This delicately fragrant chamomile cake is infused with whole chamomile buds to give it an aromatic, summery taste. Gently floral, it's complemented by the salted honey buttercream.
This moist and delicious cake has the delicate flavor of chamomile tea!
The tea is infused into the cake batter, leaving floral notes throughout the cake. It's then beautifully balanced with the salted honey buttercream frosting.
It's an elegant, grown-up cake that will WOW anyone with its interesting and delicate taste.
Originally published in April 2016, updated Feb 2020.
Chamomile Cake
This delicately fragrant chamomile cake is infused with whole chamomile buds to give it an aromatic, summery taste. But if you don't have any, then use 4 chamomile tea bags instead.
Gently floral, this cake is complemented by the salted honey buttercream to create a cake that is elegant and grown-up - perfect for Mother's Day or a spring party.
It's an easy cake recipe that's sure to delight!
You'll also love these 15 Afternoon Tea Recipes
To infuse this cake with the chamomile buds, I gently heated milk and butter, then allowed the dried buds to steep and allow their fragrance to perfume the butter, before straining it and beating it into the batter.
This is an easy way to infuse cakes and desserts with special tea flavours.
The salted honey buttercream is an easy way to add a pleasantly surprising flavour to the icing.
The honey gives it a deep flavour, while the sea salt adds a sophisticated element to cut through the sweetness.
Cake Tips
- Be sure to let the chamomile steep in the butter - it adds so much flavor.
- If you don't have loose chamomile tea, then use tea bags.
- If you don't want to decorate the top with chamomile tea buds, try pretty sprinkles instead.
- Don't overmix the batter once the wet and dry are combined. Ensure there are no streaks of flour, but don't beat it. Otherwise the cake won't be as light and fluffy.
- Ensure the cake is completely cooled before adding the frosting.
Baking with Tea
I love making desserts with tea, so take a look at some of my other tea recipes:
Beetroot and Chocolate Truffles with Lapsang Souchong Tea
Pea, Lemon and Lavender Cupcakes with Earl Grey Buttercream
Matcha Coconut and Yogurt Tarts
Lemon Tart with Chamomile Crust
Rooibos Tea Millionaire's Shortbread
Fruit Salad with Tea Simple Syrup
Have you tried baking with tea? Let me know in the comments - I love to hear from you!
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you!
Leave a comment and star rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #veggiedesserts. I love seeing your recreations of my vegetarian and vegan recipes.
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📖 Recipe
Chamomile Cake with Salted Honey Buttercream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons loose chamomile tea plus extra to decorate
- 1 cup (225g) butter
- ½ cup (100ml) milk
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups (200g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the Salted Honey Buttercream
- ¼ cup (60g) butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup (250g) powdered icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C. Grease and line a 9” round cake pan.
- Add the butter, milk and chamomile tea to a small pan and over a medium/low heat until it melts together. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.Remove from the heat, stir well and leave to steep for 10 minutes.
- Place a sieve over a mixing bowl and pour the chamomile-infused butter over it, to strain out all the tea. Reserve as much of the infused butter as possible and discard the sieved out tea.
- Beat the infused butter and sugar together for a few minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat in well. Add the vanilla and beat again.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl, then stir to gently combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth to the edges. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
How to make the Salted Honey Buttercream
- Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the honey and beat well. Add the powdered icing sugar and milk, then beat until smooth.
- Stir in the salt then spread the salted honey frosting over the cooled cake as desired.
- Decorate with chamomile flowers, if desired.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Pedro
I love this recipe! But I was wondering if it's possible to swap part of the butter with oil so it's a bit less dense?
Thank you so much
Kimi
Once the tea has steeped in the butter, does it need to cool before beating it with the sugar?
Kate Hackworthy
Hi, allow it to cool a bit, so it's not hot. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Victoria
I just finished the buttercream and it’s kinda of a loose texture. Is it suppose to be that way?
Steph Wetzel
Its really buttery, but amazing flavour! Absolutely loving it, especially the frosting!
Suzy
Swooning over this! The honey buttercream pairs so well with the chamomile cake! Perfect combination!
Tara
I am so in love with the salted honey buttercream -- want to slather it on everything!
BakeBake
I really want to make this recipe as it sounds delicious! One question, I noticed in the recipe it asks for 2 tablespoons of baking powder, is this correct or should it be 2 teaspoons?
Kate Hackworthy
Hi, yes it should be 2 tsp. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Lisa Ursi
Made this yesterday and it came out beautifully! Had some people tell me it was the best cake they ever had! Thanks so much for the recipe, I’ll be making it over and over again!
Gretchen
Hi! Like you I love tea and would love to make the cake. Just a quick question, is the butter salted or unsalted. And if salted does it use the same amount of salt in the recipe? Many thanks
Janice
What a great way to use chamomile, It goes so well with the slated honey buttercream - delicious!
cammie
Baking this cake =reminded me of my grandmother, her entire cellar was filled with the aroma of Chamomile tea. I love your flavour combination with the salted honey butter cream and such a pretty cake, a real treat for all the senses:-)
Janet @ Lady Janet Kitchen.
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe with us. It looks fabulous and yummy. I can't wait to try it out with me kids. Brilliant post with fascinating pictures, kudos!!!
nessjibberjabberuk
What a lovely combination and kept so light as well. The decoration really adds a special touch to the cake,
Cathy @ Planet Veggie
Hmm, I'm intrigued - this looks really different and interesting!
choclette
Love the idea of a summary floral chamomile cake, but it's the salted honey buttercream that's really got me going - wow!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
I've never had edible flowers but these are just stunning! They add such a spring-like feel to this cake 🙂
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
I really do enjoy using teas in bakes. Your cake looks so pretty and sounds so good! x #bakeoftheweek
Kaitie
What a great idea! I'm not going to lie, this sounds like the perfect cake for an afternoon tea. I have never baked tea into the flavours but am quite intrigued!!
Lucy
What a beautiful cake! I love chamomile. This would be so perfect for a Mother's Day brunch. The flowers are so pretty!
Jeanne Horak-Druiff
Oooh pretty! I love chamomile - not only for the pretty flowers but because the infusion is sooo good for digestion. I always travel with some and it's fantastic when you've had a heavy meal.
Lisa |Garlic + Zest
This cake is absolutely a stunner. Can you eat the chamomile flowers, or just pick them off?
Kate Hackworthy
Hi Lisa, I picked them off - they leave behind tiny fragments that are nice, but the full dried flowers would be a bit much 🙂 They left some lovely flavour on the icing as they sat on it.
Sara | Belly Rumbles (@bellyrumbles)
Such a beautiful cake. Now you have to do something for me. Quickly look at that first picture, just glimpse, even sort of out of the corner of your eye.
I read the title and my mind must of focused on the word honey. Then I glimpsed down at the cake. My first impression, eyes playing tricks.... the flowers looked like a mass of bumble bees! Of course when you look properly you can see that they aren't.
In any case, gorgeous cake!
Kate Hackworthy
Ha ha! Yes, they do look like bees! Swarm Cake 🙂
Ariane
As per usual I am completely contorting this recipe due to my health issues as in using buckwheat for that works very well with the chamomile, exchange butter with a bit less ghee, milk gets swapped out with oat milk, sugar gets halfed and butter creme forgotten but I add a tad of cinnamon blossom to make it even warmer... The result is a not too sweet, flavourful cake that is delishiously perfumed with chamomile and an absolut mood lifter and can be eaten as breakfast or study provision or just because one likes.
I so love your Ideas and was happy as hell when I found a way to get your book where I live after having been denied for fare to long ^^
Tracy | Baking Mischief
What a fun thing to be commissioned for! I love baking with tea, but I've never done so with chamomile. It sounds delicious and honey buttercream is the perfect topping for a tea-infused cake!
HedgeComber
So, so beautiful 🙂 Using the buds on top really makes it look extra special
Janie x
Rachel
Oooh this sounds like such a lovely cake! Loved the presentation of it too! xo
Helen at Casa Costello
Oh what a summery delight! I don't use tea enough in my baking - Those flowers look so sweet. Feel free to join in with #BakeoftheWeek with this recipe - We would love to have you join us.
MissPond
What a wonderful cake! I've only ever made tea loaves, so may have to branch out into something different. I do love We Are Tea, I got a load of their teas for Xmas!
Kavey
Note to self. Do not start with making salted honey buttercream or cake may never happen!
Chris @thinlyspread
Oh my word! What a perfect summery creation! I think we may be making this to celebrate the end of GCSEs and A Levels in June!