Nothing says spring quite like lavender buttercream. This lightly floral frosting is made with dried culinary lavender for a delicate herbal flavor and tinted naturally with fresh blueberry juice for a soft, dreamy pinkish-purple hue. Perfect for frosting cupcakes, layering between cakes, or spreading on cookies, it’s a beautiful way to bring a little garden-inspired charm to your desserts.
Flavoring with Lavender
Lavender is a strong herb that should be used sparingly to prevent overtaking a recipe. Its far more enjoyable as a background taste than eating an overly floral infused dessert. This is why I only use a small amount mixed with vanilla extract.
The flavor potency of lavender increases as it dries. Which means a recipe should use ⅓ dried flowers in comparison to fresh. In this recipe I have used 2 teaspoons of dried lavender for a large amount of buttercream to cover my cake. If I were to substitute with fresh lavender flowers I would use 6 teaspoons.
What is the difference between English and French Lavender?
English Lavender (L. Angustifolia) is the sweetest of all lavender species, and is most commonly used for baking. Some varieties even give off a hint of lemon.
French lavender has a scent of camphor and menthol, which is more medicinal flavor. It is also known to be toxic in very large quantities. So, its best to just enjoy the beautiful flowers as they bloom in your garden or use for decorations.
What is Culinary Lavender?
Culinary lavender is often known as dried flower petals/buds taken off a stem just after opening (stems as well). However, the flowers and leaves can also be used fresh. Lavandula Angustifolia is the most common species of lavender for baking.
If you're new to experimenting with lavender start with just a teaspoon of the Organic Lavender and sugar mixture. Continue to add the rest into your frosting to see how your taste buds feel about floral enhancement.
🌿 Ingredients You Need & Why
- Unsalted Butter
- I highly recommend using cultured butter, European style with 82% butterfat is a higher quality butter and for best flavor.
- Higher butterfat contributes to a smoother, creamier texture in the buttercream resulting in a frosting that's both luscious and easy to pipe!
- Confectioners Sugar (aka powdered sugar)
- Confectioners sugar dissolves seamlessly into the softened butter, for a smooth, airy texture.
- Culinary Lavender
- Use dried culinary-grade lavender buds—organic if possible. Try this culinary lavender available on Amazon. You can also find culinary lavender in some health food or organic grocery stores.
- Vanilla Bean Paste or Pure Vanilla Extract
- Adds depth, aroma, and lovely vanilla flavor.
- Heavy Cream
- A splash of heavy cream lightens the buttercream's texture, making it more spreadable and easier to work with.
- Natural Blueberry & Blackberry Juice Food Coloring
- Fresh blueberry and blackberry juices provide a natural, subtle hue to the buttercream, ranging from soft lavender to deeper purple tones, depending on the ratio used.
- This method avoids artificial dyes, adding both color and a hint of fruitiness.
- Sea Salt
- A pinch helps balance the sweetness of the added confectioners sugar. Taste and adjust to your liking.
How to Naturally Color Lavender Buttercream Frosting
The purple tint from the combination of blueberry and blackberry juice creates a lovely natural shade of light lavender for this buttercream frosting.
- Add ⅛ cup blueberries and 2 tablespoon water into a small sauce pan. Heat on medium for 5-6 minutes, stirring and gently mashing the berries. Once the juices are pouring out into the saucepan remove from heat and set aside.
- Strain the berries through a metal sieve into a small bowl. Discard the berry solids. Or save for a smoothie!
- Repeat with ⅛ cup blackberries using a clean saucepan and separate final bowl.
- Add small amount of the blueish blueberry juice and the pinkish red blackberry juice to your finished buttercream.
- Adding more blue will create a deeper purple. So, just play around until you find the shade you like!
- You will have a blueberry lavender buttercream cake frosting that can also be used to fill macarons or cookie sandwiches!!
- Another way to get a deeper purple Lavender Buttercream is to use juice from a purple potato! Slice and boil two purple potatoes, using the juice to dye the frosting.
frequently asked questions
Yes, if you prefer to skip the berry juices, try a gel food coloring. You may need to mix in an additional 2-3 tablespoons of confectioners sugar to make up for the loss in liquid from the berry juice.
Not if you use the right kind of lavender and the right amount! The key is to use culinary-grade dried lavender for a light floral, herbal notes. A little goes a long way, less is more with lavender.
Yes! Store it in an airtight container:
In the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Let it come to room temperature and re-whip it before using to restore its fluffy texture.
Definitely. This buttercream holds its shape well for piping rosettes, swirls, and borders. If your buttercream is too soft, chill it for 10–15 minutes and re-whip. If it’s too stiff, add a small splash of milk or cream.
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Lavender Buttercream
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make the Blueberry Juice: In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries and 2 tablespoons of water. Heat over medium heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently mashing the berries as they soften. Once the berries have broken down and released their juices, remove from heat.¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries120 grams water
- Strain: Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing the berries to extract all the juice. Discard the solids (or save them for a smoothie!).
- Repeat with Blackberries: Using a clean saucepan and bowl, repeat the same process with the blackberries and 2 tablespoons of water.¼ cup fresh or frozen blackberries120 grams water
- Use to Color Buttercream: Add small spoonfuls of each juice to your finished buttercream, a little at a time, until you reach your desired shade.More blueberry juice = deeper purpleMore blackberry juice = pinker purple
- **Allow both berry juices to cool to room temperature before adding to the buttercream.
- In a food processor combine the granulated sugar with the dried Lavender buds. Pulse until a fine powder is formed. Set aside. Option to grind the lavender buds into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle.2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Using the bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment or large bowl with handheld mixer, beat the softened butter on medium until super smooth and fluffy. About 3 minutes.227 grams unsalted butter - European Style Cultured(82% butterfat)
- Add in half of the confectioner sugar, mixing until smooth. Scrape bottom and side of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Mix in 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream, vanilla, and lavender sugar mixture.1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- Add in the remaining confectioners sugar one cup at a time. Lower the speed to medium low while adding in the sugar and then increase to medium to combine.
- Blend in the final 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, followed by the berry juice.2-3 tablespoons blueberry and blackberry juice
- Pour small amounts of berry juice mixing slowly to create the desired shade of purple. Add in the salt, then adjust to desired level of sweetness.½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Buttercream should be thick, creamy, and easy to spread. If its to thin, mix in another ¼ cup (25 grams) of confectioners sugar. Too thick, add one teaspoon at a time of milk or heavy cream and mix again.
Jordan Cahill
Can you provide a link to the cake recipe? Thank you!
Jenn
It will posted in a couple days!! yay!
Kiwi
Would the flavor of lavender be to strong if I used it for the layers as well as the outside?
Alexis Kamryn
What piping tip did you use in the pictures of the cake?
Jenn
Hi Alexis! This was a Wilton 6B
Zar Imr
Hi, how much frosting would this make? Could I frost and fill a three layer 8 inch cake with one batch?
Jenn
This recipe makes enough for three 6 inch layers or two 8 inch layers. I would make a double batch for an 8 inch three layer, depending on how thick you like your frosting.
Layne Tisdel Martin
Is this really supposed to have salt in it? There's 1 tsp in the ingredients list but the instructions never say when/if to add it.
Jenn
Yes, you add salt in step 2. This helps balance the super sweetness from all the powdered sugar. If you prefer not to add it, that is ok too 🙂
Lisa
How many macarons would one batch fill?
Philli
What do you do if you don:t have a food processer?