This dreamy Blackberry Lavender Cake is SO good that I got two special requests from my family to make it again for birthdays this year! :) Fluffy, homemade Blackberry Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting and rich, juicy Blackberry Lavender Jam elevate a simple lemon cake for the perfect combination of flavors.

Since I always like to make recipes as simple as possible when I’m entertaining, this recipe uses Blackberry Lavender Jam in both the frosting and the jam filling to add color and flavor. I definitely recommend making your own jam at home with the recipe, but you can of course use store-bought blackberry jam to save on time if needed!

Blackberry Lavender Cake

Makes 1 cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 lemon box mix cake, plus the additional ingredients to make the cake **See note below
1 cup Blackberry Lavender Jam (or store-bought blackberry jam)
Blackberries and edible flowers for garnish

For the frosting:

2 (8 oz) packs of cream cheese, softened
1 cup salted butter, softened
1 tbsp vanilla extract
5 cups powdered sugar
½ cup Blackberry Lavender Jam (or store-bought blackberry jam)

To make:

Bake the box cake in cake pans of your choice according to the package directions (I used four 6-inch cake pans). Remove from the pans and set aside to cool completely.
While the cake is baking and cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with a hand mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy, then mix in the blackberry lavender jam until completely combined.
To assemble the cake, add the first layer of lemon cake and top with a layer of cream cheese frosting. Use the back of a spoon to hollow out a small circle in the center of the frosting layer, then add a few scoops of blackberry lavender jam. Repeat with each layer of the cake, then frost the entire cake with a layer of frosting.
Garnish the cake with blackberries and edible flowers.

** Note: Several years ago, I learned a wonderful cake-baking hack online that I’ve followed ever since! To elevate a regular box mix cake, follow the instructions on the back but swap the oil for equal parts melted butter and the water for equal parts milk. I find that this results in a denser, richer (and in my opinion, much more delicious!) cake.