And then there’s this loaf.
Lavender, lemon, and black raspberry — a beautiful combination for spring.
Bright citrus, soft florals, and the lush, musky sweetness of black raspberries, deeper and more indulgent than they first appear.
The lavender is gentle here, lifting the lemon with a soft floral note. Black raspberries bring their darker tone, settling into the cake and giving it richness. Blueberries work beautifully too, softer and rounder, if you’re in the mood for something a little lighter. The loaf is finished with black raspberry, poured thick enough to set, just loose enough to sink in at the edges — the part I look forward to most. It pulls everything together and makes each slice feel finished, glossy, and hard to resist.
Ingredients You’ll Need for This Lavender, Lemon & Black Raspberry Loaf
Butter. Unsalted and at room temperature, for richness and a tender crumb.
Sugar. Granulated sugar, scented with lemon zest.
Eggs. Add structure and richness to the batter.
Milk. Keeps the crumb tender and moist.
Culinary Lavender. Infused into the milk for a gentle floral note.
Lemon. Both zest and juice. I especially love Meyer lemons here.
All-Purpose Flour. I use Hayden Flour Mills All-Purpose Sonora — it’s my go-to.
Baking Powder. Helps the loaf rise evenly.
Salt. Balances the sweetness.
Black Raspberries. Folded into the loaf and used for a berry-stained glaze. Blueberries work beautifully too.
Powdered Sugar. Dissolves easily, giving the glaze a smooth, glossy finish.
Lavender Extract (optional). A drop or two added to the glaze if you want a slightly stronger floral note.
Lavender Lemon and Black Raspberry Loaf
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups (295g) all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs, room temp
3/4 cup (180g) avocado oil
1/2 cup (120g) creme fraiche or sour cream
1/2 cup (120g) whole milk
1 tbsp culinary lavender
1/3 cup (80g) lemon juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1.5 cups frozen black raspberries- can use raspberries, wild blueberries or boysenberries
Glaze
1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
1 tbsp salted butter, at room temp
2 tbsp lemon juice
A few Black raspberries
a few drops of culinary lavender extract (optional) I used this one
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the milk to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the lavender. Set aside to steep for 60 minutes. Strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, then discard the lavender. Add more milk if needed to measure out 1/2 cup (120ml).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter, line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper, and grease the paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In another large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Massage together with your fingertips to release the oils. Whisk the eggs, oil, milk, creme fraiche/sour cream and lemon juice, until combined.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth. Toss the raspberries with a tablespoon of flour, gently fold in the berries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a cake skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the loaf to cool in its pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze
- Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Make a well and add the butter.
- Mix in the lemon juice, black raspberry and culinary lavender. Mix until desired consistency.
- Pour over the loaf and allow to set.
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