For the Love of Earl Grey

This Earl Grey Tea Cake with vanilla bean buttercream is rich, floral, and citrusy—perfectly paired with our vibrant Classique Chardonnay.

This recipe is a blend of a few we admired—after a trial run, we amplified the Earl Grey to bring forward its floral and citrus notes throughout this rich, buttery cake.

It’s easily adapted as an afternoon tea cake: bake it in a bundt pan and finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar. For more moisture and depth of flavor, try brushing it with a simple Earl Grey syrup. Or, for something more decadent, finish it with a delicate layer of vanilla bean buttercream.

For our version, we tripled the recipe and used 3″, 8″, and 10″ springform pans lined with parchment. Each round was halved to create six layers in total. We kept the frosting light—what’s often called a “naked” cake, though ours leaned more semi-naked. Achieving this half-dressed style takes a little patience (and a few helpful YouTube tutorials), plus a pastry bag, a sturdy offset spatula, and a bench scraper.

We served ours with a glass of our Classique Chardonnay—its citrus lift and creamy texture made for an elegant and harmonious pairing.

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Recipe

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MILK INFUSION

  • 1 1/2  cups whole milk
  • 3-4  tea bags Double Bergamot Earl Grey tea

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE

  • 2 1/4  cups all purpose flour
  • 2        teaspoons baking powder
  • 1        teaspoon loose Double Bergamot Earl Grey tea, finely ground
  • 3/4    tablespoon salt 
  • 3/4    cup butter at room temperature 
  • 1 1/2  cups granulated sugar
  • 3       large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 1/2  teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 1       cup Earl Grey-infused milk, cooled

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

  • 1/2     cups butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2  teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 2        cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted 
  • 2        tablespoons milk

INGREDIENTS FOR THE EARL GREY SYRUP, OPTIONAL

  • 1/2    granulated sugar
  • 1/2    water
  • 2       tea bags Double Bergamot Earl Grey tea
  • 2       tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the milk and tea bags to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Grease and flour two 9″ cake rounds and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, finely ground tea, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Reduce the speed and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla bean paste.

Alternately add the dry ingredients and the Earl Grey-infused milk in batches, mixing just until incorporated. Do not overmix.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool. Once cool to the touch, remove from pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Add your personal touch with desired decor!

Earl Grey Tea Cake with Buttercream Frosting and flowers