Earl Grey makes a curious addition to this frosted sponge cake, but its subtle bergamot aroma adds an elegant flourish. You’ll taste the syrup in each layer.
Earl Grey Cake
Published on Nov. 11, 2024
This Earl Grey cake recipe makes the most of the floral, citrusy notes you get from the late Queen Elizabeth’s favorite tea. Unlike full-bodied, tannin-rich black teas, Earl Grey is clean and fresh on the palate. That makes it delicious in an Earl Grey tea cake, which is already quite rich and sweet from the frosting.
It’s one of the surprising recipes you can make with tea and a relatively easy one at that. You actually use some of the tea leaves in the cake mix, which gives the soft, spongy cake layers some extra texture and flavor. Brushing the cake with the syrup infuses the layers with flavor (and keeps it moist).
Ingredients for Earl Grey Cake
Simple Syrup:
- Sugar: Use regular white sugar so that it dissolves quickly and cleanly.
- Earl Grey tea bags: These will infuse the water and sugar with their fragrant aromas of bergamot.
Cake:
- Milk: Use 2% or full-fat milk according to taste to carry the Earl Grey flavor.
- Earl Grey tea bags: Some tea bags are used to steep in the milk, but one is minced and added to the cake mix.
- Butter: Use softened unsalted butter to build a smooth cake batter.
- Sugar: Regular white sugar gives the batter its sweetness.
- Eggs: Use yolks and whites at room temperature to thicken the cake mix.
- Vanilla extract: Apart from the tea, this is the other prevailing aroma in this fragrant cake.
- Flour: Regular all-purpose flour is fine to give the cake mix its volume.
- Baking powder: A little baking powder helps the cake mix rise in a relatively short time.
- Salt: Balances the other flavors in the mix.
Frosting:
- Butter: This must be softened (at room temperature) and is ideally unsalted.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla in the frosting makes every bite start with a tropical twist.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Fine confectioners’ sugar gives a thick, spreadable frosting with a lot of sweetness.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the baking tins
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line bottoms of two round baking pans with parchment paper and grease with butter.
Step 2: Simmer the syrup
In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a simmer for one to two minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes then discard the tea bags. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: Infuse the milk with tea
In another small saucepan, bring milk to a low simmer, add tea bags and steep for 10 minutes.
Discard the tea bags and set the tea-steeped milk aside to cool. Remove loose tea leaves from one of the tea bags and finely mince.
Editor’s Tip: Bear in mind that Earl Grey doesn’t give as rich and dark a color as most teas, so don’t panic if your milk still looks milky as the minutes tick away.
Step 4: Mix the cake layers
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for five to seven minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. In another bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, reserved minced tea leaves and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, thinning the mixture as you go with the tea-steeped milk and beating well. Pour the cake mix evenly into the two prepared pans.
Step 5: Bake and cool the cake
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool in pans 10 minutes before removing the layers to wire racks. Remove the parchment and cool completely.
Step 6: Make the frosting
In a small bowl, beat softened butter and vanilla extract until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
Step 7: Assemble and finish the cake
Brush each layer with Earl Grey syrup and coat the top of the middle layer with frosting.
Stack layers on top of each other then spread the top and sides with remaining frosting. Slice and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Honey lemon syrup: Adding honey and lemon to the simple syrup brings out the citrus flavors without overpowering the Earl Grey.
- Blueberry filling: Boil fresh blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch for a tangy filling that really keeps the cake moist.
- Lemon curd filling: Try your own lemon curd recipe as an alternative filling for variety.
How to Store Earl Grey Cake
The simple syrup glaze does lock in moisture, so you can leave the cake at room temperature for up to a week. Beyond that, transfer to an airtight container (or cover with parchment) and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
Can you make Earl Grey cake ahead of time?
Keep layers wrapped in the freezer, where they’ll be good for up to eight months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before covering with syrup and frosting. You can also prepare the frosting a day ahead. Keep it refrigerated and allow it to come up to room temperature for easy spreading.
Earl Grey Cake Tips
Can I use any type of tea?
We’ve chosen Earl Grey because it’s light, aromatic and carries a certain mystique in the name. But you can use any black, green or flavored tea or chai as a substitute. Just don’t use anything you wouldn’t drink as a beverage and you shouldn’t be disappointed.
How do I check that my cake is done?
The easiest way to check doneness is to insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, your cake is ready for cooling. Another way to test is to press the top of the cake with your finger. If your finger doesn’t break through the surface, and the sponge bounces back, it’s cooked inside.
What else can I make with Earl Grey?
For an Earl Grey-themed afternoon tea, pay full homage to the 18th-century aristocrat with Earl Grey cookies or an aromatic Earl Grey panna cotta that’s delicious with fresh summer berries.
Earl Grey Cake
Prep Time
35 min
Cook Time
25 min
Yield
16 servings
Ingredients
- SIMPLE SYRUP:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- CAKE:
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 3 Earl Grey tea bags, divided
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- FROSTING:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon 2% milk
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment.
- For simple syrup, in a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a simmer until sugar is dissolved, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat; add tea bags. Steep 10 minutes; discard tea bags. Set aside to cool.
- In another small saucepan, bring milk to a low simmer. Add 2 tea bags; steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Set tea-steeped milk aside to cool. Remove loose tea leaves from third sachet, finely mince.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, reserved minced tea leaves and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with tea-steeped milk, beating well after each addition. Pour into prepared pans, dividing batter evenly.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely.
- For frosting, in a small bowl, beat butter and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.
- To assemble cake, brush each layer with earl grey simple syrup; top middle with 1/2 cup frosting. Stack layers on top of each other; spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Slice and serve.
Nutrition Facts
1 slice: 439 calories, 22g fat (13g saturated fat), 89mg cholesterol, 171mg sodium, 59g carbohydrate (44g sugars, 0 fiber), 4g protein.
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