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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!
I made this today and it was amazing…loved the way the lavender complemented the blackberry, and the jam soaked into the cake a little. I made the cakes last night and stacked them in the cake carrier until this morning. They cut like a dream.
I did have to up the powdered sugar in the buttercream to 3 1/2 cups though—it tasted like pure butter with only 1 1/2. Also had to sweeten the blackberries more, and I did strain out the seeds so they wouldn’t interfere with all the rich smoothness of the cake! It was a hit and SO pretty!
Hey Amy,
Happy Sunday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xxTieghan
Can’t wait to try this! Is there a way to make this recipe into cupcakes? Ie. how would I incorporate the jam into the cupcake?
Hey Maddi,
I’ve not made these into cupcakes but I’m sure it would work just fine for you. You could just incorporate the jam into the buttercream:) Let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
If you make them into cupcakes and want to use the jam, bake the cupcakes and allow to cool. gently cut out a little of the middle of the cupcake and fill with the jam them cover with the buttercream. It is delicious. Hope this helps.
Elizabeth from Healdsburgtable.com
If you make them into cupcakes and want to use the jam, bake the cupcakes and allow to cool. gently cut out a little of the middle of the cupcake and fill with the jam them cover with the buttercream. It is delicious. Hope this helps.
Elizabeth from Healdsburgtable.com
Hi tieghan! I’ve made this cake a couple times and I’m absolutely obsessed. I wanted to try making it into a cupcake version for a party, how much should I tweak the baking times??
Thank you! Love your recipes 🙂
Hey Lola,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Amazing!! Very excited to make this cake for my sister in law’s wedding next week. Does the frosting do well outdoors? Or is there anything I can change to make it a bit more firm?
Hey Elise,
As long as the cake is not sitting outside for hours, the frosting should be just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
THE BEST CAKE I HAVE EVER HAD! So delicious and perfect! It definitely takes a bit of patience waiting for things to cool, but so worth it. Thank you, Tieghan!
Hey Becca,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
So sad… my blackberry jam never thickened and the white chocolate seized in the buttercream-tasted great but looked a bit ugly. Paul Hollywood would not have shaken my hand…
Hey Marianne,
So sorry to hear this, thanks for giving the recipe a try! Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
OMG! This cake is delish! I followed your recipe and it turned out great! I made it for my son in law’s birthday. Thank you so much for sharing❤️
Hey Linda,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This does look/sound divine. Except… I really don’t like white chocolate. Any chance of recommending a different flavor? Thanks.
Hey Gemia,
You can just skip the white chocolate. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hello, hoping to make this cake at the weekend! What does 3 sticks of butter weigh out to be? Thanks
Hey there,
1 stick of butter is equal to 113 grams. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
howdy! what can we use besides canola oil??? please,, its one of the worst oils to ever put inside your body (toxic and polluted just to name a few of its attributes 🙂
thanks T !!!
There are plenty of non-toxic/polluted canola oils on the market. You may just nee to dish out a few extra bucks. Canola oil is widely misinterpreted and can be a healthy oil choice
Hey there,
You could use veggie or coconut oil. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hello,
Thank you so much for this recipe
I can’t seem to find Lindt white choc ( fav choc to bake with )
They only had white choc truffles
Do you think I can melt this down and still use it?
They also had bakers white choc available
So either of these work?
Thanks so much for your help
Hey Niecce,
I would probably use the bakers white chocolate. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Made this with frozen mixed berries and it turned out amazing!
I then took the left over jam and mixed that into some homemade ice cream with my Kitchen-aid.
Hey Ty,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Do you think I could make ahead snd freeze to serve 1 week later?
Hey Stephanie,
Yes, I think that would work well for you. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
OMG, this was great!! I switched the blackberry and lavender for blueberries because I had a ton of them. It worked perfectly! I loved the taste of the white chocolate buttercream and berry jam together. This is a great summer cake! Mine leaned a little, but it was still pretty.
Hey Leslie,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I did this one with Rosemary instead of lavender and it turned out great!
Hey there,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Made this cake for my brother’s wedding and it was a HIT!! He & his wife asked the sisters & bridesmaids to all bring a cake for the treat at the reception and mine/this cake was the first to go. I couldn’t contain my excitement! Thanks to you it was very do-able & fun!!
I even bragged to my mother in law and I’m now making it again for her birthday. I will be saving this recipe forever!
Hey Emily,
Happy Friday!! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Made this cake for my parent’s anniversary dinner, it came out perfect. Super moist cake, made two days ahead just wrapped and refrigerated. Used frozen blackberries for the jam, came out wonderful. Added an extra half cup of powdered sugar for the frosting. Lovely summertime cake, all of the flavors compliment each other.
Hey Liza,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan