Coming back from China, I had ambitions to use tea in baking all the time. After my stint with Pu’er Tea Muffins, I felt like I had just unlocked a whole new flavor. I also thought that I was suddenly a tea drinker and refilled my personal teapot maybe 3x a day.
Since junior year started, I have had coffee more regularly than I ever had in my life, and did not touch any of the Pu’er I brought back.
I wanted a more ambitious baking project this weekend, so I decided to bake a layer cake infused with earl grey tea, courtesy of my roommate’s semester abroad in London. Don’t be put off by the number of components or steps! It is very manageable and logical. Oh, and the end result is 100000x worth the effort.
I took the cake recipe from Liv for Cake, where Liv includes an earl grey syrup is optional. I am telling you that the syrup is absolutely not optional; the cake is already delicious, but this elevates it to a new level. It give it a delicate sugar crunch, infuses the entire cake with moisture, and increases the earl grey tea flavor.
The filling of this cake was perhaps the best example of how I bake. I didn’t think I had enough cream cheese frosting to cover the cake and I wanted to add a flavor other than earl grey, so I decided wanted to make a fudge filling. We had just ran out of sugar and I didn’t want to buy or use up any chocolate (chocolate is expensive!!), so I decided to use some Swiss Miss instant hot chocolate packets I found.
It turns out that butter, Swiss Miss, and cornstarch turns into a pretty good, not-too-sweet, fudge-ish spread.
I am not sure I would recommend it over actual chocolate fudge, but if you ever find yourself in a bind, go for it!
Cake inspired by livforcake; all else is my own
Earl Grey Tea Cake
1 1/2 c milk
3 earl grey tea ba
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp loose-leaf earl grey tea
1 tsp salt
3/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup earl grey milk room temperature
Earl Grey Syrup
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c water
1 tbsp loose-leaf earl grey tea
Earl Grey Cream Cheese Frosting
1/3 c milk
2 earl grey tea bags
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 c granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Fudge Filling
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 individual packets Swiss Miss hot chocolate
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp instant coffee
pinch salt
1/3 cup hot water, or as needed
Earl Grey Milk
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds and line with parchment.
- 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.
- 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.
- While the cake is still warm, brush generously with Earl Grey Syrup.
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.
Earl Grey Cream Cheese Frosting
- Heat milk in microwave for 30 seconds, add tea bags and let steep
- Mix cream cheese and butter until fluffy, 3 minutes
- Add sugar, tea milk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add more sugar or milk until you get a spreadable texture.
Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Fudge Filling
- Whisk all ingredients together until thick and glossy. If it gets grainy, add 1/3 cup hot water.
Cake Assembly
- Make earl grey tea milk, earl grey tea cake, and syrup. Add the syrup on the cake while it is still warm.
- While cake is cooling, make the cream cheese frosting and fudge filling.
- When cake is completely cooled. add half of the fudge filling on top of the bottom, ugliest layer. Put the second-ugliest/least-flat layer on top. Add the second half of the fudge filling.
- Spread cream cheese frosting on top and around entire cake.
- Sprinkle loose-leaf earl grey tea leaves and brown sugar on top.
All parts of the cake can be made the night before.
