Blackberry Lavender Greek Yogurt Cake
Moist, flavorful vanilla Greek yogurt cake layers filled with blackberry lavender jam and frosted with blackberry lavender buttercream. This quintessentially springy, summery cake is light and refreshing yet still bursting with flavor. Use up those summer blackberries in the most delicious way possible!
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Last summer, I made what has now become one of my favorite summer flavor combos: blackberry lavender jam. Wow. What a perfect combination of tart berries, floral lavender, and subtle sweetness. Such a perfect summer flavor.
I paired it with my lemon cake, to make blackberry lavender lemonade cupcakes for my sister’s baby sprinkle. The color was adorable with the pink and gold and blush tones, and the flavor combo was perfect for an exceptionally hot May day.
So, with the extras (because bakers almost always have extra frosting), I made a blackberry lavender Greek yogurt cake, because of course I also had leftover vanilla Greek yogurt cake.
No wonder it’s taken me so long to lose all that baby weight.
Anyway, the result was a cake that was both earthy and sweet yet tart and floral. All the good things in perfect ratios.
Why this recipe works
First, the cake. This is one of my favorite cakes, modeled after a local bakery we have that makes these deliciously old-fashioned, slightly dense yet fluffy cakes. I make mine less sweet, but it still has this beautifully moist, spongy texture. It’s not light and fluffy like a boxed cake, but it’s also not dense and chewy. Instead, it has this wonderfully soft texture that’s super moist. And it actually has flavor! The vanilla actually shined through, instead of the general taste of sugar.
Then there’s the frosting. Blackberry lavender jam swirls into the buttercream to create the most amazing flavor combination. Sweet and tart and floral and fruity. Such a perfect springy, summery combo!
Key ingredients
Flour. Be sure to spoon then level this so it’s not packed in and don’t skip the sifting.
Baking powder and soda. Be sure both are fresh and don’t skip sifting them, as they tend to clump up.
Salt. Sea salt is best!
Eggs. Use fresh, room temperature eggs.
Plain, whole milk Greek yogurt. Be sure it’s room temperature, which usually takes about 30-60 minutes. You can also sub full fat sour cream.
Oil. I prefer avocado (light, not the super expensive, extra virgin—that will turn the cake green) or grape seed oil. They are healthier fats and have a very light taste. Vegetable or canola oil would work, too.
Vanilla. Use pure extract, not imitation.
Buttermilk. You can make your own by combining 1 cup room temperature whole milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar 5-10 minutes before you make the cake.
Sugar. Not a ton, but just the right amount to create a perfect sweetness and help the cake rise.
Blackberry lavender jam. Soooooo yummy! You can make this up to 2 weeks ahead and refrigerate it.
Blackberry lavender buttercream. You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate it. Just let it come to room temperature for a few hours before using and give it a good stir.
How to make blackberry lavender greek yogurt cake
Make the jam ahead of time. Since it needs to set, make it at least a few hours before making the cake.
Make the cake.
1. Sift and whisk the dry ingredients. Set aside.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients well. Whisk well, until fully emulsified (meaning no separation of ingredients—everything should be one homogenous mixture).
3. Whisk in the sugar. Whisk for about a minute, until most of the sugar is dissolved.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients. It will be slightly lumpy—don’t worry, it’ll bake just fine.
5. Bake. Bake in prepared pans until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out with just moist crumbs—no raw batter, but also not clean (this means it’s over baked). Check each layer individually to ensure event baking.
Make the buttercream.
6. Cream butter and powdered sugar. Be sure it’s fully smooth after each addition.
7. Add blackberry concentrate (or strained jam), vanilla, and salt. The recipe calls for a concentrate that is more packed with blackberry flavor and less sugar, but you can just use strained jam if that’s easier. It just may not have as strong a blackberry flavor.
8. Adjust flavors as desired. This is where personal opinion comes in. If you want a sweeter frosting, continue adding powdered sugar.
Assemble cake.
9. Spread buttercream and make a ring along the edge. Use a plastic baggie or piping bag to create this ring. It’s necessary to prevent jam squishing out the sides as you frost it.
10. Fill with jam. Don’t let it be thicker than 1/4 inch, as it will cause the cake to slide.
11. Frost with buttercream. Be gentle and don’t forget to refrigerate it after the crumb coat—this is necessary to prevent sliding and splitting.
12. Top with fresh berries. This is optional. You could also spread a swirl of jam on top!
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
Make the blackberry lavender jam ahead of time
This needs to set, so I suggest making it at least a few hours before you want to make the cake, but ideally the day before (or anytime in the two weeks ahead). None of the steps takes terribly long, but altogether it can feel like a lot, particularly if the jam isn’t cooling as quickly as you want. I am a big fan of stress-free baking, so I suggest prepping what you can ahead of time. The jam and (even the buttercream) can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and kept in airtight containers in the fridge.
If you do make the buttercream head of time, just let it come to room temperature before using—setting it out when you take out your eggs, yogurt, and buttermilk before making the cake is the perfect time. Give it a good stir or whip slightly with a hand mixer before using to it’s silky smooth and easy to work with.
Where can I find culinary lavender?
Some grocery stores will carry this, but if not, you can order it online. I use this brand from Amazon and it lasts forever!
Can I use nonfat Greek yogurt?
Personally, I wouldn’t. You would be adding milk solids without fat, which would make the cake more dense and less moist. I’ve used lowfat before, and even that came out with a drier, more crumbly texture. So, I suggest sticking to full fat, which isn’t even that much when you consider how much is in one serving of cake!
Don’t over mix
This is one of those elusive rules that doesn’t always make sense. Just follow the directions as listed, which includes time frames for mixing everything. When you add the flour, you want to just barely mix it, which is completely different than when making chocolate cake. It might still be a little lumpy, but that’s okay! It’ll bake out nice and smooth.
Don’t over bake
This is a bit easier to follow, as you just need to check the cake early. If it’s still jiggling, it’s not done. If a toothpick comes out with raw batter, it’s obviously not done. You want to catch it at that perfect time when some moist crumbs come off on the toothpick, not clean. Also remember to remove it from the pan after 5-10 minutes of cooling so it doesn’t cook more.
My cake tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this cake. Affiliate links provided.
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)
All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier as the batter and frosting doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)
Silicone liners for 8” cake (or for 6” cakes)
8” aluminum cake pans or 6” aluminum cake pans (I’ve found nonstick doesn’t bake as evenly)
Offset spatula for frosting the cake
Blackberry Lavender Greek Yogurt Cake
- prep time: 40-45 minutes (includes making jam and frosting)
- bake time: 25-30 minutes
- total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus cooling/chilling time
servings: 12-16
Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine ground salt
- 2 eggs,room temperature
- 6 ounces plain, whole milk Greek yogurt, room temperature (regular yogurt or sour cream would work, too)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk*, room temperature
- ⅔ cup oil (avocado or grapeseed)
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups sugar, to taste
- half batch blackberry lavender jam
- one batch blackberry lavender buttercream
Instructions:
- Make the blackberry lavender jam and place it in the fridge, well-sealed, to chill while you make the cupcakes and buttercream. Ideally, do this at least 2 hours before making the cake, or up to 2 weeks in advance.
- Preheat the oven to 325F/165C. Grease and flour two 8” or 9” cake pans or three 6” cake pans (or use baking spray) and line with parchment paper (or use silicone liners).
- Usine a large fine mesh sieve, sift then whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, yogurt, vanilla, buttermilk, and oil) until well-blended and no chunks of yogurt remain and oil is emulsified (meaning no oil bubbles form when you stop whisking), about 1 minute. Add sugar and whisk for about 30 seconds to partially dissolve the sugar.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet, stirring gently with a spatula (or the whisk—cause dishes are annoying) until just combined and only small lumps remain. Think muffin mix lumps, but no visibly dry sections.
- Pour evenly into prepared cake pans Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Be careful to check frequently toward the end so as not to overbake. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
- While the cakes cool, make the buttercream. You can also make the buttercream ahead of time, chill it, then let it come to room temperature on the counter for 1-2 hours while you make the cake. Just give it a good stir before using.
- Assemble the cake by spreading a thin layer of frosting on the first layer of cake. Place ½ cup buttercream in a plastic baggie or piping bag and trim a bit of the end off. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the very edge of the cake. Spread some blackberry jam in the middle, no more than ¼ inch thick (any more and the cake may slide or split). Repeat with remaining layer(s) of cake. Optionally, you can cut each layer of cake in half to make room for more filling.
- Cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting (known as the crumb coat). Refrigerate at least 10 minutes to set the frosting so that the jam doesn’t squish out. Frost cake to desired thickness. Decorate with blackberries or a swipe of jam, as desired.
Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Preserve freshness by placing a piece of plastic wrap directly against cut sides, sealing it against the frosting.
*You can make your own buttermilk by placing 1 tablespoon white vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup then filling it the rest of the way (so 1 cup total) with room temperature whole milk. Stir well then let sit 5-10 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
