---
title: "Lavender Tea Cake "
url: "https://probablyworthsharing.com/recipes/lavender-tea-cake/"
author: "Marko Savic"
published: "2022-07-13"
type: "recipe"
description: "This recipe is adapted from The Reluctant Entertainer's recipe for Downton Abbey Lavender Tea Bread. Lavender tea cake is a beautiful, aromatic, buttery…"
---

# Lavender Tea Cake 

This recipe is adapted from The Reluctant Entertainer's recipe for [Downton Abbey Lavender Tea Bread](https://reluctantentertainer.com/downton-abbey-lavender-tea-bread/).

Lavender tea cake is a beautiful, aromatic, buttery loaf-style cake. You can make it any time of year with dried lavender, but it's particularly delicious early summer with fresh lavender and edible flowers for decoration.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGAv-1GHY0I

## Ingredients

#### Cake

* 5g Fresh culinary lavender (3g dried)
* 150g Milk
* 80g Butter, softened
* 200g Sugar
* 240g All Purpose Flour
* 3g Salt
* 5g Baking Powder
* 7g Vanilla Extract
* 2 Eggs at room temperature
* Zest of 1 lemon
* 60g Yogurt

#### Icing

* 15g lemon juice
* 100g powdered sugar
* 7g vanilla extract
* Edible flowers for decoration (optional)

## Method

**Preheat oven and line a loaf pan:**

* Preheat your oven to 325°F
* Use butter to coat a 9x4x4 metal loaf pan, then add a sheet of parchment paper to create handles to easily remove the cake after decorating. I prefer the [USA Pans 9x4x4 steel pan with non-stick silicone lining](https://amzn.to/3APFScX).

**Prepare the lavender:**

* If you’re using fresh lavender, pluck the flowering buds. If there are tender leaves, you can chop them finely. Discard the stems.

**Steep the lavender in warm milk:**

* To a small saucepan, add the milk and lavender.
* Gently warm milk on low heat until fragrant, about 10 minutes
* Take caution not to boil or scorch the milk which will dramatically change the flavor
* Remove from heat to cool

**Cream the butter and sugar:**

* In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. You can use a mixer or do this by hand.
* Once lightened in appearance and fluffy, add in the egg and beat well.
* Add the vanilla, yogurt, and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside.

**Mix the dry ingredients:**

* In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together, ensuring no lumps.

**Mix, alternating dry/wet/dry/wet/dry:**

* Start by adding 1/3 of the flour into the butter and sugar mixture. Mix gently until no dry flour is visible.
* Add in 1/2 the lavender milk (including the lavender) and mix until combined.
* Add in another 1/3 of the flour and mix gently until no dry flour is visible.
* Add in the last 1/2 of the lavender milk and mix until combined.
* Add in the last 1/3 of flour and mix gently until combined.

**Bake:**

* Pour the batter into the loaf pan
* Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a paring knife inserted into the center comes out cleanly. The cake should be golden brown and fragrant.

**Prepare Icing:**

* Mix the lemon juice, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl. It should have a smooth, pourable texture.
* Stab the cake with a paring knife to create channels for icing to enter the cake.
* Pour the icing on top and spread it around as necessary.

Optionally, decorate with edible flowers while the icing is wet.

**Serve:**

* Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes in the pan.
* Use an offset spatula to break any sugar that has stuck the cake to the pan, then use the parchment to remove the cake from the loaf pan onto a serving tray.
* Gently remove the parchment.
* Slice in 1/2” to 3/4” pieces and serve.

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#### Recipe notes

**Dairy-free / vegetarian lavender tea cake variation:**

I made a dairy-free version with olive oil (replacing the butter) and cashew milk (replacing the milk) that turned out great. You can follow the same steps above, but for best results there’s a small change to the mixing steps:

* First, mix the sugar and eggs with a whisk until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute
* Then stream in the oil with a whisk to make an emulsion – it’s basically sweet mayonnaise at that point

Olive oil pairs really well with the floral taste of lavender, but can overpower it. A neutral oil like grapeseed, sunflower, or peanut oil also works great.

Cashew milk has similar fat and protein properties to cow’s milk. Look for an alternative milk without thickeners (i.e. **not** the barista version) since it will make the cake gummy.