Lemon Lavender Pudding Cake

Lemon lavender pudding cake is a single-pan dessert where a batter sits atop a pool of warm lemon-lavender custard that forms as it bakes. The cake stays tender and moist while the sauce underneath turns silky and rich.

Ingredients for Lemon Lavender Pudding Cake

All-purpose flour makes the cake structure, baking powder gives it lift, and salt balances the sweetness. Butter and granulated sugar cream together to trap air and create a light crumb. Eggs bind everything and add richness. Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice provide bright acidity and flavor. Whole milk keeps the batter smooth and helps the custard form underneath. Dried culinary lavender blooms in the hot milk and sauce, adding floral depth without harshness. Hot water poured over the batter creates the pudding layer as the cake bakes.

Why This Lemon Lavender Pudding Cake Works

When you pour hot water over the batter, it sinks to the bottom of the pan and mixes with the sugar already there. As the cake bakes, this mixture transforms into a custard sauce that stays separate from the cake layer above it. The batter rises and sets into a tender crumb while the heat activates the lavender, releasing its subtle floral oils into the sauce.

The lemon juice in both the batter and the sauce prevents the lavender from tasting soapy or medicinal. Room-temperature eggs and butter mix smoothly without lumps, which keeps the cake tender. The batter must be thin enough for the water to sink through, so the milk in the batter is essential for the pudding layer to form properly.

Mistakes To Avoid

Overmixing the batter after adding the flour makes the cake tough and rubbery. Once you add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stir just until no white streaks remain, then stop. A few small lumps are fine and will disappear during baking.

Using cold butter and eggs makes the batter lumpy and grainy because they do not blend smoothly with the sugar. Let both sit on the counter for 30 to 40 minutes before you start. The batter should look pale and creamy after creaming, not curdled or separated.

Skipping the lavender-infused milk step leaves the lavender flavor weak and one-dimensional. Heating the milk with the dried lavender for 2 to 3 minutes softens the buds and releases their oils. Strain out the solids before using the milk so the cake stays smooth.

Opening the oven door before 30 minutes have passed can cause the delicate pudding layer to deflate. The cake is done when the top feels set and springs back when you touch it lightly, even if the sauce below is still bubbling around the edges.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (85 grams)
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 1/2 cups hot water

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steam rises, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lavender, remove from heat, and let steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl and discard the lavender solids. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
5. Alternately add the flour mixture and the cooled lavender milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir gently by hand after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it level. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the hot water. Slowly pour the hot water mixture over the batter without stirring.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched, and the sauce around the edges is bubbling. Do not open the oven before 30 minutes have passed.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. The pudding sauce will be underneath the cake layer.