Lemon–Chamomile Cloud Cake
Here’s a dreamy, floral-forward Lemon–Chamomile Cloud Cake—a delicate sponge soaked in chamomile syrup, layered with lemon crème fraîche cream, and swirled with lemon–chamomile curd. It’s ethereal, aromatic, and perfect for spring or tea rituals.
Inspired by Lil Cupcake Monkey’s version, this recipe balances citrus brightness with calming herbal depth.
🌼🍋 Lemon–Chamomile Cloud Cake
🍰 Cake Batter
- 240g cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 175g granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 120g salted butter, softened
- 60ml canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 60g plain yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
🌼 Chamomile Syrup
- 180ml water
- 100g sugar
- 4 tsp dried chamomile flowers
🍋 Lemon–Chamomile Curd
- 120ml lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 egg yolks
- 80g salted butter
- 100g sugar
- 1 tsp chamomile syrup (optional)
🍶 Lemon Crème Fraîche Cream
- 240ml crème fraîche
- 125ml whipping cream
- 50g icing sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
🧁 Instructions
- Infuse Chamomile Syrup
Simmer water and sugar, then steep chamomile flowers for 30 minutes to overnight. Strain and cool.
- Make the Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Cream butter, oil, lemon zest, and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in yogurt and vanilla. Sift in flour and baking powder. Bake in two 6" pans for ~40 minutes. Cool.
- Make Lemon–Chamomile Curd
Cook lemon juice, zest, yolks, sugar, and butter over a double boiler until thick (170°F). Stir in chamomile syrup if using. Strain and chill.
- Make Crème Fraîche Cream
Whip cream and crème fraîche until soft peaks. Add icing sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Chill.
- Assemble
Poke warm cakes with a skewer and soak generously with chamomile syrup. Layer with crème fraîche cream and swirl in lemon–chamomile curd. Top with more cream and curd swirls.
- Garnish
Decorate with fresh chamomile flowers, lemon curls, or edible petals.
This cake is a poetic canvas for wild infusions—think lemon balm, elderflower, or fermented citrus peel. Want to build a seasonal matrix around floral–citrus cakes or adapt this for wildcrafted botanicals? I’d love to help you sketch that out.