Lavender Vanilla Pound Cake

Welcome to Day 7 of the Twelve Days of Pound Cake Holiday Event! For those of you who have been emailing, DM’ing, texting and sending good will through coffee chats, THANK YOU! This event is so much fun because I have this amazing community of people to share it with.

I realized a long time ago that sometimes, an event just needs a good, O.G. vanilla pound cake. A good one pairs beautifully with strawberry or blueberry sauce, ice cream, whipped cream, and so much more.

Vanilla pound cake is the foundation for so many of my own childhood food memories, so while I wanted this one to be “extra” (as I want all of these cakes to be), I was determined not to make it too busy and too different from a classic recipe.

But this Lavender Vanilla Pound Cake, Family? This one?

This is the vanilla pound cake you never knew you needed. The additional lavender elements add a slightly floral note for the nose and palette, enhancing the flavor profile of this Lavender Vanilla Pound Cake just so. Your guests might not know what they’re experiencing, but they’ll know that this is something extremely special.

In other words, it’s vanilla, but it’s not VANILLA. Are you with me? ???? And even with the lavender added, you can still pair it with other things to make an over-the-top spectacular dessert.

Beginners Start Here

If you’ve read some of my recipes so far, you know that this is the section where I share other BwB resources that might help you execute this cake to the best of your ability. Whether you’re new to baking or you’re a seasoned veteran who’s getting back into it, here are some baking resources to help you take your baking to the next level!

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These resources are super useful to help you understand the techniques that youโ€™ll need to successfully execute this amazing cake, and all of the recipes on this site.

Important Tools Used in this Recipe

Below, youโ€™ll find some tools that I used for this pound cake, as well as all of the pound cakes in this event. Theyโ€™re what I use in my kitchen for just about everything that I bake. **I get paid a small commission if you purchase directly from some of these links, but they are truly amazing products that youโ€™ll find in my kitchen.**

If you have them already, great! Think of this as a checklist to help you build the confidence that youโ€™ll need to execute this recipe!

Onto the recipe!

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Lavender Vanilla Pound Cake

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This pound cake is amazing as-is, or it can be use as a base for ice cream or whipped cream.ย  The berries add a spectacular finish to this cake, but they’re not mandatory.

  • Total Time: ~5-7 hours
  • Yield: 14 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Sparkling Berries (if using):

  • ~400 g (~2 c) total berries (strawberries, cranberries, raspberries and blueberries work well)
  • 300 g granulated sugar, divided
  • 250 g water
  • 1 tsp vanilla

For the Batter:

  • 384 g flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 230 g butter
  • 500 g sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp lavender paste
  • 250 g buttermilk

For the Simple Syrup:

  • 1/3 c sugar
  • 1/3 c water
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp lavender paste
  • 1/8 tsp salt

For the Final Glaze:

  • 3 tbsp whole milk
  • 240 g confectionerโ€™s sugar
  • 1/8 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp lavender extract paste
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

Before the Batter:

  1. Place the berries in a colander and pick out any old or rotten ones.ย  Wash berries thoroughly and set aside in a medium bowl.
  2. Place 200 g of granulated sugar and g of water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.ย  Boil until all of the sugar is dissolved.ย  Stir in vanilla.
  3. Set syrup aside for about 30-40 minutes.
  4. Pour simple syrup over berries, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to overnight.
  5. Remove the berries from the syrup and place on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes, so that excess syrup can drain from the berries.
  6. Place the remaining 100 g of granulated sugar in a small bowl.ย  Working in small batches, place berries in the bowl and shake until covered.ย  Place berries on a clean cooling rack to harden (in a single layer) while you make the cake.

To Make the Batter with a Stand Mixer:

  1. Preheat oven to 325ยฐF.ย  An oven thermometer will help you determine where you need to set your oven in order to get to a true 325ยฐF.
  2. Combine the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.
  3. Sift the flour mixture into another medium bowl.ย  Add kosher salt to the mix and whisk to combine.
  4. Place the room temperature butter in the bowl of your stand mixer.ย  Mix on low speed until smooth.ย  (30 seconds)
  5. Slowly add the granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.ย  (5-10 minutes)
  6. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for at least 45 seconds after each addition.ย  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed (I usually scrape the bowl after the third and sixth egg).ย  This step is essential to cake rise. (7 minutes)
  7. Add vanilla extract and lavender paste and mix until thoroughly combined.ย  (1 minute)
  8. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.ย  (30-45 seconds)
  9. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add all of the buttermilk and mix until just combined.ย  (~1 minute)
  10. Add the second half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until almost combined.ย  Stop mixing just before the mixture is fully together.ย  (~1 minute)
  11. Using a rubber spatula, fully scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.ย  Then, mix the batter until it is smooth and consistent.ย  Make sure to fully scrape the bottom of the bowl!
  12. Grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan with the remaining butter and flour and place the batter in the pan.

To Make the Batter with a Hand Mixer:

  1. Preheat oven to 325ยฐF.ย  An oven thermometer will help you determine where you need to set your oven in order to get to a true 325ยฐF.
  2. Combine the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.
  3. Sift the flour mixture into another medium bowl.ย  Add kosher salt and whisk until combined.
  4. Place the room temperature butter in a large mixing bowl.ย  Mix on low speed until smooth.ย  (~1 minute)
  5. Add half of the sugar and mix until the sugar is just incorporated.ย  (~30 seconds)
  6. Add the second half of the sugar and mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.ย  (7-12 minutes)
  7. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for at least 1 minute after each addition.ย  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed (I usually scrape the bowl after the third and sixth egg).ย  This step is essential to cake rise.ย  (7 minutes)
  8. Add vanilla extract and lavender paste and mix until thoroughly combined.ย  (1 minute)
  9. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.ย  (30-45 seconds)
  10. Add all of the buttermilk and mix on lowest speed until just combined.ย  (~1 minute).
  11. Add the second half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until almost combined.ย  Stop mixing just before the mixture is fully together.ย  (1-2 minutes)
  12. Using a rubber spatula, fully scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.ย  Then, mix the batter until it is smooth and consistent.ย  Make sure to fully scrape the bottom of the bowl!
  13. Grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan with the remaining butter and flour and place the batter in the pan.

To Bake the Cake:

  1. Bake the cake at a true 325ยฐF for 55-65 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 210ยฐF-215ยฐF.ย  Alternately, the cake is done with a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and a fingerprint indentation bounces back.
  2. Allow the cake to rest for ten minutes while you make the simple syrup.

To Make the Vanilla Lavender Simple Syrup:

  1. Combine sugar, water, salt, and lavender paste in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.ย  Stir occasionally until the sugar and lavender paste are completely dissolved.
  2. Remove the simple syrup from the heat and add vanilla. Stir until incorporated.
  3. After allowing the cake to rest for ten minutes, invert it onto a cooling rack and carefully remove the bundt pan.
  4. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the lavender vanilla simple syrup over the entire cake.
  5. Allow the cake to cool completely.ย  (3-5 hours)

To Make the Final Glaze:

  1. Combine the confectionerโ€™s sugar, vanilla extract, lavender paste, whole milk, and fine salt in a medium bowl.
  2. Mix with a whisk or a spoon until slightly lumpy.ย  (1-2 minutes)
  3. Add heavy cream and mix on low speed until completely smooth.ย  (~1 minute)
  4. Using a spouted measuring cup, spoon, or squeeze bottle, drizzle final glaze over the cake.ย  Use a spoon to help the glaze fall over the sides of the cake.ย  For this specific cake, I used a squeeze bottle.

To Store:

This cake can be stored on a countertop for up to two days, or refrigerated for up to seven days.

Notes

  • An oven thermometer is strongly recommended to make sure that your oven reaches the correct temperature.
  • It is also strongly recommended to use a digital food scale to measure ingredients using metric measurement. It will seriously make your baking so much easier!
  • This recipe can be halved for a loaf pan or a 6-cup bundt pan.
  • Make sure you take your time to cream the butter and sugar on the front end!ย  Once you add your flour mixture, you have to mix gently in order to avoid over-mixing.
  • This is a big bundt cake.ย  I recommend placing a sheet pan underneath this cake while it bakes for extra insurance.
  • Author: Shani
  • Prep Time: 1 hour (total)
  • Inactive Time: 3-5 hours
  • Cook Time: 55-65 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 590
  • Sugar: 82.8 g
  • Sodium: 208 mg
  • Fat: 16.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 105.5 g
  • Protein: 6.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 117.7 mg

See you tomorrow for Day 8!


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