London Fog Earl Grey Cake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Earl Grey Cake

01 - 3 tablespoons (12 g) Earl Grey tea leaves, finely ground
02 - 1 tablespoon (2 g) culinary lavender, finely ground
03 - 2 1/4 cups (282 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 140 grams (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
08 - 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
09 - 3 large eggs, at room temperature
10 - 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
11 - 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

→ Earl Grey Milk Soak

12 - 120 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk
13 - 2 tablespoons (8 g) Earl Grey tea leaves
14 - 1/2 tablespoon (1 g) culinary lavender
15 - 150 grams (1/2 cup) sweetened condensed milk
16 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

→ Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting

17 - 1 tablespoon (2 g) culinary lavender, finely ground
18 - 224 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
19 - 226 grams (8 oz) cream cheese, cold
20 - 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar, sifted
21 - 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
22 - Purple food coloring, optional

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease a 23x23 cm light metal baking pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - Place 12 grams of Earl Grey tea and 2 grams of culinary lavender in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground and sieve to remove coarse bits.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk flour, ground tea and lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
04 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed for 2 minutes until pale and creamy.
05 - Add eggs and vanilla bean paste to the mixture. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute until the mixture is smooth and light.
06 - Alternately add buttermilk and dry ingredient mixture to the bowl, mixing on low speed just until smooth. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure an even batter.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 38–44 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre emerges clean.
08 - Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Lift out using parchment and allow cake to cool completely on the rack.
09 - While cake is cooling, gently heat the milk in a small saucepan over low until steaming. Add Earl Grey tea and lavender, then steep for 15 minutes off the heat. Sieve to remove solids and cool the milk to room temperature.
10 - Transfer infused milk to a measuring jug. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla bean paste. Set aside until needed.
11 - Pulse 2 grams culinary lavender in a food processor, then sieve to remove larger parts. In a bowl, beat softened butter at high speed for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add cold cream cheese and beat 1 minute more until fluffy.
12 - Sift in powdered sugar, then add ground lavender and vanilla. Mix on low speed to incorporate, then beat on high for 1 minute. If desired, add purple food coloring and mix until even.
13 - Once cake has fully cooled, trim a thin layer from the top using a sharp knife. Place the cake on a serving plate. Use a wooden stick or the handle of a spoon to poke holes all over the cake’s surface.
14 - Slowly pour the Earl Grey milk soak over the cake, allowing it to absorb evenly through the perforations.
15 - Spread lavender cream cheese frosting thickly over the top using an offset spatula. Slice into 16 pieces and serve.

# Notes:

01 - Ensure the cake is completely cooled before adding the milk soak to promote even absorption and prevent excess crumbling.
02 - Lavender should be culinary-grade and ground fine to avoid a gritty texture in both cake and frosting.

Back