This Earl Grey Cake is perfect for the tea lover in your life! Earl Grey infused cake layers paired with a silky vanilla bean buttercream.
There is nothing quite like having to call the fire department while you’re in the middle of making a cake. And no, this was not due to another incident with the kitchen torch. It actually had nothing to do with my baking at all (hah!), but it certainly made for a more eventful Thursday than I had planned.
It all started with an odd smell in the kitchen. I went in there late morning to start making the buttercream for this Earl Grey Cake and smelled this weird mechanical/chemical kinda smell (not gas). I thought maybe it was the landscapers with their various electric tool things (lol, I have no idea what they are called), but the smell didn’t dissipate after they left, and actually got stronger.
In typical Olivia fashion, I started to freak out, half-finished cake still sitting on the counter. I have a pretty wild imagination so I started picturing faulty wiring in the walls, smoking and starting an electrical fire (for real). Our place is 30 years old (we’ve only been here for a year) and has had some work done to it. Some of the stuff here has been DIY’d, and I have no idea what’s inside the walls.
Anyhow, due to fears of an electrical fire (lol, sigh), I went and turned off all of the breakers leading to anything in the kitchen. Sure enough, the smell faded away. This confirmed my fears that it was something electrical. So, naturally, I went to Google to see what to do. As always, Google is so helpful. No matter what you look up, you’re either dying or you’re going to die. Everything was like: “Get out of the house!”,”You’re gonna die!”, “Call the fire department”. So I did.
I had to psych myself up to do it though. The thought of a fire truck outside my door, neighbors gawking and wondering wtf was going on, I just didn’t want to deal with it. But I also didn’t want out place to burn down, so… I literally had an internal pep talk before I dialled the number.
Anyhow, the fire department arrives. I could hear their sirens as I was pacing the floor, wondering if somehow they could be discreet (lol). They checked stuff out as much as they could, using their heat sensor things, but couldn’t find anything. I was hoping they’d be like — ok, turn on each of the breakers one by one and we’ll see. Unfortunately, they said they weren’t qualified to assess that and that I’d need to call an electrician, but to leave all the breakers off. SIGH. At least I was assured that nothing was currently on fire? I guess?
So off I go to Google again to find an electrician who can come TODAY. ASAP. I was cringing at the amount I would be charged for this emergency visit. I get off the phone with the guy, who says he’ll be here in a couple hours, and turn the breaker for the fridge back on because, HELLO, I have a cake in there.
As soon as I get back upstairs I smell it again. It’s easy to get behind our fridge, so I pull it out and start smelling the outlet. LOL I am SUCH a freak/loser/whatever. I thought for sure it was coming from there, but then I hear a zap from the back of the fridge. Aha! My nose leads me to the bottom of the back of the fridge, where there is this grate, and that’s where the smell is coming from. Thank god. I was so relived it wasn’t something in the walls!!
I cancelled the electrician (yay!).
I didn’t realize at that point that the fridge had actually DIED. I thought it was just on its last legs and that we should probably look at buying one on the weekend. After the whole ordeal (and finishing this cake), I went into the freezer to get a popsicle (it was super hot that day). The popsicle was basically mush. Oh *&^%. The fridge is DEAD. Ooookay, so off I went to the appliance store (alone, Ryan was at work and the shop closes at 5:30pm, seriously) to buy one that day.
Thankfully they had one they could deliver on Saturday, so it wouldn’t be too bad. We put what we could into our (already packed and very small) second fridge/freezer, but there was still a lot left in the fridge. It was keeping things cool-ish as it died, but by Saturday morning when we opened it up, the air that came out of there was warmer than the air outside. Gross.
So, a bit of an ordeal and some food loss, but it all worked out in the end. And we finally have a new fridge, which I’ve wanted since the day we moved in. Now, let’s talk about this Earl Grey Cake, shall we? Because it’s a winner.
I’d had an Earl Grey Cake on my radar for a while now, but it seemed like more of a “Fall” type cake (cozy sweaters, warm tea, etc.), so I waited until it was closer to Fall season. The days are getting shorter and cooler (I’m actually wearing a sweater as I type this – insert happy face).
Earl Grey is traditionally a black tea that is flavored with bergamot (citrus). I say traditionally because you can now get rooibos and even green tea versions of Earl Grey. I prefer the traditional one, although mine has a bit of a twist too. My favorite is a Cream of Earl Grey which adds a hint of vanilla to the classic beverage. It really takes it to a whole ‘nother level of deliciousness. I used Cream of Earl Grey tea in the cake, but you can use any kind you like.
You don’t have to love tea to love this cake! Ryan is not a tea drinker at all, and he loved the unique flavor it has — though I will say that if you are not a fan of Earl Grey, it might not be up your alley. The Earl Grey tea is infused into the cake layers in many levels, so it is very prominent. I paired it with a simple vanilla bean buttercream to compliment the creamy Earl Grey flavors.
Tips for this Earl Grey Cake:
- If you don’t like Earl Grey tea, you can experiment with other tea flavors. I used Cream of Earl Grey for this cake.
- The Earl Grey syrup is optional (I forgot to add it even though I had it made), but it will enhance the flavor of the cake even more, and will add moisture.
- I used the tea leaves as garnish on the cake for the pictures, but do not recommend doing this as they are rather unpleasant to chew on!
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
Earl Grey Cake With Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Ingredients
Earl Grey Milk:
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp Earl Grey tea heaping, loose leaf
Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Earl Grey tea finely ground
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup Earl Grey milk room temperature
Earl Grey Syrup (optional):
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tbsp Earl Grey tea
Vanilla Bean Buttercream:
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Earl Grey Milk:
- Bring milk and tea to a boil in a small pot over med-high heat. Turn heat off and steep for 10mins. Strain and measure out 1 cup. Top up with milk if needed.
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, tea,and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and Earl Grey milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for approx. 35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow cakes to cool completely.
Earl Grey Syrup:
- Place sugar, water, and tea into a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 mins. Remove from heat, steep for 5 mins. Strain and cool completely.
Vanilla Bean Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot (160F) and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.** Add vanilla bean paste and mix until incorporated.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Brush with 2-3 Tbsp of the Earl Grey syrup.
- Top with approximately 2/3 cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20mins.
- Pipe rosettes on top of desired using a 1M tip.***
Notes
** The buttercream may look like it’s curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.
*** I used tea leaves as garnish on the cake for the pictures, but do not recommend doing this as they are rather unpleasant to chew on!
Leonie says
I ADORE this recipe!!! I’ve made it a few times now, and every time the reviews have been unanimous: amazing!! So moist, so easy, with such a unique flavour. It really is one of my favourites.
But I’ve been wondering, can the cake & buttercream be made a day in advance? If yes, what would be your recommendations for storage? Or would that be really bad for texture/taste? My mother has requested it for her birthday, but since I work full-time I won’t have time to bake it the day-of.
Olivia says
Hi Leonie! So happy to hear that you love it!! If it’s just a day in advance you can leave both at room temp (wrapped/covered in plastic wrap). The buttercream will need to be rewhipped before use to fluff it up again. Otherwise, if making further in advance:
For the Cake: Cool the layers, double wrap in plastic wrap, freeze for up to 3 mos. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
For the Frosting: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 week for freeze for 3 mos. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
Michelle Good says
Hey! I have 9 inch round pans… can I use that with this recipe or do I need to increase the quantity?
Olivia says
Hi Michelle! You should double the recipe for three 9″ pans.
Topaz Gillmore says
Hi, Can I just use the teabags of earl grey and open them and use the leaves inside?
Olivia says
Hi Topaz! Yes, that should be fine 🙂
Tara says
2 or 3” tall cake pans?
Olivia says
Hi Tara! Mine are all 2″ tall but 3″ will work fine too.
Caroline says
SUCCESS! I made this last night for a friend’s birthday party. Not overly sweet, moist, and full of great flavor.
I used 2x 8″ stainless steel cake rounds, and have a gas oven ended up baking them for about 40min after turning them halfway through. I also made homemade cake strips using wet paper towels and aluminum foil, and the folding trick to cut the parchment to fit the pans (I’ve never done either of these things so it was great to learn!). I bought brand new baking powder since the first round I made didn’t really rise and realized the BP was expired. Something else I did is separate the egg yolks amd whites amd beat the egg whites with a hand mixer in a separate bowl and folded them in with a spatula after the rest of the batter was mixed, just before pouring into the pans.
I used cake flour 1:1, however since this recipe has 1 cup of Earl Grey milk, next time I may use AP flour. I used regular tea bags to make the EG milk, which i let steep for about 20min (I wanted a very deep flavor) and a coffee grinder to grind the tea bag tea very finely. I used about a tsp and 1/2 just because I love that flavor. I spooned in the flour and didn’t pack it. The cake was full of flavor, and baked flat with the strips to a police golden brown color.
The frosting went well, I think. I wiped all my utensils and bowl with lemon juice before making the meringue. I whisked constantly when on the double boiler. I had to make a second amount because needed it to cover the cake and the half naked thing didn’t look good on my cake. But additional frosting was used to decorate the top of the cake. The frosting I found melted very quickly both times, so I added cornstarch to each batch, about 2 tbsp per batch, and the frosting didn’t taste starchy so it worked well! I could’ve added sugar, but trying to stay away from the extra sweetness, I didn’t have Royal Icing sugar to try either.
Icing the cake was a bit of a pain but I got it done after some time and garnished the cake with fresh strawberry slices. It was refrigerated overnight, and left outside (albeit in the shade) in 78° weather, for and 1 and 1/2 hrs before being eaten, and it held up well.
Moist and delicious, everyone raved about it. I will definitely be making this cake again. Thank you so much Olivia!!
Olivia says
Hi Caroline! Thanks so much for the amazing feedback and your detailed tips! So happy you loved it 🙂
Caroline says
Your recipe is fantastic! And I received rave reviews. Going to try some more of yours soon. Thank you again!
Olivia says
Please let me know what else you try! 🙂
Caroline Samaan says
Hi there!
Thos recipe looks soo good! am making this today, can I use cake flour, and do I meed to increase to 2 1/4 cup + 2tbsp?
Thanks in advance!
Caroline
Olivia says
Hi Caroline! You can use cake flour no problem. I would just swap it in one for one. The +/- 2 Tbsp won’t make or break it though 🙂
Caroline says
Thank you Olivia! I can’t wait to do this cake, I’ll let you know how it turns out 🙂
Olivia says
Please do! I can’t wait to hear about it 🙂
Diana says
Hi!
Can I use non dairy milk for the early grey milk?
How would modify the ingredients to fit two 8 inch pans? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Diana! Yes, non-dairy will work totally fine. The recipe as is works in two 8″ pans. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe by increasing the Servings to 18. Changing the Servings to 16 leads to easier numbers though so I would recommend that if you don’t mind slightly thinner layers 🙂
Diana says
Wow!!! I made this cake for my daughter’s graduation since we are huge earl grey tea fans….we absolutely loved this cake! It didn’t last long in our household! I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing this recipe💕
Olivia says
Hi Diana! Thanks so much, I’m so glad you all loved it 🙂
Chris says
Hi,
May I check if this csjd can be made 1 week in advance and keep in freezer before use.
Pls advise.
Thanks
Chris
Chris says
* this cake.
Btw can I use normal grinder to grind the tea leaves to be added into the cake batter?
Olivia says
As long as the grinder makes a powder it should be fine. You can sift it as well to get rid of any larger chunks.
Olivia says
Hi Chris! Yes, you can make and assemble the cake and freeze for at least a week (properly wrapped) or make each component separately and freeze those:
For the Cake: Cool the layers, double wrap in plastic wrap, freeze for up to 3 mos. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
For the Frosting: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 week for freeze for 3 mos. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
Christina says
Thank you very much for your helpful advice!
Simplesweetpleasures says
if i wanted to change the all purpose flour to cake flour, would the measurement still be the same amount or slightly more? if more, what’s the relative % to all purpose flour?
Olivia says
Hi there! It should be fairly similar, I would just swap it one for one.
Lily says
Is there a way to use vanilla in liquid form instead of paste? Thanks! Excited to try this!
Olivia says
Hi Lily! Yes, you can swap it 1 for 1 with liquid.
Annie-Claude says
This cake is DEVINE! I just made it yesterday as a test for a cake I have to make next week, and everyone loved it. I used homemade cake strips for the first time (tea towel and foil), and I think I kept too much water in the tea towel because the cakes looked soggy after I took them out of the oven, so I left the simple syrup out. But I added the buttercream and left it in the fridge overnight, and it turned out great. It’s a dense and moist cake, which is exactly what I needed to support a heavy cake topper. I followed the instruction closely for the swiss meringue buttercream and it came out perfect too. The only modification I made was the addition of a layer of raspberry filling between each layer, and it was really nice fit. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Annie- Claude! Thanks for the awesome and detailed feedback! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂
Evangeline says
Tried making this today. It tasted amazing! I love the flavour and lightness of the cake. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is easy to follow and very yummy.
Olivia says
Hi Evangeline! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂
Lyssa says
This cake turned out absolutely beautifully. The flavor is warm and delicate, and the frosting is perfectly light. My whole family raved about it! Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Lyssa! So happy everyone loved it, thanks for the feedback 🙂
Lyssa says
Can I also ask, if I wanted to make this a 2 layer cake with 8” or 9” pans, would I need to change the bake temp or time? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Lyssa! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html Baking temp would stay the same but timing could differ.
Sasha says
Hi!
Making this recipe soon and was wondering if you have any tips on what to do if I only have 1 6-inch pan? Should I refrigerate the batter in between layers, or leave it on the counter?
Also, I was wondering if Oat milk or any other non dairy milk would work in the earl grey milk part of the recipe! Many thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Sasha! Ideally, you’d bake all of the layers at the same time. You can try 1/3 the recipe and do that three times. Otherwise, you can try to chill the remaining batter. I haven’t tried that so I can’t guarantee the results. Any other milk will work just fine! 🙂
Thea says
I signed up just so I could leave a comment. I made this cake for my birthday this past Thursday, and it was honestly the best cake I’ve had. It took me a while to make because I wanted to follow everything exactly, and I’ve never made this type of buttercream before, but it was totally worth it. The texture was perfect, and the buttercream balanced both the flavor and texture amazingly. The only edit I made was to add lavender in with the earl grey tea as I brewed the milk. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I’ll definitely make it again.
Olivia says
Hi Thea! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment, I really appreciate it! So glad you loved this cake and happy belated birthday to you 🙂
E Ju says
Tried this today. Cake turned out fine, I didn’t continuously mix it with the mixer when adding the eggs, milk and flour, so texture was great! Moist enough, (I still used the earl grey syrup, but even without, it was moist), not too dense.
Only thing, it was just too sweet. Sweet upon sweet. The Earl Grey flavor came out nicely, but I had to modify both the batter (before baking I usually taste the batter first) and buttercream due to the sweetness, by adding around 1/2 teaspoons of salt each.
I recommend using Salted or Semi Salted butter instead for this recipe, if the sweetness is too much. I added very few chopped blueberries as well to balance some flavors, and it turned out great.
Olivia says
Hi there! Thanks for your feedback. I don’t find the cake too sweet myself, but it’s definitely a matter of preference. You could skip the simple syrup to cut some of the sweetness out or try a German buttercream instead that has a very subtle sweetness.
Mabel says
Hello hello! Super stoked to try out your recipe for the upcoming mother’s day.
However, i wanted to know if i could bake the cake in a pan all together and then level it into layers?
I don’t own a few cake pans in the same size – and plan on making three of these for some special ladies in my life, so baking each layer one by one with a single cake pan sounds quite terrifying, if i were to be honest! Heading out to buy a few more isn’t really an option either due to the lockdown measures in my country, sadly.
Another question would be whether I could directly triple the recipe, so I don’t have to create the batter again after one is done?
Thank you so much in advance!
Olivia says
Hi Mabel! You’d need a very tall pan to bake all of the cake batter at once, or a very large one. I would make and bake each recipe one at a time. Batter should be baked right away. I hope this helps!
Min says
Hi Olivia,
My cake turned out dense and moist. I followed the recipe closely except for (1) 1 cup brown sugar (as opposed to 1.5 cup sugar) and used a (2) 8″ x 8″ pan. I also spoon my flour as advised instead of using the cup to scoop the flour. What could have gone wrong? Could it be this is meant for 3-layer cake so i should bake in 2/3 batches (my oven is tiny)? I’m a novice so hasnt attempted how to make buttercream. Thank you so much for your advice! So many positive reviews, and i hope to try it again.
Olivia says
Hi Min! Dense cakes are often due to overmixing the batter once the flour is added. However, I prefer my cakes on the denser side (but not too dense). This is not a light and fluffy cake recipe 🙂
Violet says
Just wondering but on average how many cupcakes do most of your recipes make?!
Olivia says
Hi Violet! It depends on the recipe and the size you make your cupcakes but most should make about 18-24 🙂
Rachel Lew says
hi!! I love earl grey tea and was excited to try it! But my cake turned out to be very mushy and dense 🙁 i duno what went wrong. Also if i want to make cupcakes, how full should i fill it to? And how long should i bake it at the same temp? Sorry i have so many questions!
Olivia says
Hi Rachel! Sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you! Is it possible that the cake was underbaked? That’s the only thing I can think of that would cause a mushy texture. Otherwise, overmixing the cake batter can cause cakes to be dense. I recommend mixing on low when adding the flour and only till just incorporated.
For cupcakes, fill the liners about 2/3 full and check them at 15mins or so. Same temp 🙂 Let me know how they turn out!
Rachel Lew says
Hi! Can i replace butter with oil? Just so maybe the cAke will be more moist?
Olivia says
Hi Rachel! I wouldn’t fully replace it but you can swap half of it out if you like.