Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Measure out all ingredients to have them ready—this makes the process smoother.

Pro Tip: I like to lightly flour the pan after greasing to prevent sticking, especially with honey cakes—they can be sticky.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt.

Stir in 2 tsp finely chopped culinary lavender so it’s evenly distributed.

Pro Tip: Whisk continuously to prevent lavender clumps. This helps the floral flavor infuse evenly throughout the cake.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream ¾ cup softened butter, ¾ cup honey, and ¾ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3–4 minutes).

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is well mixed.

Pro Tip: Don’t rush this step—creaming incorporates air, giving your cake a tender crumb.

Beat in 3 large eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Mix in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Pro Tip: Room temperature eggs blend better and prevent the batter from curdling.

Alternately add the dry ingredients and 1 cup buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients.

Mix gently on low speed or fold with a spatula until just combined.

Pro Tip: Overmixing can make the cake dense, so stop as soon as there are no streaks of flour.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pro Tip: Check the cake at 35 minutes—ovens vary, and you don’t want it to dry out.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack.

If using the honey glaze, mix ¼ cup honey with 2 tbsp warm water and drizzle over the top while the cake is slightly warm.

Pro Tip: Drizzling warm glaze allows it to seep slightly into the cake for extra moisture and flavor.