Honey Lavender Sheet Cake
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Honey Lavender Sheet Cake
Treat yourself to the delightful flavors of chamomile + fresh lavender with my Honey Lavender Sheet Cake, an ideal indulgence for sunny spring and summer gatherings, whether you're celebrating or simply enjoying a picnic. Dive into the soft + moist deliciousness and savor every moment of this delightful dessert! Make-ahead, Vegan + Gluten-Free options.
I love to celebrate birthdays and other occasions with a unique baked treat. Don't get me wrong, I love a Funfetti dessert more than anyone, but sometimes you want some more unique flavors that are just as celebratory and delicious. I've tried my hand at other sheet cake recipes, like this fluffy Lemon Sheet Cake, Vegan Apple Oatmeal Sheet Cake and Banana Oatmeal Sheet Cake but let me tell you, this Honey Lavender Sheet Cake is such a special treat for all my fellow lavender lovers!
I love chamomile tea, lavender + honey together as a drink alone or in a drink like this Blueberry Lavender Chamomile Mocktail. So why not make this classic trio into a sweet treat? This sheet cake is full of herby, floral, and summery flavors.
It's the perfect dessert to celebrate a summer birthday, a baby shower, or really any day of the week. What sets this apart is the burst of floral lavender goodness that shines through in every bite. It's the kind of moist and tender cake that's not just perfect for all occasions but also ridiculously easy to whip up. You'll love it!
Jump to:
- Is This Lavender Honey Sheet Cake Beginner Friendly?
- How to Make Lavender Honey Sheet Cake
- Ingredients
- Lavender Buttercream Frosting
- Why You’ll Love Lavender Honey Sheet Cake
- Can I Use This Lavender Frosting for Other Desserts?
- Tips For Making The Perfect Lavender Honey Sheet Cake
- Perfect Occasions For A Slice Of Lavender Honey Sheet Cake
- How To Make A Vegan Honey Lavender Cake
- Can I Make this Honey Lavender Sheet Cake Gluten-Free?
- Can I Use Other Types of Milk?
- Can I Make Honey Lavender Cupcakes?
- Why The Ingredients NEED To Be At Room Temp
- How To Decorate The Honey Lavender Cake
- What To Serve With Chamomile Honey Cake
- Honey Lavender Sheet Cake Q + A's
- Love Cake? Try These Sweet Creations Next!
- MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
- Honey Lavender Sheet Cake
Is This Lavender Honey Sheet Cake Beginner Friendly?
Absolutely! No baking experience? Don't worry at all! I will guide you on how to whip up this DELICIOUS lavender cake that will truly amaze your friends and family. Whether you're a newbie in the kitchen or a seasoned pro, this cake is bound to bring joy and sweetness to your day!
How to Make Lavender Honey Sheet Cake
This lavender cake is incredibly moist and fluffy on the inside. And it's simple to make!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need for this lavender cake recipe:
- Organic cake flour. Cake flour is lighter, and more powdery than all-purpose flour. It makes pastries that are airy and less dense than other baked goods. You can find it in most grocery stores, however you can also use regular flour if you can't find pastry or cake flour.
- Cane sugar. I like to use organic sugar because it's more sustainably harvested and grown.
- Unsalted butter. Make sure your butter is softened before adding to the cake batter. You can place a hot bowl over the stick of butter to soften it in about 5 minutes.
- Eggs. You'll also want your eggs to be at room temperature, so they easily mix into the cake batter. Run warm water over them for a few minutes if you forgot to take them out of the fridge.
- Raw honey. Raw honey has better flavor, texture and is better for you (very high in antioxidants) than processed honey. It might be cloudy-looking, but that's totally normal.
- Almond milk. You can use any plant-based milk you like. Or, if you're not dairy-free, regular cow's milk will also work. Try my easy homemade almond milk recipe!
- Lavender extract. I recommend this Pure Bulgarian Lavender Extract for Baking!
- Vegetable oil. This adds to the moisture--- I like using olive oil or avocado oil.
Lavender Buttercream Frosting
While the cake cools, you can make a simple four-ingredient buttercream frosting infused with tea flavor.
Frosting Ingredients
- Powdered sugar. Make sure you're using powdered sugar, not granulated, for the frosting. Otherwise, you'll end up with grainy, dense frosting.
- Unsalted butter. Again, make sure your butter is nice and soft.
- Lavender + chamomile extract.
- Almond milk. (You can use whole milk or your fave plant-based milk)
SHOP MY FAVORITE BAKEWARE ITEMS AND ACCESSORIES!
Here, I’ve curated a list of bakeware essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baking treats, especially with this Lavender Honey Sheet Cake. Everything from my fave baking sheets, parchment paper, mixing bowls, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
Why You’ll Love Lavender Honey Sheet Cake
- It’s super fluffy and moist and beautifully textured.
- Bold honey and lavender flavors.
- Delicious and comforting in every bite.
- Melt in your mouth goodness!
- Can be made as a traditional 2-layer cake, sheet cake, or cupcakes. Your choice!
- Not too sweet, but perfectly sweet at the same time.
- That Whipped Chamomile Lavender Buttercream Frosting is EVERYTHING.
Can I Use This Lavender Frosting for Other Desserts?
As stated before, this Chamomile Lavender Buttercream on top of my Honey Sheet Cake is one of my favorite recipes on earth and it’s crazy how simple, yet effectively delicious it is.
The buttercream goes perfectly with this sheet cake, but it also goes well with any dessert you pair it with. After combining only a handful of ingredients, you get the best frosting ever!
Feel free to pair your frosting with any of these desserts:
- Cinnamon rolls
- Cupcakes
- Whoopie pies
- Macaron
- Sandwich cookies
- Brownies/blondies
- Other cakes
Keep this recipe in your arsenal and pair it with your favorite sweets!
Tips For Making The Perfect Lavender Honey Sheet Cake
TIP #1:
One thing that I’ve learned about baking a delicious sheet cake recipe is having the right tools. As a basic—-you should have a cake stand (preferably one that has a turnstile table), spatulas (big + small), piping bags + tips, correct baking pans and parchment paper.
TIP #2:
One of the essential ingredient combos for a light, silky cake texture is baking soda/baking powder and acid ingredient (usually apple cider vinegar + plant-based milk for vegan cakes). When acid and baking soda/baking powder reacts, it creates bubbles and helps to create a nice rise for your baked goods, leaving an airy texture.
TIP #3:
One of my latest tricks to a perfect honey cake has been to ensure that ALL of my dry ingredients are sifted. Trust me, ya’ll—-this works! Making all the dry ingredients fully sifted makes things airy, as you’ve guessed it and allows everything to combine faster.
TIP #4:
Never Over-mix! When creating a perfect cake, it’s so important to add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients alternately and as soon as everything is combined very well, THAT’S IT! Over-mixing creates a more dense cake.
Perfect Occasions For A Slice Of Lavender Honey Sheet Cake
These events are a great excuse to eat cake!
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
- Barbecues
- Potlucks
- Kids Sleepovers
- Holiday Gatherings
- Graduations
- Baby Showers
- Dinner Parties
- Actually, any time is a good time for cake, right? Bake away for a little weekday pep-up!
How To Make A Vegan Honey Lavender Cake
If you'd like to make a vegan version of this cake (which is already dairy-free), you just need a few ingredient swaps:
- Omit the eggs.
- Substitute the butter with softened vegan butter (I like Earth Balance buttery sticks)
- Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into the almond milk to make a tangy vegan buttermilk
- Add 1 teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients
- Instead of using raw honey, use agave, maple syrup, or vegan honey.
Can I Make this Honey Lavender Sheet Cake Gluten-Free?
If you would love to make this cake gluten-free, then substituting all-purpose flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour is the easiest option. It’s a special blend of gluten-free flours, starches, and xanthan gum, which makes this cake just as soft, fluffy, and airy as the original! They also have a great All-purpose GF flour that works great as well.
Can I Use Other Types of Milk?
Absolutely! If you’d like to switch things up with the type of plant-based milk that you use—–that’s totally fine! The world of plant-based milk is constantly expanding. From the classics like coconut milk, cashew milk, soy milk and almond milk, we now have delicious options like oat milk, and even potato and quinoa milk.
Can I Make Honey Lavender Cupcakes?
Yes! If you'd like to turn this honey sheet cake into individual cupcakes, it's easy.
This recipe will make about 30 standard-size cupcakes. Just line a cupcake pan with liners, divide the batter between them, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Why The Ingredients NEED To Be At Room Temp
It’s always best to have cold ingredients at room temperature to ensure that the mixing process is more seamless and even. Please note that microwaving your butter last minute if you forget to leave it out at room temperature isn’t recommended. Microwaving often changes the consistency of the butter which doesn’t create a nice ‘creaminess’ when mixed.
QUICK BUTTER HACK:
Instead, to quickly soften your butter, run a plate and a bowl under hot water. Place the unwrapped butter on the hot plate and cover with the bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then your butter should be nice and soft. You can also cut the butter into a few pieces to speed up the softening process even more.
How To Decorate The Honey Lavender Cake
I like to add natural decorations to the sheet cake. I think fresh lavender and a drizzle of raw honey is an elegant and pretty garnish on the pearly white frosting. Edible flowers or some lemon zest would also go beautifully!
What To Serve With Chamomile Honey Cake
You can finish a lovely spring or summertime dinner with this sophisticated dessert. Here is some recipe inspiration for your menu planning:
- Hot Honey Garlic Dinner Rolls
- Creamy Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chickpea Soup
- Sautéed Lemon Garlic Herb Green Beans
- Creamy Lemon Garlic Herb Tilapia
- Sheet Pan Garlic Herb Salmon, Lobster, + Veggies
- Grandma’s Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
- Creamy Tuscan 'Marry Me' Chicken
This sweet treat has a place at brunch, tea time, and of course dessert!
Honey Lavender Sheet Cake Q + A's
Keep leftover cake tightly wrapped using plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 5 days. To store frozen (frosted or unfrosted), simply tightly wrap and cover cake and freeze for up to 2-3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature.
Of course! You can use 2 teaspoons of culinary lavender and add it to a saucepan over medium-high heat with the 1 cup of milk and let it boil for 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let everything steep for 15-20 minutes---this creates a "lavender milk". Strain and let it cool completely before adding it to the cake per instructions.
Absolutely! You can always bake this cake the night or day before and let it cool, tightly wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use. The buttercream frosting can also be made prior and tightly wrapped and stored in the fridge as well. When ready to serve, let cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, frost, and enjoy!
Store frozen (frosted or unfrosted) by simply tightly wrapping and covering cake and freeze for up to 2-3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature.
Definitely! You can also make this sheet cake with 100% all-purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand. Using cake flour alone makes your cake even more soft, fluffy, and moist, however, it’s still just as fluffy and soft with all-purpose flour! No compromise.
Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready. Avoid overbaking to maintain its moistness.
Love Cake? Try These Sweet Creations Next!
If you loved this Honey Lavender Sheet Cake recipe then you have to try these delicious cake recipes next!
- Cinnamon Brown Butter Strawberry Crumb Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Cake
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Olive Oil Cake
- Confetti Chocolate Chip Cake
- Vegan Banana Cake with Maple Buttercream
- Vegan Carrot Cake + Orange-infused Frosting
- Vegan Banana Oatmeal Sheet Cake
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you tried this Honey Lavender Sheet Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. And don't forget to tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea! I love hearing from you!
Honey Lavender Sheet Cake
Ingredients
SHEET CAKE:
- 3 cups organic all-purpose flour (You can also use cake flour, if desired)
- 2 ½ tsps baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 cup raw honey, organic
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp. (That's 2 sticks!)
- 3 large organic eggs, at room temp.
- 1 teaspoon lavender extract (See Notes for where to purchase)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, organic
- 1 cup Almond milk (You can use whole milk or your fave plant-based milk)
LAVENDER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- 4 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
- 1 teaspoon lavender extract
- 3-4 Tbsps Almond milk (You can use whole milk or your fave plant-based milk)
Instructions
TO MAKE THE CAKE:
- Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease and line with parchment paper (with two sides hanging out) an 8-inch square pan (for a thicker cake) or a half sheet pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, vegetable oil and eggs together, using a hand-mixer (or electric stand-mixer) on high-speed, until combined and wet, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the lavender extract, honey, and the milk followed by the dry ingredients, mixing everything together (on low-speed gradually increasing the speed) until combined, smooth, and lump-free, about 2-3 minutes. DON'T OVERMIX!
- Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading everything evenly.
BAKE THE CAKE:
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center of the cake comes out clean when tested with a toothpick, cake tester, or knife. Also, the tops should bounce back once gently pressed.
- Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 25-30 minutes before carefully lifting it from the pan and unto a cooling rack to cool completely.
TO MAKE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- In a large bowl, add in the butter and beat using a hand-mixer on high speed, until light, pale, and smooth. Add in the lavender extract and continue to mix until combined.
- Add in the powdered sugar and milk until completely smooth, whipped, and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. NOTE: If buttercream is too 'runny', add additional powdered sugar (1 tablespoon at a time); if too thick, add additional milk (1 tablespoon at a time).
ASSEMBLY:
- Using a metal or rubber spatula, top cooled cake with buttercream frosting and evenly spread over the top until fully covered and smooth. Top with edible lavender flowers, fresh berries, or whatever you like and wallah!
- Cut into small or medium-sized squares and enjoy! NOTE: Larger squares makes around 12 servings versus smaller ones.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Keep leftover cake tightly wrapped using plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 5 days. To store frozen (frosted or unfrosted), simply tightly wrap and cover cake and freeze for up to 2-3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature.
- HOMEY LAVENDER CUPCAKES: This recipe yields about 30 cupcakes. Simply bake for 18-20 minutes instead, until centers come out clean.
- FLOUR: If you don’t have cake flour, you can always just use all-purpose flour instead.
- VEGAN OPTION: To make this cake vegan, simply omit the eggs and substitute the unsalted butter with vegan butter (softened); Apple Cider Vinegar (1 Tbsp) to be mixed in with the plant-based milk instead for 'buttermilk'; add ½ teaspoon baking soda to dry ingredients.
- MAKE AHEAD: You can always bake this cake the night or day before and let it cool, tightly wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use. The buttercream frosting can also be made prior and tightly wrapped and stored in the fridge as well. When ready to serve, let cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, frost, and enjoy!
- LAVENDER EXTRACT: To purchase a great extract option, I recommend this Pure Bulgarian Lavender Extract for Baking!
Nutrition
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Hi again. I consulted a friend with more baking experience than I have. She said that the baking time seems very short. Is 20-25 minutes a typo? My cake was still wet in the middle after 45-50 minutes.
Hi Jennifer! Thanks so much for the follow up! I think it depends on how hot your oven gets, which might be the culprit! My oven gets extremely hot so 350 degrees works for me, however, I would recommend trying it at 375 degrees and seeing if it still falls within the 25 minute timeframe. If not, an extra 10 minutes or so should do it at that temp. 🙂
Very disappointing. I was really looking forward to tasting it, but it wouldn't fully bake, even with double the time in the oven. Are you sure there's not a typo in the recipe? Two whole sticks of butter, 1/4 cup of oil, 1 whole cup of milk, and 1 whole cup of honey? That's a very large amount of fat and liquid for an 8 x 8-inch cake.
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks so much for your feedback! I am so sorry to hear that this didn't turn out well! This recipe actually was recently retested and adjusted to perfect it, therefore, I'm not sure what could have went wrong. The measurements are definitely correct as it relates to the ones you've listed. I have a similar sheet cake (Lemon Birthday Sheet Cake) that has similar ingredients.
I made this and I felt like the ratios were off. It was so buttery it was like a gooey butter cake. It rose and then fell and was dense even with extra baking time. Great flavor, but needs less butter, milk, or more flour. I did use cake flour as the recipe said you could, but perhaps this contributed to too much liquid in the cake. Won't try again, but will definitely add lavender extract instead of vanilla in a future regular cake.
Hi Amy! I'm so sorry to hear that this cake didn't turn out great for you! This recipe was recently updated + perfected, therefore, I'm surprised that it wasn't able to hold up well. I do know that brands of butter, flour, + milk play a role in the results in most cases, therefore, I definitely recommend adding a bit more flour if your cake flour was a bit thin in weight. As for the butter, it shouldn't be too much since it get's beat and adds to the fluffiness of the cake. I really hope that you get a chance to give it another try in the future at some point.
Hi
I absolutely loved this recipe with chamomile but I see the recipe has changed. Am I right in thinking that you steep the chamomile and lavender tea bags in the milk and add some of the milk to the frosting too? Thanks 😊
Hi Charlene! Awww, thanks so much for letting me know! Yes, the recipe was recently updated to reflect more of the lavender flavor based on feedback from my readers! However, you can definitely steep the chamomile lavender tea bags in the milk and let it cool before adding it in to the batter + frosting. About 2-3 tea bag should be enough. 🙂
Hi, can this recipe be used in round cake pans?
Hi Bri! Yes, absolutely! 🙂
Hi, the ingredient list calls for butter, but I don’t see that in the recipe. When do I add butter?
Hi Hailie! So sorry for any confusion! You will beat the butter together with the oil and eggs! 🙂
Where is the chamomile?!!!
Hi Bibi! Thanks so much for reaching out! The original recipe included chamomile and I unfortunately, received a lot of feedback about it not being the best taste wise, therefore, I recently reshot and revamped the recipe to perfection and decided that it's better without! 🙂
Can I use whole milk (dairy) instead of almond milk or is there a particular flavor that the almond milk adds and that is intentional/recommended? Thanks!!
Hi Rita! You can definitely use whole milk. I use almond milk by default based on my own preference! I hope that this helps! 🙂
Hi! This looks absolutely lovely 🙂 question, can I replace the lavender chamomile tea bags with just dried lavender and if so how do I do it? Thank you that’s just all I have and really wanna make this 🙂
Hi Abby! Awww, Thanks so much! I can't wait to hear what you think! Absolutely----you can use 2 tsps of culinary lavender and add it to a saucepan with the milk and let it boil for 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let everything steep for 15-20 minutes. Strain and let it cool completely before adding it to the cake per instructions. 🙂
I saw for the vegan option you recommended we omit the eggs, but I don't want the consistency to come out wrong. Should I use an egg substitute like ground flax seeds, apple sauce, or banana? And if I should, how much should I use to replace the egg?
Hi Jessica! Ahh, yes! No need to use an egg replacer because the apple cider vinegar mixed in with the milk will activate along with the other ingredients to create a nice texture. Let me know if you have any trouble! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
Hi Vanessa! Like any other cake, you can make the cake about 2 days prior and the buttercream 1 day before and just assemble once ready to serve. Be sure to keep both cake and buttercream in the fridge when making ahead. 🙂
This looks so good! Do you use this batter with other flavorings?
Hi Suzanne! Thanks so much! You can definitely add a bit of citrus like orange or lemon. Also, blueberries or strawberries work great too! 🙂
Hello, I would like to make this cake for Mother's Day in Mexico 🌹 I only have one question, could the vegetable almond milk be replaced with cow's milk? thank you very much in advance 🙂