Honey Lemon Lavender Layer Olive Oil Cake

This Honey Lemon Lavender Layer Olive Oil Cake has combined all the quintessential flavors of spring. Honey and lemon are delicately combined in a beautifully moist olive oil cake topped with a decadent buttercream with just the perfect lavender accompaniment. It is the perfect addition to any Easter tablescape!

Honey Lemon Lavender Layer Olive Oil Cake

Makes: one three-layer 8-inch cake

Cake:

Zest from 3 lemons

1 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup olive oil

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups full fat Greek Yogurt

2 3/4 cups cake flour

1 Tbsp. Baking powder

1 tsp. Salt

Honey Lemon Lavender Syrup:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup honey

4 to 5 springs of dry of fresh lavender

Zest from 1 lemon

Lavender Buttercream:

1/2 cup whole milk

1 Tbsp. dried culinary lavender

1 cup salted butter, room temp.

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

1-2 drops purple food coloring

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

To make the cake, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the lemon zest and sugar and mix until well combined. Add olive oil and eggs and beat on high until pale, three to five minutes. Then add the Greek yogurt and mixx until just combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet in the stand mixer and mix on low until just combined.

Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with baking spray and flour. Divide the batter equally among the 3 pans. Bake on the middle rack for 20-30 minutes until the top of the cakes spring back when touched or when a skewer comes out with only a few crumbs.

While the cake bakes, make the honey lemon lavender syrup. In a small pot add lemon juice, honey, lavender and zest and heat on low until bubbly, stirring periodically. Turn off heat and allow to cool completely. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a jar and save for later.

When the cakes are done allow them to cool slightly in the cake pans. While still a little warm, poke cakes with a toothpick and spoon a couple tablespoons of the honey lemon lavender syrup over the top of each cake (you will not use all the syrup you made). Allow cakes to cool completely in pans and then cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight.

To make the lavender buttercream, add the milk to a small saucepan. Cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, until the milk begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the lavender. Let the lavender steep in the milk for about 15 minutes, then strain the milk through a fine mess sieve set over a small bowl. Allow the lavender milk to cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter on medium high until creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes.

With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the lavender milk, vanilla, and food coloring and continue mixing on a low speed until fully combined and smooth, continuing to scrape down the bowl as needed.

To assemble the cake, place one cooled layer of cake on a cake stand. Spread about 1/4 of the buttercream over jus the top of the first layer. Repeat with the second and third layers, adding more frosting to the top, leaving the sides naked. Decorate the top of the cake with dried or fresh eatable flowers and lavender.