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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
Thank you!
I’ll let you know!
My favourite of all time
Thanks so much, Violette! Love to hear this cake is always enjoyed! Happy Sunday!
Love this recipe and my friends and family do too! It’s easy to make and everyone is so impressed by it. My soon to be daughter in law has requested I make it for her rehearsal in France!
Best part nobody notices if you mess up the frosting!
Hey Stephanie,
Love to hear this! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your feedback.
Have a great weekend!
Love this I do find the blackberry jam takes a bit more time and I prefer it with 2-3 teaspoons lavender. I either start with the jam and while that’s simmering work on the the cake, often letting it simmer + 30 min (tip: I sometimes put 1 tbs organic cornstarch in once it’s been boiling) and/or most often I make the jam beforehand and store in the fridge overnight (It takes forever to cool and thicken)
I found the butter cream too sweet so cut back to 1 cup powdered sugar vs 1.5 cups.
I’m still working on making it look a little prettier but it sure does taste great!
Hey Sarah,
Love to hear this! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Happy Fall!
I’ve never written a recipe review but this is so fantastic that I had to. I’ve shared with family/friends and they all love it and a few now regularly make it. I don’t even normally like cake, this is moist and flavorful; if you want a recipe that doesn’t rely on sugar for the only flavor, this is the one for you. I added some edible flowers to the top and it really adds a fun touch! Anytime I want to impress, I come back to this one.
Aww, thanks so much, Ellie:) I am so glad to hear this cake is always enjoyed, I appreciate you making it and sharing with others!
I made this cake for a Cake Picnic this summer and iut turned out delicious!!
I will be making it again tomorrow for my daughters 3rd birthday but I did have sinking in the middle last time.
I used 9 in pans and kept checking it to make sure it was baked throughly.
Would you recommend using foil to avoid the sinking or baking longer? Not sure what went wrong the first time and want to avoid it happening again!
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe, I’m happy to hear it was a win!
Was it thoroughly baked the first time?
Sometimes sinking does happen, that can just be the nature of the cake. You could try using 8 inch pans this time around, that might help!
Have the best weekend:)
Can I use some other oil that is not a seed oil?
Hi Pamela,
Of course, any other neutral oil will work nicely for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Can you make the frosting a day or 2 ahead of time and keep in the fridge or will the white chocolate make it not spreadable after storage?
Hi Kate,
That should be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This cake has been saved in my boards for so long now and yesterday I finally decided to make it for our women’s bible study! It was a hit and it was soo gooood and beautiful! ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe💕
God bless you 🙏
Hey Anne,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit! Happy Tuesday!
I’m in the middle of making this cake for my birthday dinner party, and I’m freaking out a bit. The cake took about ten minutes longer than suggested and it’s really brown on the outside and completely domed, with about two inches out of the pan. I don’t know if you’re using the 8×3 inch pans or what, but this was way too much batter for a home baker’s 8 inch pans. The blackberry lavender jam is really watery, so I cooked it about 10 minutes longer than suggested and I am just crossing my fingers that it does thicken as it cools.
All in all, I am not thrilled. I should have trusted my instincts that it was way too much batter for two pans, and just got out a third. Bummer! I’m going to have to cut off fully half the cake to get it flat on the top.
Hi Sara,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear you had some troubles. I hope everything turned out okay and tasted delicious! xx
Hello!
Do you think using 9” pans will work? Or do you strongly recommend 8”?
Thank you!
Hi Kate,
9″ pans will be just fine for you to use:) I hope you love this recipe! xx
Will the baking time need to be adjusted using 9″ pan vs 8″? If so, about how much shorter?
Hi Brittney,
I would just keep an eye on them towards the end, maybe pull them 5 or so minutes early. I hope this helps!
Wonderful. I make this for friends birthdays and it’s also my sons favorite.
Hi Beth,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Happy Friday:)