Blackberry Lavender Buttercream
Tart and sweet with hints of floral lavender, this buttercream is a delicious surprise on any cake! The blackberries naturally dye the buttercream a beautiful magenta, and the flavor pairs well with just about any cake. It’s a summer must-try!
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Not that you cared, but this is now my favorite buttercream. It will be going on all the things, so sorry to all of my family and friends who don’t like blackberries!
Kidding. But not kidding. Because this buttercream really is that good. It might even match my love for my chocolate marshmallow buttercream, which is actually my most popular recipe. This frosting is simple, smooth, and just the right balance between tart blackberries, floral lavender, and sweet American buttercream.
And see how richly magenta-y it is? That’s all natural. Just from the fresh blackberries, no food coloring.
How to make blackberry lavender buttercream
Make a blackberry lavender concentrate. You could use my blackberry lavender jam, but you’d need to strain it and the lavender may not be potent enough.
Cream the butter and sugar.
Add vanilla, salt, and blackberry concentrate.
Adjust flavors to taste.
Voila! Enjoy!
Pairs well with:
Anything! The pictures here are with lemonade cupcakes (recipe coming soon), but this buttercream would pair well with a variety of cakes and cupcakes.
Chocolate Cake (weird, but the flavors do complement each other if you’re a chocolate plus fruit fan!)
Lemon and Mascarpone Cake (sub for the triple lemon buttercream and sub some blackberry lavender jam for the lemon curd in the filling!)
Old Fashioned Lemon Cake (a denser lemon cake that is perfect for this fruit-forward frosting! also pairs well with blackberry lavender jam filling!)
Tips and notes for this recipe
Where to buy lavender
I’ve seen culinary lavender at places like Whole Foods and Cost Plus, World Market. However, you may not have one of those, or they may not carry it where you are. I’ve found that ordering it online is easiest!
Making blackberry concentrate
The concentrate takes about 10 minutes to make and just a few minutes to cool. In fact, you could pop it in the fridge while you start the buttercream and it’ll be ready by the time the butter and sugar is fluffy. It’s important to let it cook down fully, which means you could use your spoon/spatula to speed things along. Just be sure not to add extra lemon juice, as it will create a thinner concentrate that will thin out the buttercream too much. Also, this concentrate calls for a lot of lavender, but the buttercream masks quite a bit of that flavor.
If you want a more subtle lavender flavor, you could make a small batch of my blackberry lavender jam, strain it, and use a few teaspoons of that instead!
Straining seeds is optional
If you’re piping the buttercream, I do recommend straining the seeds. There’s a risk that your piping tip will clog if you leave the seeds in, depending on the size you’re working with. A 1M tip (what I used here) likely won’t clog, but it’s still possible. However, if you’re putting this on a cake or frosting cupcakes by hand, it would create a wonderfully rustic look to leave the seeds in!
My buttercream tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this buttercream. Affiliate links provided.
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Blackberry Lavender Buttercream
- prep time: 5-10 minutes
- cook time: 10-15 minutes
- total time: 20-25 minutes
yields: about 2 ½ to 3 cups (enough for a two or three layer cake or 24 cupcakes)
Ingredients:
for the blackberry lavender concentrate
- 6 ounces fresh blackberries, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon (21g) honey
- squeeze of lemon juice
- ½ to 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender (½ will yield a very subtle flavor)
- 1 tablespoon (7g) cornstarch (optional, use if it’s very warm out)
for the blackberry lavender buttercream
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter*, softened slightly**
- 4-5 cups (500-625g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon(13g) pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (3g) sea salt
- blackberry lavender concentrate, strained
Instructions:
make the blackberry lavender concentrate
- Combine all concentrate ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to keep it at a good simmer but not a boil. When the berries begin to break down, you can help them along by crushing them with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- If you need a sturdy frosting (for outdoor events in warm weather), remove about 2 tablespoons of the juice early on once it becomes somewhat liquidy. It’s best to do this before the jam is done, so you get the thinner juices. Once the berries are nearly broken down, after about 5 minutes, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the reserved liquid and whisk until well-blended. Add this to the pot and stir until well-blended.
- Continue cooking 5-10 minutes, until the berries are fully broken down and the mixture has thickened slightly (no more than 10 minutes after adding cornstarch, or it can actually break down and separate once cooled).
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing well to get all of the juices out. Set aside to cool (or refrigerate while you begin beating the butter--it should be cool by the time you need it).
make the blackberry lavender buttercream
- While the concentrate cools, beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat first on low then slowly increase to high until smooth after each addition. Scrape down the bowl after every other cup.
- Once you’ve added 4 cups powdered sugar, add the vanilla, salt, and half of the cooled blackberry lavender concentrate. Beat on high until well-blended, about 1 minute. Taste. Add more concentrate and/or powdered sugar to taste.
- Once the taste is to your liking, scrape down the bowl and beat on high for about 1 minute, until fully blended.
Enjoy!
Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
*I highly recommend European style butter for frosting! It has less water and makes a creamier frosting.
**If your butter has become shiny or oily, put it back in the fridge for 5-10 minutes until it firms up a bit (not hard) and is matte in appearance.
