I adore lavender.
The delicate and earthy look of it (so pretty), the smell of it (heavenly) and even the taste of it (unique and flavorful). But it seems to be when it comes to lavender, not too many people are on the fence about it, you either love it or you hate it. I’ve known people that were nauseated by the smell of it or thought it tasted, literally, like dirt. It’s true that too much of it, or the wrong kind, can make baked goods taste like perfume. Which I’m guessing is never the intended outcome by the baker.
If you’re like me and you love lavender, this cake is for you. It has just the right subtle touch of real lavender flavor without being overbearing and without tasting like soap (ewww). Paired with the silky smooth vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream and drizzled with salted caramel, it just might be heaven on a plate.
This cake is presented as a naked layer cake, with a more rustic feel. Once the cake layers are baked and cooled, they are layered with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream (recipe included) and drizzled with salted caramel (recipe included). After crumb coating and letting the layered and filled cake settle in the refrigerator, one more layer of frosting is applied and smoothed (scraped off) so that the frosting doesn’t completely cover the underlying cake layers. One more rest in the refrigerator and then the caramel drip is applied (we use a plastic squirt bottle).
Lavender Cake with Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Salted Caramel
(Makes 3-9 inch rounds, one half sheet cake, or 3 dozen cupcakes. Recipe can be scaled in half if necessary)
The following link will provide access to downloadable and printable recipe files for the cake, frosting/filling and caramel drip. Preparation and assembly instructions provided!
I am wondering if you want a more traditional flavor if you could leave the lavender out??