I was asked to make a lemon poppy seed cake for work. I knew I wanted to make it a cake I would be excited about, so I decided to do a lavender buttercream frosting: lavender goes super well with lemon, it’s a unique flavor, and I personally enjoy florals. However, I also knew that I didn’t have the time or energy to make a cake from scratch on a Monday night, so I took a couple of shortcuts.