This Earl Grey lavender cake is light, moist and aromatic! It's filled and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting!
This Earl Grey and lavender cake is heavenly! A simple Earl Grey layer cake that will wow your friends and family!
After experimenting with unusual flavors in cake recipes, like my ouzo-spiked chocolate orange cake, I wanted to try something with lavender!
The sponge cake is a recipe by the famous chef, Brouno Albouze, and it's incredible.
My coworkers were the brave taste testers for this cake, and from all the rave reviews I got, I'm pretty sure this cake will become a favorite!
If you like lavender and tea, you will love this Earl Grey tea cake recipe!
Love cakes? Try my Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake, my Coffee and Walnut Loaf and my Pear and Chocolate Cake.
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Rave Reader Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
So irresistible...you'll definitely lick your plate clean.
- Steve
This is delicious!
- Nadira
One of the best cakes I've ever made! I think I'm going to attempt cupcakes - any tips?
- SA
Why this recipe works
- It’s easy. It might look complicated, but trust me, it really isn't. The step-by-step picture tutorial will guide you all the way!
- Only 1 baking pan needed. This recipe is simplified in that you don't need more than ONE 6-inch pan.
- It has a unique flavor combination. This cake is unlike any other flavor I've tried. Earl Grey tea and lavender are a perfect combination!
Ingredients for Earl Grey cake with lavender
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
- Eggs: I use 3 whole eggs.
- Sugar: I use regular, granulated sugar.
- Flour: I use all purpose flour.
- Earl Grey tea bags: I use 2 tea bags for the cake. I cut the top off and use the ground tea inside. Before starting, I suggest making sure the tea is finely ground. If it's not, you can grind it in a mortar and pestle or a food processor.
- Lemon zest: I use the zest from half a lemon. It really compliments the tea.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract.
Ingredients for Earl Grey lavender milk
- Milk: I use low fat milk, but you can use whatever you have at home. Keep in mind that plant-based milk might have a slightly different flavor.
- Lavender: You need dried culinary lavender for this recipe. You can find culinary lavender at most spice shops and online.
- Earl Grey tea bag: I use 1 tea bag for the lavender milk.
Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Sugar: For the frosting you'll need about 3 cups powdered sugar. It gives the frosting a smoother texture without being gritty.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter at room temperature.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract.
- Cream Cheese: You need full fat cream cheese to make the frosting thick.
- Salt: I use a tiny bit of salt to enhance the flavors.
Equipment you'll need
- One 6-inch cake pan that’s 3 inches deep (15 X 7.6cm)
- A hand mixer or a stand mixer
- An offset spatula
- Cake turntable (optional)
- A cake leveler (optional)
- A piping bag & 1M tip (optional)
How to make this Earl Grey Lavender Cake
There are 4 parts to this recipe:
- The sponge cake
- The Earl Grey lavender milk
- The cream cheese frosting
- Assembling the cake
Step-by-step instructions
First, make the sponge cake.
1. Using a hand mixer, beat the eggs for about 1 minute, just until they get frothy.
2. Then gradually add the sugar in 2 or 3 batches. Beat for 10 minutes, starting on medium speed and then slowly increasing to high. The cake batter will look very thick and will almost triple in volume.
3. After that, sift the flour into the sugar/egg mixture.
4. Then add the vanilla, the tea, and the lemon zest. Gently fold everything with a rubber spatula until just combined. Don’t overmix it because it will make the cake dense.
5. After that, pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Now, the cake is ready to be baked.
How to remove the cake from the pan.
1. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, run a small knife around the edge of the pan. This will help to loosen it. Then tap the pan on the counter 2-3 times.
2. Invert the cake onto your hand.
3. Then remove the pan. It will come off easily!
4. Remove the parchment paper and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it into 3 pieces.
TIPS FOR PREPARING THE CAKE LAYERS
- I like to refrigerate the cake once it cools for a couple of hours (or overnight) because it's a lot easier to slice.
- This sponge cake is 3 inches high, so I sliced it into 3 even pieces using a cake leveler. If you want, you can just slice it in half, instead. You can also level the top of the cake, if you prefer.
- I always use the bottom of the baked cake for the top layer when I assemble it because it's the flattest part of the cake.
Now it’s time to make the Earl Grey lavender milk.
1. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat it over medium heat, until it begins to simmer.
2. Then take it off the heat and add the lavender and the Earl Grey tea bag. Let it steep for 20 minutes.
3. Strain the lavender milk through a fine mesh strainer.
4. Then set it aside to cool.
Now it’s time to make the cream cheese frosting.
1. First, beat the butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until it’s fluffy. I start off on medium speed and then increase to high.
2. Then gradually add the sifted powdered sugar in three batches, beating continuously until it’s creamy. Scrape the side of the bowl as needed so that everything is well combined.
3. It should be thick and stiff.
4. Then add the vanilla, salt, and the cream cheese and continue beating on high, but just until everything is combined.
5. Swirl in the food coloring using a toothpick.
6. Then beat for a few more seconds until the color is fully incorporated.
Top Tip
It is hot where I live during the summer, so I put the frosting in the fridge until I'm ready to frost the cake. This also helps to stiffen the frosting a bit and make it perfect for piping.
Assembling the cake
1. After slicing the cake into 3 pieces, place one cake layer on a plate and brush some Earl Grey lavender milk over the entire surface.
2. Then add some frosting (about ¾ cup or 100g) and use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly to the edge.
3. Then repeat the process for the other 2 cake layers. After that, add a very thin layer of frosting on the top and sides. Put the cake in the refrigerator for half an hour.
4. Using the offset spatula, add a big dollop of frosting on the sides of the cake. Use the offset spatula to smooth the sides. Then add some frosting on the top and either smooth it out or make a big swirl like I did.
Finally, use the remaining frosting to pipe swirls around the cake. I used a 1M tip for all the swirls.
TOP TIP
The frosting is enough to frost the cake with lots of swirls all over. If you don’t want to decorate the cake with swirls, you can make half of the frosting, instead.
What does this Earl Grey lavender cake taste like?
This cake is very light and moist. The Earl Grey in the sponge cake is citrusy since there is bergamot in the tea, but the flavor is not too strong. The lavender gives the cake a light floral flavor without being overwhelming. Moreover, the cream cheese frosting is sweet and slightly tangy and it pairs well with the overall flavors.
Recipe notes
Storage Tips & Freezing Instructions
Cover the cake and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
I have successfully frozen this sponge cake without the frosting. Just wrap it well in plastic wrap and then wrap it in aluminum foil. You can keep it in the freezer for up to about 2-3 months, although I don’t freeze it longer than 2 months. I've never frozen it frosted, so I don't know how it would be.
Tips for success
- For a stronger lavender flavor, you can add more lavender to the milk and steep it for longer. If you'd prefer a subtler lavender flavor, just steep it for less time.
- If you want more of a lavender flavor, you could also use lavender tea in the sponge cake and some Earl Grey lavender milk in the frosting.
Frequently asked questions
Culinary lavender is lavender that is suitable for cooking and baking. Not all lavender is food grade. Culinary lavender is also known as English lavender or "true" lavender and it's commonly used in cooking.
You can buy culinary lavender from health food stores, spice shops and online stores. It is also available at some farmers markets, so you could also check if any local farmers in your area sell it.
Happy Baking!
~Voula
More delicious cake recipes to try!
Did you make this recipe? If so, please let me know how it turned out and leave a rating and review below! I'd love to hear from you! ❤️
Recipe
Earl Grey Lavender Cake
Equipment
- one 6 X 3 inch (15 X 7.6cm) pan
- hand mixer
- mixing bowls
- offset spatula
- rubber spatula
- parchment paper
- piping bag and tip (optional)
- cake turntable (optional)
- cake leveler (optional)
Ingredients
For the sponge cake
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ¾ cup all purpose flour (90g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon finely ground Earl Grey tea (or the contents of 2 Earl Grey tea bags)
- zest from half a lemon
For the Earl Grey lavender milk
- ½ tablespoon finely ground Earl Grey tea (or the contents of 1 Earl Grey tea bag)
- ½ cup milk (125ml)
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
For the cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter (250g)
- 3 cups + 1 tablespoon sifted powdered sugar, plus more if needed (400g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 7oz full fat cream cheese (200g)
- a pinch of salt
- lavender or violet gel food coloring (optional) I used Wilton violet gel icing color
Note:
For best results, please read through the full post before beginning the recipe.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- Butter the sides and bottom of the pan. Then line the bottom with parchment paper. There’s no need to line the sides. Set aside.
Make the sponge cake
- Using a hand mixer, beat the eggs in a large bowl for about 1 minute, until they get frothy.3 eggs, at room temperature
- Gradually add the sugar in 2 or 3 batches. Beat for 10 minutes, starting on medium speed and then slowly increasing to high. The cake batter will look very thick and will almost triple in volume.½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- Sift the flour into the egg mixture.¾ cup all purpose flour (90g)
- Add the vanilla, tea, and the lemon zest. Gently fold everything with a spatula until everything just combined. Don’t overmix, or it could become dense.1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon finely ground Earl Grey tea (or the contents of 2 Earl Grey tea bags), zest from half a lemon
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it for about 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- When done, allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
- Run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen it. Then tap the pan on the counter 2-3 times.
- Invert the cake onto your hand. Remove the pan by lifting it. It should come off easily.
- Remove the parchment paper and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
- Before assembling the cake, slice it into 3 even pieces.
Make the Earl Grey lavender milk
- Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat it over medium heat, until it begins to simmer.½ cup milk (125ml)
- Take it off the heat and add the lavender and the Earl Grey tea bag. Let it steep for 20 minutes.1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender, ½ tablespoon finely ground Earl Grey tea (or the contents of 1 Earl Grey tea bag)
- Strain the lavender milk through a fine mesh strainer. Set it aside to cool.
Make the cream cheese frosting
- Beat the butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until it’s fluffy. Start on medium speed and then increase to high.1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter (250g)
- Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar in three batches, beating continuously until it’s creamy. Scrape the side of the bowl as needed so that everything is well combined. It should be thick and stiff .3 cups + 1 tablespoon sifted powdered sugar, plus more if needed (400g), 7oz full fat cream cheese (200g)
- Add the vanilla, salt, and the cream cheese and continue beating on high, but just until everything is combined. Don’t beat longer than a few seconds as it could get runny. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add some milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the right consistency.
- Use a toothpick to swirl in a tiny amount of food coloring, if using.lavender or violet gel food coloring (optional)
- Beat for a few more seconds until the color is fully incorporated.
- Put the frosting in the fridge until you're ready to frost the cake. It will help to stiffen it a bit and make it perfect for piping!
Assemble the cake
- Place a plate on the turntable, if using. Place the bottom layer of cake on a plate and brush some Earl Grey lavender milk over the entire surface.
- Add about ¾ cup of frosting (about 100g). I often measure it out before I frost the cake to ensure that I have the same amount of frosting between each cake layer. Use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly to the edge.
- Repeat the process for the other 2 cake layers. Then add a very thin layer of frosting on the top and sides. Try to smooth the top and sides as much as possible. It’s OK if you see the cake through the frosting because this is just the crumb coat. Put the cake in the refrigerator for half an hour. You can leave it in the fridge longer, if you want.
- Using the offset spatula, add a big dollop of frosting on the sides of the cake. Use the offset spatula to smooth the sides. Then add some frosting on the top and either smooth it out.
- Put the remaining frosting in a piping bag and pipe swirls around the cake. I used a 1M tip.
- Store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Fold the dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture until just combined - overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Every oven is different, so baking times may vary. Check on the cake after about 35 minutes.
Steve
So irresistible...you'll definitely lick your plate clean.
Voula
It really is delicious!
SA
One of the best cakes I've ever made! I think I'm going to attempt cupcakes - any tips?
Voula
I'm so happy you loved it! Thank you for sharing!😊 I've never made cupcakes using this recipe-sounds great! I recommend using a cookie scoop to gently fill the cupcake liners—this helps keep all that lovely volume you worked so hard to achieve! Bake at the same temperature for about 20-25 minutes, or until they spring back when lightly touched. Let me know how they turn out if you give it a try! ❤️
Nadira Shaikh
This is delicious!
Voula
Thank you! It really is!