This Earl Grey Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting is the perfect cake to warm you up as the weather starts to cool off! With the perfect Earl Grey flavor, the cake will make a tea lover out of anyone!
Why You’ll Love…
You’ll love how easy this Earl Grey Cake comes together! It’s the perfect cake batter to whisk together and pop in the oven! It’s perfectly infused all delicate earl grey flavor without being overpowering! The vanilla whipped cream frosting is the perfect light and airy frosting to pair with the delicate cake!
Earl Grey Tea
For this cake recipe, I like to use Earl Grey tea bags since that’s typically what I have in my pantry! I recommend using whatever form of tea you are most comfortable with, so if that’s loose-leaf tea, use that instead!
You can also use whatever kind of tea you already have in your pantry, so if you want to use black tea, chai, English breakfast, all would work deliciously in this cake! This is supposed to be a simple cake recipe infused with the perfect about of tea flavor, so feel free to use whatever tea you have on hand!
If chai is your preferred tea of choice, be sure to check out my Browned Butter Chai Cookies! They have the perfect chai flavor balanced out with the rich and nutty flavors of browned butter! Trust me, you won’t be able to get enough!
Substitutions and Additions:
This Earl Grey Cake is delicious all on it’s own, but I have a few different additions and substitutions to add this cake to take it to another level! See which one you would try today:
Vanilla Bean Paste: If you wanted to increase the vanilla flavor and make the whipped frosting extra special, you could substitute vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste or even whole vanilla bean pods! The little specks of vanilla make this frosting seem extra fancy!
Frosting Types: If whipped cream frosting isn’t your vibe, you also use cream cheese frosting or buttercream! You can also switch up which flavors you want to use for your frosting! You could do vanilla bean buttercream or add some cinnamon or other spices to really enhance the flavors of this cake! I like the idea of the whipped frosting to mimic the delicate foam you would get if you ordered a London Fog, but you can use whatever your favorite frosting is! It’s a perfect spin on a London Fog Cake!
Add Some Crunch: From nuts to dried fruit, you can add a few mix-ins to the cake or just the top the frosting with a few crushed nuts to add the perfect crunch to pair with the creamy whipped frosting and moist cake!
Equipment Needed:
Large Mixing Bowl – I have a glass set of mixing bowls that I use all the time when baking! I love that they come in multiple sizes so I can use a medium bowl or a large bowl depending on how much dough/batter I’m working with!
Rubber Spatula – Because this recipe uses oil instead of butter, it’s a really easy recipe to stir together! I like to take my time and gently stir everything together! Of course, you could also use a hand mixer or a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Round Cake Pan – I like to use an 8 or 9-inch cake pan for this recipe! If you wanted to bake this a two-tier cake you could use 2 6-inch cake pans and that would work as well!
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Ingredient List:
See Recipe Card for Full Details
Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1. Steep Earl Grey tea bags in warm milk. Set aside.
Step 2. Combine the wet ingredients in a large bowl by mixing together eggs, oil, and sugar. Then add in tea-steeped milk and Greek yogurt.
Step 3: Whisk in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
Step 4. Pour cake batter into parchment-lined cake pan and bake in preheated oven until golden brown.
Storage Instructions:
If you aren’t going to serve the cake right away, I recommend waiting to frost the cake until you’re about ready to serve! I recommend letting the cake cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and storing at room temperature. When ready to serve, whip up the whipped cream frosting to stiff peaks and dollop on top of the cake to serve!
Helpful Tips and Tricks
When it comes to cakes, I like to make extra sure that my cake isn’t going to stick to the pan when it’s baking! I like to do a two-step process that involves a piece of parchment paper and nonstick spray. I like to spray the nonstick spray on the bottom of the pan and use a pastry brush to gently brush around the sides of the pan! Then I cut the parchment paper into a circle and lay that on the bottom of the pan. The spray helps the parchment paper stick down when you’re pouring in the batter! This is my fool-proof way of ensuring your cake slides right out of the pan!
You can heat the milk up in two different ways for this recipe! I’ve tested both and both work just as well! You can use a small saucepan and pour the milk in! When its warm and just about to start steaming, remove from heat and add the bags! The second option is pouring the milk into a measuring cup (that’s microwave-safe) and then heating in the microwave in 30-second increments until it’s perfectly warm! Either option works, however, the microwave is the quicker option!
This is an easy cake recipe to throw together without needing any fancy equipment! This Earl Grey cake is perfect to make when the weather starts to cool off, but you’re not quite ready for pumpkin spice to hit your house yet! It’s a perfect cake to make and experiment with other tea flavors and frostings! It’s an easy to customize cake that’s perfect for any occasion or dinner party! Try out this cake today and be sure to have a slice during your next afternoon tea with a cup of hot tea in your hands and warm blanket to cuddle with!
Cheers!
-Holly Michelle
Earl Grey Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting
Equipment
- 9-inch Cake Pan
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Oil
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tablespoons Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 cup Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 2 bags Earl Grey Tea
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 1 pint Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan and layer with parchment paper on the bottom.
- In a small measuring cup, add in milk. Put in the microwave for 30 seconds, until slightly warm. Add in tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes.1/4 cup Milk, 2 bags Earl Grey Tea
- In a large bowl, add sugar, eggs and oil. Mix everything together until smooth.1/3 cup Oil, 3/4 cup Sugar, 2 Eggs
- Then strain out tea bags and add milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract into the wet ingredients.2 tablespoons Greek Yogurt, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- After the wet ingredients are fully mixed, add in flour and baking powder.1 1/2 cup Flour, 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- Gently pour in the batter and smooth out the top.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is a nice golden color.
- Let cool while you make the whipped cream.
Vanilla Whipped Cream:
- Pour heavy cream into a large bowl and whip until soft peaks form.1 pint Heavy Cream
- Then add in powdered sugar and vanilla extract.1/2 cup Powdered Sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Whip until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- To assemble the cake, add large dollops of the frosting to the top, then swirl around until it just hits the edge.
- Serve and enjoy!
