, barely softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2–3 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- optional: few drops purple food coloring
- optional: 1/2 cup blueberry jam
Instructions
- Lavender milk: Heat the soy milk until just simmering, remove from heat, add the lavender and steep 25 minutes. Strain and cool completely before using.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment, or use two 8- or 9-inch pans for a double layer cake.
- Aquafaba: Drain a can of chickpeas and measure 1/2 cup aquafaba. Whip on medium-high with a hand mixer for about 1 minute until light and foamy; do not whip to peaks. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened vegan butter, oil, sugar and lemon zest on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add lemon and vanilla extracts and combine.
- On low speed, add the cooled lavender milk and aquafaba, then add the flour. Sprinkle baking powder and salt over the flour and mix on low until combined, about 1–2 minutes. Fold in blueberries. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter among prepared pans and bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks 5–10 minutes, loosen edges, invert to remove pans and parchment, then cool completely on racks.
- Frosting: Beat vegan butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla; beat on low then medium until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add remaining powdered sugar and adjust consistency with non-dairy milk or more sugar as needed. Tint with purple coloring if desired.
- Assemble: Place one cake layer on a stand, frost the top, and spread a thin layer of jam if using. Stack remaining layers, frosting and jam between each. Finish with frosting the sides and decorate with blueberries, lemon slices, and a light sprinkle of lavender if desired. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Cupcakes: Divide batter into liners and bake 20–24 minutes.
- Gluten free: Not tested, but a gluten-free all-purpose mix should work.
- Variations: Swap blueberries for blackberries (and use blackberry jam) or raspberries.
- For more lavender flavor, add 1 teaspoon lavender extract with the other extracts.
Nutrition
| Calories: 474 kcal
| Carbohydrates: 68 g
| Protein: 4 g
| Fat: 21 g
Share your photo and tag the recipe creator.