London Fog Earl Grey Cake (Printable)
Tea-infused sponge layers with silky vanilla frosting and aromatic bergamot notes.
# What You Need:
→ Earl Grey Cake
01 - 1 cup whole milk
02 - 4 bags Earl Grey tea or 2 tbsp loose leaf
03 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
04 - 2 ½ tsp baking powder
05 - ½ tsp salt
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
08 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ London Fog Syrup
11 - ½ cup water
12 - ½ cup granulated sugar
13 - 2 bags Earl Grey tea
→ Vanilla Bean Frosting
14 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 2 tbsp whole milk
17 - 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
18 - Pinch of salt
→ Garnish
19 - Dried edible flowers
20 - Lemon zest
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Heat the milk until steaming without boiling. Add Earl Grey tea bags and steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags and allow milk to cool completely to room temperature.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
04 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon zest.
05 - With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with cooled Earl Grey milk in two additions. Begin and end with flour mixture. Mix only until just combined to avoid overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Smooth tops with spatula. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes before carefully turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
08 - In a small saucepan, bring water and granulated sugar to a simmer. Add Earl Grey tea bags and steep for 10 minutes. Discard tea bags and allow syrup to cool completely.
09 - Beat softened butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with whole milk, beating until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla bean paste and pinch of salt until fully incorporated.
10 - Level cooled cake layers if necessary. Brush each layer generously with cooled London Fog syrup. Spread frosting between layers, then apply a thin crumb coat over the entire cake. Chill for 15 minutes, then finish with remaining frosting.
11 - Decorate with dried edible flowers and fresh lemon zest if desired. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing for clean, professional cuts.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The Earl Grey infusion creates this sophisticated floral citrus aroma that makes the whole kitchen smell like an upscale tea shop
- That vanilla bean buttercream is obscenely good and you might find yourself eating it straight from the bowl
- The tea soaked syrup keeps every layer impossibly moist for days which is rare for layer cakes
02 -
- That Earl Grey milk must be completely cold before adding it to your butter mixture or the butter will seize into tiny unappetizing lumps
- Do not skip the syrup step because it is what transforms this from a regular vanilla cake into something that genuinely tastes like a London Fog latte
- Chilling the finished cake for thirty minutes makes it so much easier to slice cleanly without dragging frosting everywhere
03 -
- A kitchen scale makes dividing batter evenly between pans foolproof but you can also use a measuring cup to scoop equal amounts
- Room temperature ingredients are non negotiable for that light fluffy crumb so take everything out of the fridge at least an hour before you start