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Blackberry Lavender Naked Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream. Four layers of light and fluffy vanilla cake with homemade blackberry lavender jam, and white chocolate buttercream. This cake is nothing short of delicious. Every bite is layered with fresh berries, hints of lavender, and sweet vanilla cake. The perfect berry-filled cake for any and all occasions.
As if you could not tell from Tuesday’s blueberry galette, I am really excited about the arrival of berry season. I have decided that this is the summer I will embrace fruit-based desserts. You guys know I’m all about chocolate, but right now I’m loving fruit-based sweets. I’m having a lot of fun creating recipes using my favorite fruits.
Plus, after sharing mostly chocolate desserts over the last five and a half years. I think it’s time to branch out…at least a little. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing chocolate next week!
Anyway, I’m very excited about this cake and so happy with how it turned out. I was nervous when I set out to make this cake, as layer cakes can be a little intimidating. Fortunately, not only did this cake turn out pretty, but it was also really good. Some layer cakes can be dry and flavorless, especially layer cakes of the non-chocolate variety. But trust me, this cake is soft and bursting with flavor.
A layered naked cake has been on my list of “must-make recipes” for a while now. I actually made a strawberry naked cake back in March (have you guys made it? It’s another favorite and a must-make if you happen to have extra strawberries lying around). But this blackberry lavender cake is totally different. It has the look of a more classic naked cake with its split layers and a light coating of frosting on the outside.
It’s over the top, and the perfect cake to make over the weekend for Father’s Day, or really any time this summer.
Some of the details.
The vanilla cake is pretty standard, but my secret is to use a mix of buttermilk and Greek yogurt to keep the cake extra moist. I swear, simply using these two ingredients in all of my cake recipes makes for a perfect cake that’s never dry.
While the cake itself is good, it’s not really the star flavor. Nope, what this cake is really all about is the blackberry lavender jam. If you’re new to baking with lavender, you have to give it a try. Pairing lavender with blackberries is a favorite combo of mine. The flora hints from the lavender compliment the sweetness of the blackberries and when mixed together in a jam?
It Is. So. Good!
I highly recommend doubling the batch of blackberry jam because smearing a generous amount on a piece of buttered toast, is the most delicious morning treat…
Just saying.
OKAY. So that’s the jam. Once you have that made, the cake comes together pretty easily. The trickiest part is slicing the cake layers in half, which I know might sound scary, but you guys can do it.
A few things.
One, don’t stress too much about creating a perfectly even cut. As you can see, my layers are nowhere near perfect, but all turned out OK.
Two, use a long serrated bread knife to cut the cake in half. This helps so much with making an even cut all the way through.
Three, make sure to cool the cake completely before slicing.
Bottom line, don’t stress about having to cut the cake layers in half. It’s not as scary as it may seem and once you layer everything together the cake is going to be beautiful no matter what. And, if you do have trouble and the cake crumbles a bit, don’t worry, those crumbs make for a delicious snack.
I will not lie, this cake is a bit more time-intensive than some of my other cakes, but I’ve decided sometimes recipes like this cake are fun…and needed. Sure, for the most part, we all want quick, simple, and easy recipes, but If you’re anything like me, you can also enjoy spending a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday in the kitchen baking away. The perfect cake to make on a rainy summer Sunday afternoon.
Sometimes I get stuck in this one-track mindset of creating recipes that are doable for any day of the week, but it’s also really fun for me to create recipes like this cake. And while you might not make this cake on a regular basis, it’s still a great cake to share with family and friends or put out on a special occasion. It’s nice to have a few slightly challenging recipes on the site. They keep my mind thinking creatively and get me excited to keep creating and developing new recipes for you guys!
Hoping you will all be inspired to jump up and spend a couple of hours in the kitchen baking this Blackberry Lavender Naked Cake. Not only is it fun and pretty, but it’s also addictingly good. I mean, again, four layers of vanilla cake, homemade blackberry lavender jam, and white chocolate buttercream?!?
Simply the best!
If you make this healthier Blackberry Lavender Naked Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Blackberry Lavender Naked Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream
Servings: 24 servings
Calories Per Serving: 359 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Blackberry Lavender Jam
- 6 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoons dried lavender
White Chocolate Buttercream
- 3 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 8 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer) beat together the canola oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and buttermilk. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined. 3. Pour the batter among the cake pans and bake 30-35 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.4. To make the jam. Add the blackberries, honey, lemon juice, and lavender to a medium-sized pot set over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, once boiling use a potato masher or fork to break down and mash the berries. Continue to cook for 5-8 minutes or until the jam has reduced and thickened by 1/3. Remove from the heat and let cool. Should thicken as it cools. 5. To make the buttercream. Add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the butter and powdered sugar together until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the melted white chocolate and beat until combined.6. To assemble. Using a large serrated knife, carefully cut each cake in half horizontally. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1/4 of the buttercream over the cake and layer with about 1/4 cup of jam. Repeat with the remaining 3 cake layers. Be careful not to overfill your layers or the cake will be hard to slice. Lightly frost the outside of the cake. Chill 30 minutes. Serve or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
See you tomorrow for an exciting entertaining post!
Lastly, if you make this Blackberry Lavender Naked Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
This post was originally published on June 15, 2018
Another excellent recipe! This cake was delicious. The layers have such a good sponge quality to them and the jam was so fragrant with lavender but not too sweet. The frosting was wonderful. I did not go quite as “naked” because my hubby likes some frosting. Definitely make this! Raves all around!??
Thank you hope!! That is seriously so great to hear!! xTieghan
Im thinking of making this cake for my daughters 18th Bday but she loves cream cheese frosting. What so you think? And do you have a recipe you love?
Hi Daphne,
I would recommend following this cream cheese frosting recipe! https://fett-weg.today/matcha-green-tea-cake-with-vanilla-honey-cream-cheese-frosting/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> xTieghan
Hello! Can I use a springform cake pan for this lovely cake?
Hi Princy,
Yes that will work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I am thinking about turning this into cupcakes and a 4” cake for my daughter’s 1st birthday. Any tips for reducing the bake time?
Hey Alex, for cupcakes I usually bake 18-22 minutes, but use a knife inserted into the center of the cupcake to test for doneness. If the knife comes out clean, the cupcakes are done! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Do you think gluten free flour would work?
Also for the butter, What is the weight of each stick?
Hi Manju,
I would sub an equal amount of gf flour. One stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup or 110 grams. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hello! This cake looks beautiful! Most of my family has celiac and I’m planning to make this for Father’s Day. Do you by any chance have any advice for substituting regular flour for gluten free flour?
Hi Kendall,
I would recommend using Cup4cup gf flour and just sub an equal amount. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I would love to make this! Where is a common place to find lavender? I’m not sure if I’ve seen it at the grocery store(but then again I’ve never looked)!
Hi Taylor,
I like to order from gourmetsweetbotanicals.com I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Very yummy, delicious and moist. I have 2 suggestions that might help some people. My issues were with making the jam. We don’t care for the seeds too much so I strained them after cooking in a mesh strainer. It left me with a lot less jam so I made another batch. The 2nd batch I decided to try breaking down the seeds in my vitamix. It didn’t completely dissolve them but it did make them a lot less noticeable. The 2nd issue I had was knowing when the jam was ready. Thankfully I have put up preserves in the past and knew what the consistency should be. I think it would’ve been helpful (at least for me) to cook it with a candy thermometer to a soft ball stage or jelly stage. But, the whole family went nuts and I was still thinking about this cake the next day!
Thank you so much for trying these and sharing some suggestions, Valerie!! xTieghan
I made this for my husband’s birthday and we LOVED it. Very beautiful with the blackberry jam and super tasty. It was fun to make too – your step-by-step instructions are great. I made the actual cake portion the night before and put it together the next day when I made the filling and icing, turned out so well!
Thank you so much Gina! Happy Birthday to him! I hope you both had a wonderful day! xTieghan
I happen to have just received some lavender in the mail so this cake looks to be on my weekend agenda. My daughter’s 30th birthday is Monday so it’s either this Blackberry Lavender Naked cake or a repeat of the Strawberry elderflower pretzel cake I’ve already made once which was AMAZING!!! LOVE your recipes…especially the baked goods and cocktails!
That is so perfect! I hope you all love this cake, Cindy! Also, so glad you have already been loving the pretzel cake! Thank you! xTieghan
So glad i stumbled on this repost, I will be making this cake to celebrate my daughter’s graduation, beautiful cake for my beautiful girl.
Congratulations to her! I hope you all enjoy this cake, Jessica! xTieghan
I had a few moments of panic. I didn’t recognize the centers of fresh blackberries in the jam. I also accidentally burned the white chocolate. Regardless of my mistakes the cake was absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you so much Keri! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This cake looks so beautiful. I’ve been thinking about it since last year and decided to make it this year for my birthday! For a smaller 2-layer version, would you simply suggest cutting all ingredients in half? How many eggs would you use for the smaller version? 1 or 2? Thank you!!!
I made this for my Momma’s birthday. was a huge hit! and gorgeous!
Thank you so much Raquell! xTieghan
I make it follow your recipe. Its perfect and taste is yummy. Thanks
Thank you Luise!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan