This Chocolate Lavender Cake is a beautiful light sponge which is perfect for parties and as a show-stopper cake. Sandwiched together with smooth chocolate buttercream and decorated with even more lavender on top. I hope you enjoy this delicious chocolate sponge cake.
You will need three 8 inch cake tins, greased and lined.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/ 160ºC fan/ 356ºF.
Melt the chocolate over hot water (making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) or in short bursts in the microwave.
100 g dark chocolate
Using a pestle and mortar or a food processor grind the edible lavender up.
4 tbsp Lavender
Cream together butter, sugar and ground edible lavender until light and fluffy.
300 g unsalted butter, 300 g golden caster sugar
When the chocolate is cool to touch add it to the mix.
Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.
6 large eggs
Sieve the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder in to a bowl and then fold it in to the mix gently.
220 g self-raising flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, 100 g cocoa powder
Divide the mix between the three tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Allow to cool in the tins for a bit before removing and leaving to cool fully on wire rack.
Making the chocolate lavender buttercream
Melt the chocolate over a pan of hot water or in the microwave on short bursts. Then set aside to cool.
280 g dark chocolate
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer cream together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk. Give it a good mix for 3 minutes and it will be super creamy and smooth.
225 g unsalted butter, 450 g icing sugar / confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5 tablespoons milk
Add the melted, now cooled, chocolate and mix in.
Assemble the chocolate lavender cake
When the cakes are cold, sandwich them together with a layer of jam and then the chocolate buttercream. (I love using cherry jam for this recipe)
cherry jam
On the top tier cover it with a gorgeous layer of buttercream and a sprinkling of edible lavender. Don't add too much as it is pretty strong.
edible lavender
Serve with fresh fruit and enjoy.
Notes
To make a smaller cake you can divide the mix in half and share between 2 8 inch cake tins.
It will last about three days in an airtight container in a cool place.