Today’s post is special because it has been requested by a dear reader of the blog. I made this Vanilla And Earl Grey Cake a couple of months ago when I was experimenting with naked cakes and different ways of decorating them for Styling magazine. Earl Grey is an all time favourite flavour of mine. Just by infusing one or two teabags of Earl Grey tea in milk or cream you end up with a refreshingly unique flavour that is slightly citrus, slightly spicy and mildly smoky. This unique flavour in Earl Grey tea comes from the presence of Bergamot which is a citrus fruit that looks like an orange with a yellow colour. The Earl Grey infused milk/cream can be used to make amazing desserts like this Chocolate Mousse or Panna Cotta and of course, to flavour buttercream. Now that’s a great flavoring agent, don’t you think? To make the Earl Grey shine in the cake, I stuck to good old vanilla for the cake layers.
I decorated the same cake in two ways and shot them twice. For the first one, I left the Earl Grey buttercream as is (white) and piped roses on one side of the cake. Then I removed the buttercream, tinted it pink with food colour and piped pink roses on the cake. To be honest, I didn’t think I would be posting this recipe or I would have shot a few different angles. But since you guys liked it (going by your requests and response on IG and FB)…it’s all yours! The magazine chose the first one, though I’ll confess I like this one a teeny bit more. You can see the first one in the current issue of Styling Magazine if interested. A cake is like a blank canvas for me…pick up your tools, choose your colours, settle on your garnishes and the sky is the limit!
Vanilla And Earl Grey Cake
Makes a 7 inch, 3 layered round cake
Earl Grey Buttercream
3 tbsp milk
2 Earl Grey tea bags
4 egg whites
1 cup castor sugar
300 g unsalted butter, room temperature
Preheat oven to 140°C. Grease 3 round 7 inch cake pans with melted butter and line the bases with non-stick baking paper.
Place the self-raising flour, plain flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs and vanilla essence in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric beater to beat on low speed for 30 seconds or until just combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is thick and all the butter is incorporated. Divide the mixture into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack until completely cool.
Once cooled completely, frost the cake. Place one layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread about half cup of frosting (recipe below). Place the second layer and repeat. Frost the top and sides of the cake.
To make the buttercream: Place the tea bags in a small heat proof bowl. In a small saucepan or a microwave, warm the milk until it reaches boiling point. Remove from heat and pour the hot milk over the tea bags. Let steep for 10 minutes. Squeeze out liquid from the tea bags (don’t over steep or the resulting flavour will be bitter). Cool to room temperature.
Place the egg whites and sugar in a large bowl that is placed over a saucepan of simmering water (over low heat), and whisk continuously, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the bottom of the bowl is warm to touch
Remove the bowl from the heat and whip on high speed until meringue holds stiff peaks and looks glossy. The bowl should have completely cooled by now.
Add the butter, 2 tablespoon at a time, until thick and fluffy. If it begins to look curdled, continue to whip until it comes back together, before adding in remaining butter.
When the buttercream has come together, add the Earl Grey infused milk and blend into the buttercream.
Dearest, dearest Sonali, THANK YOU! I am so excited, truly tickled to try this on the weekend! I think these flavors together are going to be delightful for our tea time. I really appreciate you sharing this recipe. I looked in several places for an Earl Grey buttercream, and none of them had remotely the same simple, lovely ingredients. MERCI MILLE FOIS! Enjoy! Anita
Your very welcome Anita! I am totally thrilled that you wanted to make this cake. Hope you like the taste as well:-)
I am so glad you did post it, love this ‘naked’ icing with the flowers. That is so creative! And very cool on using Earl Grey, I had no idea there was Bergamot in it.
Thanks dear Evelyne! I love naked cakes more than the perfectly frosted ones.
This looks so gorgeous! I’ve only tried tea in baked goods one time and I loved it so I don’t know why I haven’t done it more. This cake sounds delicious and your styling and photos are complete lovliness!
Tea is so versatile. I’s love to try out more variations. Thanks so much lovely:-)
Stunning. Just… wow. This cake is incredible, and the styling so lush. Perfection.
I am so glad you liked it. Thanks for stopping by:-)
Pinned!. It’s absolutely beautiful and somehow feels more doable due to it’s nakedness! Plus, Earl Grey <3
I agree Stephanie! Naked cakes are a lot more approachable. Thanks for pinning:-)
Gorgeous cake… and looks so delish! I have to try to infuse tea in my cake frostings next time.
Thanks dear Denise. And I have to try out the sweet potato cake:-)
This is absolutely stunning! Not that I would expect anything less. Your creations are always magical! I too love adding tea to recipes – I make a chocolate mouse with earl grey tea and it’s really great. I haven’t done that with panna cotta yet, but that’s got to be next on my list now!
You are the sweetest Liz! Thanks my dear:-)
I love Earl Grey and the notes of bergamot. I recently got a “cronut” and the month’s flavor was Earl Grey with a bergamot ganache…something like that…but picture the flavors of citrus and tea with this sort of lemon curd in the mix all wrapped around a croissant/donut shell. So good! This cake must be so tasty and looks fabulous!
OMG! i can totally imagine the flavours and the deliciousness of them together in the croissant. Thanks Monica.
Gorgeous as ever. I love how you adapt your photography to season – in the summer, it was all about fresh flowers, now you’re adapting your style to immortal flowers. Well done!
Thanks so much Oana! I love experimenting with new flavours and new looks.
Those are some beautiful buttercream roses. I just pinned this to my “Pretty Food” board, just lovely!
Thanks so much Nicole:-)
What a beautiful cake! Love the way you decorated it with the piped flowers, so pretty. And vanilla + earl grey is a fabulous flavor 🙂
Thanks very much June. It was just spontaneously done..I am delighted that you liked it:-)
You are such a talented baker, Sonali. I don’t think (well, I am sure) I can’t decorate the cake as remotely good as yours even though you give all of us such a wonderful recipe. That’s why I always come here to see your fantastic dessert. xoxo
I am touched that you think that way Pang:-) Thanks very much!
Your cake styling is honestly one of my absolute favourites out there – you always manage to make your cakes look SO heavenly (and I am sure that they taste it too!). The naked cake look is always beautiful, but your piped flowers just take it to the next level. Such a great idea to infuse it with Earl Grey tea bags too <3
Awwww…thanks very much Claudia for your sweet words:-)
Wow! This cake is gorgeous and I love the earl grey buttercream!
I’m obsessed with black tea so adding it to buttercream icing is taking my addiction it to another level! Can’t wait to try this. Beautifully dyed roses too, can you let me know what brand/colour food dye you used?
This cake is beautiful and thinking of attempting this weekend. Quick question, with the piping of the flowers down the side of the cake did you use anything to keep them in place, or just pipe directly onto the side and they stayed? Gravity seems to not want to play nicely 🙂
Oh! I am so sorry I missed the comment somehow:-(. I did a a very basic crumb coat first, then just before piping the roses did another light one to make the roses stay in place. I hope you try it!
Hi there,
Do you think this cake can be completed in one day or do you suggest in parts? This cake looks beautiful and tasty. Also have you tried to incorporate jam or preserves in between the layers?
Thanks!