This lemon lavender chiffon cake is light as air and perfumed with bright citrus and the faintest whisper of culinary lavender — the kind of elegant dessert that fills the room with its scent before anyone takes a bite. Built on our Calicutts Vanilla Bean Sugar and finished with a tart lemon glaze, it’s a tall, tender, springy cake that’s perfect for spring and summer celebrations, Mother’s Day, baby showers, Easter, or afternoon tea. Chiffon’s whipped-egg-white method gives it that signature cloud-like crumb, while lemon zest and a touch of lavender keep it sophisticated rather than sweet. If you’ve been looking for a floral lemon cake recipe that feels special without being fussy, this is the one.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Have an ungreased 10-inch tube pan ready.
Whisk together the cake flour, Calicutts Vanilla Bean Sugar, Calicutts Lemon Lavender Sugar, the baking powder, and the salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg yolks, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
In a clean stand mixer bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium-high until foamy. With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining ½ cup of sugar. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Fold one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites in two additions, gently — do not deflate them.
Pour into the ungreased tube pan and smooth the top. Bake 55–65 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the top springs back.
Invert the pan immediately upside down and let the cake cool completely, about 90 minutes. (This step is essential — a chiffon cooled right-side up will collapse.)
Run a thin knife around the edges and the center tube, then invert onto a cake plate.
Whisk the glaze ingredients to a thick but pourable consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cake and top with lemon zest and lavender buds.
Lemon Lavender Chiffon Cake
Jessica Hughes
Author:
Jessica Hughes
Servings
12
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
This lemon lavender chiffon cake is light as air and perfumed with bright citrus and the faintest whisper of culinary lavender — the kind of elegant dessert that fills the room with its scent before anyone takes a bite. Built on our Calicutts Vanilla Bean Sugar and finished with a tart lemon glaze, it’s a tall, tender, springy cake that’s perfect for spring and summer celebrations, Mother’s Day, baby showers, Easter, or afternoon tea. Chiffon’s whipped-egg-white method gives it that signature cloud-like crumb, while lemon zest and a touch of lavender keep it sophisticated rather than sweet. If you’ve been looking for a floral lemon cake recipe that feels special without being fussy, this is the one.
Ingredients
For the Cake
2¼ C cake flour, sifted
½ C Calicutts Vanilla Bean Sugar
½ C Calicutts Lemon Lavender Sugar
½ C Sugar, granulated
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1 tsp Fine salt
½ C Neutral oil, like refined coconut oil
7 Large eggs, separated, at room temperature
¾ C Whole milk
3 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp Fresh lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
½ tsp Cream of tartar
For the Glaze
2 C Powdered sugar
3–4 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla bean simple syrup, (optional)
Lemon zest and a few lavender buds, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Have an ungreased 10-inch tube pan ready.
Whisk together the cake flour, Calicutts Vanilla Bean Sugar, Calicutts Lemon Lavender Sugar, the baking powder, and the salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg yolks, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
In a clean stand mixer bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium-high until foamy. With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining ½ cup of sugar. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Fold one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites in two additions, gently — do not deflate them.
Pour into the ungreased tube pan and smooth the top. Bake 55–65 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the top springs back.
Invert the pan immediately upside down and let the cake cool completely, about 90 minutes. (This step is essential — a chiffon cooled right-side up will collapse.)
Run a thin knife around the edges and the center tube, then invert onto a cake plate.
Whisk the glaze ingredients to a thick but pourable consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cake and top with lemon zest and lavender buds.
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