Earl Grey Tea Layer Cake
This Earl Grey cake is flavoured with tea throughout. The cake layers are made with ground Earl Grey tea and lemon zest, the frosting is infused with instant Earl Grey tea (from freeze-dried Earl Grey tea), and the cake is decorated with Earl Grey tea leaves with pretty blue corn flowers.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 417kcal
Ingredients
Earl Grey cake ingredients
- 250 grams bleached all-purpose flour
- 10 mL baking powder
- 1.25 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- 5 grams finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves
- 173 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 250 grams granulated sugar
- 15 mL finely grated lemon zest
- 3 large egg(s) room temperature
- 5 mL pure vanilla extract
- 188 mL whole milk (3.25 % fat) room temperature
Earl Grey frosting ingredients
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 21 grams bleached all-purpose flour
- 7.5 mL instant Earl Grey tea crystals I used Guilin Dynasty brand
- 188 mL whole milk (3.25 % fat)
- 42 mL whipping cream (35 % fat)
- 173 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- loose leaf Earl Grey tea
Instructions
To make the cake layers
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Butter, flour, and line with parchment three 6-inch cake pans (Wilton on Amazon)
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then whisk in the Earl Grey.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar with the lemon zest for several minutes until it is well blended, creamy, and light.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for several minutes between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl every so often. The mixture should be super light in colour and very fluffy.
- Add the vanilla.
- Add one third of the flour mixture, mix it in on low speed, then half the milk. Continue with half the remaining flour and the last of the milk. Scrape down the bowl sides and then mix in the last of the flour.
- Divide the mixture between the three pans, banging the pans to release any air pockets. Smooth the surfaces of the cakes with an offset spatula and bake them for about 25 to 28 minutes.
- Let the cakes cool 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the frosting
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, and instant tea powder, then whisk in the milk and the cream.
- Heat the mixture on medium-high heat, whisking fairly often, especially when the mixture comes to a boil. I heated this mixture for a total of 11 minutes until it was super thick and gooey.
- Strain through a sieve into the bowl of a mixer, working it through with your whisk, then beat the mixture to cool (this takes a long time) with the paddle attachment.
- When you are sure the sweet tea mixture is completely cooled, add in the butter in dollops, while mixing on low, then when all the butter is added, increase the speed to medium-high and whip the frosting until it is light and fluffy.
- Level the cakes with a serrated knife, then place the first layer on a cake stand. Top with a couple spoonfuls of frosting (~70 grams) and smooth it out. Stack on the second cake layer and another 70 grams of frosting, then top with the final layer and frost the sides and top with the last of the frosting.
- Decorate with a ring of loose-leaf Earl Grey tea before serving.
Notes
- This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
- Makes one 6-inch layer cake
- Calories calculated based on one-twelfth of the cake+filling+frosting
- For the finely ground Earl Grey tea, I used Twinnings (find it on Amazon)
- For loose-leaf Earl Grey with blue cornflowers, try this one on Amazon
Nutrition
Calories: 417kcal
