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!
Priscilla says
Hi Liv, I made this recipe last week. Two questions for you: (1) My buttercream came out really glossy, like it was melting (but it didn’t, it just looked like it could melt). It wasn’t overly hot over here and my butter was at room temp (maybe veering on being colder than room temp). Any ideas on what I could have done wrong or how I could fix it next time?
(2) the flavor of the cake was lovely, and when they came out of the oven, they looked like they were the right texture. I left the cakes in their tins overnight but the next morning when I went to decorate, the cakes had deflated and looked quite dense and wet in the middle (but it was still cooked through). Any clues on what might have happened there?
Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Priscilla! Without seeing a picture of the buttercream, to me it sounds like it was maybe too warm? You could try putting it in the fridge for 20mins then rewhipping. Regarding the cake shrinking – is it possible the batter was overmixed or the cakes were overbaked? Those can both cause cakes to shrink in size once they’re cooling. If you cool the cakes in their pans they will keep cooking until the pans cool. I recommend removing the cakes from their pans after 10mins.
EH says
Please help! I’m going to use two 8×2″ round cake pans tomorrow. Do I need to change the temperature or cooking time? I read in a comment that this recipe will work for two 8×2″ pans. And how much batter should go into each pan?
Olivia says
Hi EH! The recipe will work fine for two 8″ pans and the baking time should be similar. Pour half the batter into each pan. I use a scale to make sure it’s precise but it’s not necessary.
Kay says
Hi, this cake tasted delicious but i just had 1 issue. I baked this cake on 2 separate occasions but both times the cake turned out a bit dense and not as fluffy as i thought it would be. Would you know what i may be doing wrong? I did bake the cakes the night before, cooled them then wrapped them and kept it on the counter.
Olivia says
Hi Kay! My cakes tend to be more on the dense side rather than light and fluffy, but it shouldn’t be too dense. Overly dense cakes can be from overmixing the cake batter once the flour is added — it develops too much gluten.
Kay says
Oh thanks for the reply! I didnt know it would be a bit dense.
Shelly Cao says
I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday and it was delicious! I didn’t end up using any simple syrup but the cake was still moist the next day. Also, I didn’t have 6″ round pans but there was the perfect amount of batter for two 8×8 square pans.
Olivia says
Hi Shelly! Thanks for the feedback! I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
Lars says
I tried this with a black keemun quince tea, and I think that’s a mistake; I think it needs the edge a good earl grey has; the velvety smoothness from the quince tea got a little overwhelmed by all the Other goodness in here.
I found myself with a bowl of mixed batter and three 25cm (10″) cake pans and had to think fast – I found three glass ‘tupperware’ bowls from ikea turned out to work Just fine as cake pans, and the cake turned out overall well.
The buttercream was a little overwhelming though.
Today I’m making the same cake layers, with the quince – it’s my signature tea – substituting a raspberry fromage for the buttercream. And have really high expectations (o:
Olivia says
Hi Lars! Thanks for the feedback!
Eden says
Can I use buttermilk instead of milk for the tea milk?
Olivia says
Hi Eden! For best results use milk.
C.J. says
Hi Liv,
I made this cake for my dad’s birthday back in July and everybody loved it. Still, I’m such a perfectionist that I want to make it again, for my birthday this week, so I can work on some things that I think went wrong the first time.
So here’s my question. I used salted butter for the buttercream (it was the only type they had at the grocery shop, and with lockdown and everything you just gotta make lemonade with the lemons you’ve got haha). So, I really liked the salty flavour it added to the cake overall but at the end of the day, it felt a little too buttery flavoured for my taste. I followed your recipe proportions to the t, so I wonder if it maybe was the type of butter I used that made the cake so buttery?. If not, how can I tone down the butter flavour but still achieve that creamy texture for the buttercream?
Cheers from Santiago, Chile.
Olivia says
Hi C.J.! Be sure to really whip the buttercream once the butter is added. It is more buttery tasting than an American buttercream, but it shouldn’t taste like you’re eating a stick of butter! You could also reduce the butter to 1 cup, but that would mean less buttercream overall.
C.J. says
Thank you so much! I’ll try to whip the buttercream more, like you said.
This is the best cake ever <3
Priscilla says
Hi Liv, this looks like the perfect cake to bake for my friend’s 40th next weekend! I am currently not at home (where all my lovely baking tools are) and have only one 6” cake pan to use (buying more is not an option in my situation). Can I make the cake batter, divide the batter into 3 portions, and then bake each layer one after the other in the oven (I know, it will be so time consuming)? I didn’t know if letting the batter stand and not bake straight away would affect the cake texture. Also, while a layer of cake is baking in the oven, how should I store the batter? Does it need to go in the fridge while I wait? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Priscilla! Ideally, you’d bake the cake layers all at once as it will affect the texture of the other two. I don’t think it would be a disaster, just not ideal. Be sure to refrigerate the unused cake batter until it gets baked. Let me know how it turns out!
Chynna says
Hi Priscilla! I’m also hoping to make this but only have one 6″ pan. How did you go with yours? Would love to hear all about it! Thanks so much. x
valerie says
Hi Liv, i was wondering if i could make one layer with a 9 by 3 pan how would i change the measurements for the cake?
Olivia says
Hi Valerie! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Austin says
Hello!
I can’t eat dairy, and I’m trying to figure out how to use an alternative for the frosting. Would you recommend palm fruit shortening or ghee or lard? Please let me know! Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Austin! Only real butter will work for this frosting, but you can try one of these with butter alternatives:
https://livforcake.com/simple-vanilla-buttercream/
https://livforcake.com/ermine-frosting/
Ayla Ramji says
Hi,
How should I store this cake(already frosted) if I was serving it the next day?
Olivia says
Hi Ayla! It will be fine on the counter overnight, but the frosting will be quite soft. I like to refrigerate my cakes and take them out 2-3 hours before serving.
Ayla Ramji says
Thank you!! Do I need to wrap the cake if I refrigerate it?
Olivia says
No, it should be fine unless you have something particularly smelly in the fridge. The buttercream can pick that up.
Alix says
Hi! Does this cook the same if I were to use GF flour??
Olivia says
Hi Alix! I haven’t tried it with GF flour but the baking time should be similar.
Jen says
I made this cake awhile back and it tasted delicious! The cake itself was fluffy and not too sweet and paired lovely with the buttercream.
I’m wanting to make this cake again and was wondering what adjustments I would need for three 9 inch pans instead of three 6 inch ones.
Olivia says
Hi Jen! So happy you loved it 🙂 Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html Based on that I would double the recipe (change the Servings to 24) for three 9″ pans.
Austin M says
WOW! This cake was so fantastic!! My partner wanted this cake for his birthday so I gave it a try, Yeah it was a little work and I’d never made a buttercream that way, but everything comes together so light and there is even a brightness in it from the tea I assume? I don’t know but this recipe is 100% a keeper.
I made the cake on a Monday in two 9 inch cake tins instead of three 6 inch, let it cool a bit before taking it out of the cake tin then let it cool completely before wrapping it up tightly in saran wrap then putting it in the fridge. I made the buttercream on Wednesday and took the cake out, frosted and everything no problem. The cake kept perfectly fine in the fridge so it was much less hassle than trying to cook everything the day of.
Olivia says
Hi Austin! Thanks for the amazing feedback. I’m so glad you loved it!
Anastasia says
I was thinking of doing that as well (the pan conversion). Did it turn out allright? or was it too short?
Thank you!
Nancy says
Hi Liv,
This was my first recipe that I have tried from your blog and it definitely will not be the last!
I love anything earl grey and this for sure hit the spot. You can definitely smell and taste the earl grey.
I made this cake for my cousin’s birthday and it was such a hit!
I plan on making this again – but I read in another post of yours that adding sour cream can make your cake more moist. Do you think I can do so with this recipe? Maybe 2 tbsp?
Thanks for providing such a tasty earl grey recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Nancy! I am so happy you loved this one. I think 2 Tbsp would be fine and won’t hurt the recipe, but a great way to add moisture is to add Simple Syrup to the baked cake layers. This helps especially if the cakes are overbaked and a bit dry. Here’s some more info: https://livforcake.com/simple-syrup-recipe/ I can’t wait to hear what you try next! 🙂
Marissa says
Hello! Was just wondering how I should adjust the ingredient measurements if I want to use a 4 inch cake tin and make 2 layers instead of 6 inch?
Thank you! 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Marissa! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html I know that half a recipe makes three 4″ layers.
Poonam says
Omg! I just made this cake in preparation for my 10yr Wedding anniversary. First off I have to say cake strips are amazing. First time using them and I’m in love! Second, I made my layers a little thinner so I could make a few cupcakes to try it out first and it tastes delicious!!!!!! I can’t wait to use the earl grey syrup and frost it with my blackberry Italian meringue buttercream and fresh berries. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Poonam! I’m so happy you love it! And yay for trying the cake strips 😀 I swear they are the most used thing in my kitchen.
Jury says
Hi there, can I use handheld mixer in this recipe?
Thank you in advance!
Olivia says
Hi Jury! It will work fine for the cake but be a challenge for the frosting. See this post for more details.
Catherine says
Look forward to making this this week! Question: on the buttercream, can I use liquid egg whites instead of fresh egg whites?
Olivia says
Hi Catherine! I have not had success with carton egg whites myself — the meringue won’t whip up properly. See this post for details.
Yvette Choy says
Hi! Can I use almond flour in place of all-purpose flour? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Yvette! Not completely. You can replace some of it though. I would recommend 1 1/2 cups AP flour and 3/4 cup AF.