Chamomile HoNEY cake with yogurt, jam, and berries
A gentle, grain-free cake built around brewed chamomile tea, almond flour, coconut flour, and raw goat yogurt — topped with fresh berries and a quick honey-chia berry jam. Soft, lightly floral, naturally sweet from the berries themselves. The kind of afternoon cake that nourishes rather than spikes.
Yield: 8–10 servings · Active: 25 min · Total: 1 hr 15 min · Spring into summer (peak berry season: May–September) · Cuisine: Modern grain-free, European-inspired
A note from the kitchen
Chamomile is one of those quietly profound herbal traditions — used in European, Middle Eastern, and South American home cooking for centuries to gently calm the nervous system, support digestion, and signal the body that rest is welcome. Brewing it strong into a cake batter (instead of just water or milk) is a structural way to bring herbal nervine support into a baked good — the gentle apigenin compounds in chamomile carry through the bake and become part of what the cake does.
The cake itself is grain-free, refined-sugar-free, and built on three ancestral foundations: almond flour (mineral-dense, fat-rich), coconut flour (high-fiber, absorbent), and real raw goat yogurt (probiotic, easier to digest than cow dairy for many people). The eggs hold everything together and provide complete protein. The olive oil or grass-fed butter adds richness. The berries on top provide natural sweetness and brightness without any added refined sugar.
— Anna aka Food Marshall
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 cup coconut flour (sifted to remove lumps)
1 cup almond flour or finely ground almond meal
1 cup Greek-style raw goat yogurt (or sheep or cow yogurt — see sourcing)
1 cup strong chamomile tea (brewed double-strength — see method)
6–8 large pasture-raised eggs (start with 6; add 2 more if batter is too dense)
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil OR melted grass-fed butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of sea salt
For the topping:
1–1½ cups fresh berries (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries — or a mixture)
For the berry jam (one type or a mix):
2 cups fresh berries
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp raw honey (or to taste)
1 tbsp chia seeds (optional — adds thickness)
For serving (optional):
A dollop of raw goat yogurt or fresh whipped raw cream
Fresh chamomile flowers or edible flowers (rose petals, calendula, lavender) for garnish
A small drizzle of raw honey
Fresh mint leaves
Method
Brew the chamomile tea strong. Steep 4 chamomile tea bags (or 3 tbsp loose dried chamomile flowers) in 1¼ cups boiling water for 8–10 minutes. Strain. Let cool slightly. You want exactly 1 cup of strong brewed chamomile.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (180–200°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or 9x9-inch square pan with olive oil or butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Make sure there are no lumps.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs (start with 6), goat yogurt, brewed chamomile tea, olive oil (or melted butter), and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until well combined. The coconut flour is very absorbent and will thicken the batter quickly. Let the mixture rest 5 minutes — this allows the coconut flour to fully hydrate.
Check the consistency. The batter should be thick but spreadable — closer to a dense quick-bread batter than a runny pourable cake batter. If it's too dry or stiff, add 1–2 more whisked eggs and stir in. If you've already added all 8 eggs and it's still too dry, add 2–4 tbsp more yogurt or chamomile tea.
Transfer to the pan. Pour or press the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
Top with fresh berries. Scatter 1–1½ cups fresh berries across the top of the batter, pressing them gently into the surface. They'll sink slightly as the cake bakes.
Bake. Place in the preheated oven and bake 35–45 minutes, until the cake is deeply golden on top, springs back gently when pressed in the center, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). The exact time depends on your oven and how many eggs you used.
Cool slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan 15 minutes before slicing. The cake firms up as it cools.
Make the berry jam (while the cake cools). In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the 2 cups fresh berries, lemon juice, and raw honey. Mash gently with a fork as the berries warm. Simmer 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy. Remove from heat. If using chia seeds, stir them in now — they'll continue to thicken as the jam cools. Taste and adjust honey if needed.
Serve. Cut the cake into squares or wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature with a generous spoonful of berry jam over the top, a dollop of raw goat yogurt or whipped raw cream, and a sprinkle of fresh chamomile or edible flowers if you have them.
Variations
With lavender: Add 1 tsp dried culinary lavender to the chamomile brew. Adds a soft floral note that pairs beautifully with the chamomile.
With rose: Steep 1 tbsp dried rose petals with the chamomile. Even more floral, gently aromatic.
With lemon zest: Add the zest of 1 lemon to the wet ingredients. Brightens the whole cake and amplifies the berry topping.
Layer cake version: Bake in two 8-inch round pans (reduce bake time to 25–30 minutes). Stack with a layer of whipped raw cream and berry jam in the middle. Becomes a dinner-party showpiece.
Mini cakes / muffins: Pour the batter into a 12-cup muffin tin lined with parchment liners. Top each with 2–3 berries. Bake 20–25 minutes.
With orange blossom water: Replace the vanilla with 1 tsp orange blossom water. Mediterranean-leaning, beautifully fragrant.
Dairy-free variation: Substitute coconut yogurt (homemade, or store-bought without gums and stabilizers) for the goat yogurt. The cake will be slightly less protein-rich but still works.
Lower-fat variation: Reduce olive oil to ¼ cup and increase yogurt by ¼ cup. Slightly less rich but still moist.
Different herb teas: Substitute lemon balm, lavender, hibiscus, or rooibos for the chamomile. Each tea brings its own subtle flavor and herbal properties.
Quick Sourcing
Raw goat yogurt (or sheep, or cow): For the best quality, look for raw or minimally pasteurized yogurt from grass-fed animals. Best sources:
Redwood Hill Farm (goat yogurt, California-based)
Bellwether Farms (sheep yogurt, exceptional quality)
Alexandre Family Farm (A2/A2 Jersey cow yogurt)
White Mountain (sheep yogurt)
Local farmers' market or herd-share programs
realmilk.com for raw options where legal
Avoid commercial yogurts with stabilizers, gums, or added sugar.
Coconut flour: Bob's Red Mill, Anthony's Goods, Terrasoul Superfoods, or Nutiva organic. Sift before measuring to remove lumps.
Almond flour: Bob's Red Mill (super-fine), Anthony's Goods, or King Arthur. Look for blanched, finely-ground almond flour (not coarse almond meal — unless you specifically want a more rustic texture).
Pasture-raised eggs: Vital Farms pasture-raised, Alexandre Family Farm A2/A2, Happy Egg Co., or local farmer sources. The deeply orange yolks indicate real foraging.
Fresh berries (peak season May–September): Local farmers' market or organic CSA. Heirloom varieties when possible. Off-season, frozen organic berries work for the jam (thaw before using).
Dried chamomile flowers (loose): Mountain Rose Herbs (organic, single-origin), Frontier Co-op organic, Starwest Botanicals. Look for whole flowers with bright color and strong scent — not dusty crumbs. Or use 4 high-quality chamomile tea bags (Traditional Medicinals, Pukka, or Numi).
Raw honey: Local raw honey from a small beekeeper — beeswax-capped, unfiltered, unheated. Local honey carries pollen from your region (supports seasonal allergy adaptation). Sources: farmers' market, Wedderspoon manuka, Really Raw Honey.
Pure vanilla extract: Real Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract from Singing Dog Vanilla, Heilala, or Nielsen-Massey. Avoid imitation vanilla.
Grass-fed butter (if using): Vital Farms, Organic Valley Pasture Butter, Kalona Organic. Or imported European butter (Beurre d'Isigny, Lurpak Pastor, Kerrygold).
Extra-virgin olive oil (if using): A milder, fruitier olive oil works best in baking — McEvoy Ranch (California), Brightland, or any single-estate first-cold-pressed. Avoid the peppery, intensely-grassy olive oils for sweet baking.
Chia seeds: Anthony's Goods organic, Nutiva organic, or Navitas Naturals. Look for black or white chia, organic.
Edible flowers (for garnish): Local farmers' market vendor specifically labeled food-grade, or grown at home (chamomile flowers from the garden, calendula, nasturtium, rose petals, lavender).
Sea salt: A fine sea salt for baking — Maldon, Selina Naturally Celtic, or Real Salt. Avoid table salt.
Storage
The cake keeps refrigerated 5 days, sealed in a glass container. The texture firms up slightly when cold but softens when warmed gently in a low oven for 5 minutes. Freezer up to 2 months — wrap individual slices in parchment paper, then in a sealed bag.
The berry jam keeps refrigerated 1 week, sealed in a small glass jar. Excellent on grain-free toast, yogurt, oatmeal, or pancakes throughout the week.
Pairs Well With
For afternoon tea: More chamomile tea (or rooibos, lavender, lemon balm) served warm, or a small glass of fresh-pressed lemonade with mint. The cake is gentle enough that pairing it with a similarly gentle beverage feels right.
For breakfast or brunch: A larger slice with a generous spoonful of yogurt and the berry jam. Adds protein and probiotics. Pairs beautifully with a small bowl of soft-boiled pasture-raised eggs and a cup of strong organic coffee or high-quality matcha for a complete grain-free breakfast.
Why This Cake
Chamomile is one of the great underappreciated herbs in modern home cooking. Most American kitchens know it only as a bedtime tea — but its gentle nervine and digestive properties carry beautifully into baked goods, where it lends a soft floral character that no other herb quite matches. Brewing it strong and using it as the liquid in a cake batter is structurally a way to bring herbal medicine into everyday eating.
This cake is built on the same principles that anchor real ancestral baking: real fats (olive oil or butter from grass-fed cows), real eggs (pasture-raised, with substantial yolk-fat content), real fermented dairy (raw or minimally pasteurized yogurt), and real fresh fruit for natural sweetness. The grain-free flours (almond, coconut) provide structure without the blood sugar disruption of refined wheat. The honey adds just enough sweetness to support the berries' natural sugars without dominating.
Make it in summer when the berries are at their peak. Make it in autumn with figs and pears. Make it in winter with frozen berries and a touch of orange zest. It's the kind of cake that adapts to whatever season you're in.
Honor the ingredients. The rest takes care of itself.
Recipe inspiration: The original plant-based version of this cake comes from Rêve en Vert's editorial archive. This version rebuilds the structural idea with ancestral animal proteins (pasture-raised eggs, raw goat yogurt) for an omnivore-friendly grain-free cake. Credit and gratitude to the original recipe creators.