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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
Loved the cake! Very pretty! I had issues with the BlackBerry jam though. The use of honey was very off putting. Smells very weird and didnt care for the taste. Will replace with a different jam because everything else was great!!
Thank you Tammy! Is there anything I can help with? xTieghan
Made this last night and it turned out great! I loved that the lavender was distinct yet not overpowering. I am the cake maker in the family so I’ve made a lot of cakes, but my husband said that it was the best cake I’ve made so far! I used a bag of frozen mixed berries with raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and made 2/3 of the jam recipe (4 cups of berries) and that was just the right amount. I also halved the amount of buttercream since my family doesn’t love buttercream and just frosted a thin layer on the outside, and found that was also the perfect amount. Thanks for all your great recipes!
I absolutely love this cake. I have made it about four times now for special occasions. There’s one instruction that needs correcting however. I have found that the cake needs to bake closer to one hour rather than half.
Thank you so much Marianne! xTieghan
Its an interesting site to make various Delicious recipe which would be felt amazing.
Thank you! xTieghan
It’s look very delicious! I am so excited about this uncommon cake! And your photos, Just OMG!! The best!
Thank you so much!! xTieghan
Do you think this cake would fit in a 10×10×5 cake box? Or would I need something taller?
Hi Hayley! I am unfamiliar with this size cake pan, so I really am not sure and don’t feel comfortable advising you on this. Do you hpen to have a photo example of this cake pan?
So sorry I could not be of more help! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hey. I saw your photo in the cake sales account. I think this is very sad and you should know and possibly influence this if you see fit.
in the website link to the screenshot.
Hi Alex! Could you please link in the comment? I would love to check it out! xTieghan
Dear Teighan,
Hope you are doing well, I have made this cake in the past, turns out super amazing. Very delicious and my friends finished it in minutes.
I had a question regarding this, I have a friend who is a vegetarian, can you please let me know what works best if we have replace eggs?
Waiting to hear from you soon.
Kind regards
Fatema
Hey Fatema,
I am so glad you have enjoyed this recipe! Unfortunately I have not tested this without eggs, you could try a chia or flax egg but I am unsure of the results! Please let me know if you have any other questions:) xTieghan
Can we use fresh lavender instead of dried?
Hey Lisa,
I have not tried this with fresh lavender. I would use dried lavender or lavender extract. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! I’m getting ready to make this cake over the weekend. I started with the jam but it never thickened. I am going to refrigerate it overnight, but any suggestions on how to thicken up the jam? I’ve heard you can “reheat” to thicken. What would you suggest? Thanks! The jam is so yummy!
Hey Jalene,
I would heat the jam on the stove for a little longer, if it does not thicken try adding some corn starch. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is a dense cake with a tasty vanilla flavor and the jam was delicious! We had some dried lavender in the yard that I ground with a mortar and pestle and that worked fine. I subbed cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream but I would probably NOT do that again, as it did not provide enough support for the cake and it turned into a sloppy mess. Nevertheless, everyone loved it at the party I took it to, and I would make it again as-is instead of messing with the frosting aspect. I baked it as three layers so I would not have to cut the cakes in half but it would be stable enough to successfully cut, I think.
Love to hear that!! Thank you for trying this recipe, Holly! xTieghan
I have lavender honey can I substitute that in place of the honey and dried lavender I have both but was just wondering
Hey Marie,
Sure that would work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I want to bring this to a friend’s birthday party but she is gluten free. Any suggestions?
Hey Holly,
I would recommend using an equal amount of gluten free flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this cake for my mother-in-law’s birthday this past week. Not only was is decently easy to make, it was absolutely amazing in all aspects! The simple, vanilla cake itself was so perfect but then the addition of the tart jam with the sweet, white chocolate frosting was the best combination! Will definitely be making again! I also am going to use the vanilla cake recipe as my go-to vanilla cake because it was just that good! Thank you Tieghan for this recipe!
Thank you! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Denali! xTieghan
I cant make this recipe as I am gluten free but I love your flavor ideas! I think lavender or chamomile in a cake would be amazeing! I make lavender cookies and think the slight flowery pepper taste is uniquely enjoyable. Could you give me some ideas about your base cake recipe so I can try a gluten free version? what kind of cake is it like? yellow, white, chiffon? im pinning you. Just in time for fall. I think ill be hanging out with you this winter and cooking through/ converting to gluten free.
Hey Miranda,
You could certainly make this cake with an equal amount of gluten free flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan