Earl Grey Tea Cake
Lily & Loaf
10-12 Slices
1 hours
30 minutes
450
Dessert
Cake
This elegant Earl Grey tea cake is infused with loose-leaf tea throughout, creating a fragrant sponge with gentle citrus notes. Flavoured with finely ground Earl Grey and fresh lemon zest, then layered with a delicately infused Earl Grey icing, it’s a refined bake ideal for afternoon tea or special occasions.
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 250g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 teaspoons finely ground Earl Grey loose leaf tea
- Pinch of Salt
- 175g butter
- 250g caster sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100ml whole milk
Icing Ingredients
- 150g caster sugar
- 20g plain flour
- ½ teaspoon finely ground Earl Grey loose leaf tea
- 200ml milk
- 40ml single cream
- 175g butter
Directions
To Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Grind the Earl Grey tea leaves using a pestle and mortar until fine.
- Grease a 6-inch cake tin with butter.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then whisk in the ground Earl Grey tea.
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the lemon zest.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add one-third of the dry ingredients and half the milk, mixing gently. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for around 30 minutes.
- Once cooled, remove from the tin and slice into three layers.
To Make the Icing
- In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour and ground Earl Grey tea.
- Gradually whisk in the milk and cream.
- Heat gently over a medium heat, whisking frequently, until thick (around 10 minutes).
- Strain through a sieve and allow to cool completely, whisking occasionally.
- Once cool, beat in the butter until the icing is light and fluffy.
- Layer the cake with icing between each tier, then cover the top and sides.
