Yield: 1 blueberry lavender ice cream pound cake // Total Time: 8 hr. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links. //
Moist lavender pound cake layered with vanilla ice cream, a wild blueberry compote, and topped with a lavender infused whipped cream.
blueberry lavender ice cream cake in a loaf pan
Hello hello! I’m back with another ice cream loaf cake because honestly, they’re just so fun to make! It all starts with a moist lavender vanilla pound cake. We layer it with vanilla ice cream and a wild blueberry compote, then top it all off with a lavender-infused whipped cream. It’s fruity, floral, and of course so delicious.
recipe tips
weigh your ingredients
Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient which can give you some undesirable results. This kitchen scale is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out! If you don’t have access to a scale, here is the best way to measure flour: fluff up the flour with a fork, then use a spoon to scoop it into your measuring cup. Use a knife to level off the top of the cup, then use as directed.
mix the batter carefully
After adding in your flour, you’ll want to be careful to only mix until that last streak of flour disappears into the batter to avoid over-mixing. Over-mixing your batter leads to developing more gluten in the batter, which will make the cake more tough and chewy.
room temperature ingredients
It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. If you have ever had your batter look curdled, it is most likely due to the ingredients separating from being at different temperatures. Take out the butter, eggs, and buttermilk at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe. A little hack that I do is to run the eggs under hot water for 1 minute to bring them to room temp. and microwave the buttermilk/butter in 5-second intervals until it’s no longer cold (but not hot.)
freeze the ice cream cake overnight
The cake will need to be set in the freezer for at least 6 hours but will be best if it’s made the day before and able to set up overnight.
how to tell when your loaf cake is done.
It’s always a little game with telling if your loaf is done. Sometimes it will look done, but it’s still super wet in the center, and now that you’ve opened the oven door, you risk the loaf collapsing in the middle, which is never desirable. I recommend waiting until at least 40 minutes to start checking for doneness. When checking for doneness, you’ll want to take a toothpick and stick it down the exact center of the loaf. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs, you’re good to take it out! If it’s still a little wet, put the loaf back in the oven, checking in 5-minute intervals for doneness.
ingredients and substitutions
For the pound cake:
All purpose flour: gives the cake structure.
Baking powder: helps the cake rise. It’s not in a standard pound cake but we’ll use it for a little extra lift to make it lighter since it will be frozen.
Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the batter.
Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the cake and adding flavor. You can substitute in salted butter, just be sure to omit the extra salt in the batter. You can also use your favorite dairy-free butter stick in it’s place.
Granulated sugar: for sweetening the cake and keeping it moist. The sugar also helps aerate the butter to give this cake its rise.
Eggs: for binding, moisture, and leavening.
Vanilla & lavender extract: for flavor. You can find lavender extract super easily on Amazon!
Buttermilk: adds moisture and makes the cake tender. I recommend full fat for the best texture.
For the wild blueberry compote:
Wild blueberries: I used and recommend frozen wild blueberries! You can use frozen or fresh regular blueberries in their place.
Sugar: we’ll use a little sugar to sweeten the compote.
Lemon: you’ll need 1 small fresh lemon for the zest and some of the juice to help brighten up the flavor of the cherry compote.
Corn starch: a little bit of corn starch helps thicken up the compote.
Ice cream: I used Tillamook’s Mountain Huckleberry ice cream, which is vanilla with swirls of tart huckleberry (the closest thing I could find to blueberry ice cream!) You could also use any plain vanilla or a lavender ice cream here as well.
For the lavender whipped cream:
Heavy whipping cream: the base of the whipped cream.
Dried culinary lavender: for infusing into the whipped cream. You could also use a bit of lavender extract here in its place.
Granulated sugar: just a little bit to lightly sweeten the whipped cream.
how to make blueberry lavender ice cream pound cake
blueberry lavender ice cream pound cake q&a
what size loaf pan do I need?
I used an 8×4″ metal loaf pan but you can also use a 9×5″. Just note that your pound cake may take a little less time to bake in a 9×5″ pan. I recommend against using a glass loaf pan but if that’s all you have on hand, note that the baking time may significantly increase.
can I double this recipe?
Of course! Just double all the ingredients and bake them in two loaf pans.
why do you measure in grams?
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
a note on oven temperature
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and aren’t always at the temperature they claim to be. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
tools and ingredients
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
did you make this blueberry lavender ice cream pound cake?
If you made this blueberry lavender ice cream pound cake I would love to see them and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!
Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream Pound Cake
Ingredients
Pound Cake
- 198 g unsalted butter room temperature (14 tbsp.)
- 200 g granulated sugar (1 c.)
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 80 g buttermilk room temperature (⅓ c.)
- 1 ½ tsp. lavender extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 210 g all purpose flour (1 ¾ c.)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
Wild Blueberry Compote & Filling
- 280 g frozen wild blueberries (2 c.)
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. corn starch
- 32 oz. vanilla ice cream 2 pints, softened
Whipped Cream
- 225 g heavy whipping cream (1 c.)
- 2 tbsp. dried culinary lavender*
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
Instructions
Pound Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter and line an 8×4" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl.) Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 4 minutes.
- With the mixer still running, beat in the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds before adding in the next egg.
- Beat in the buttermilk, lavender extract and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed just until the flour is completely incorporated.
- Pour the pound cake batter into your prepared loaf pan, and bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
- Let the pound cake come to room temperature before slicing. In the meantime, make the cherry compote.
Wild Blueberry Compote
- Add the wild blueberries, sugar, and lemon zest to a medium sized saucepan. Set the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture comes to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and corn starch. While constantly whisking the blueberry compote, pour in the corn starch slurry.
- Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, then remove it from the heat. Transfer the compote to a heat-safe container and place it in the freezer to cool down while the ice cream softens.
- 20-30 minutes before assembling, put the ice cream out on the counter.
Assembling the Cake
- Once the pound cake has come to room temperature, slice it horizontally twice to get 3 even pieces.
- *important!* Line the 8×4" loaf pan with plastic wrap to kind of form a hammock for the cake. This will make it way easier to pull the cake out of the loaf once it's completely frozen later on!
- Put the bottom layer of the pound cake into the loaf pan. Spread half of the icecream. Then, add on half of the blueberry filling and swirl it into the ice cream with a knife.
- Gently top it with the middle pound cake layer, then carefully spread the rest of the ice cream, and swirl in the remaining blueberry filling.
- Top it off with the top layer of the pound cake, and bring the plastic wrap from the sides up on to the top of the pound cake.
- Top with additional plastic wrap as needed to completely cover the pound cake. Place the cake in the freezer for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight before slicing.
Lavender Whipped Cream
- When you put the ice cream cake in the freezer, start infusing the cream. In a small container, stir together the heavy whipping cream and dried culinary lavender. Leave the mixture to infuse in the fridge while the cake is firming up in the freezer.
- Once your ready to make the cake, pour the cream through a fine mesh sieve into a medium sized mixing bowl to remove all the lavender.
- Add in the granulated sugar, and use a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) to beat the cream to soft peaks.
- Lift the ice cream cake out of the pan and place it on to a cutting board (You may need to wait 5-10 minutes for it to be soft enough to lift.) Top the cake with the whipped cream and additional blueberries.
- I'd recommend slicing the pieces you want right away, then letting them sit for 10-20 minutes to let it soften before eating. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.