Inspired by the comforting flavors of Earl Grey and lavender, this cake transforms a popular tea latte into a soft, fragrant dessert with rich cream cheese frosting.
Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Yield | 16 slices |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Total Time | 1.5 hours (plus cooling) |
| Flavor Profile | Earl Grey, vanilla, lavender |
| Ideal For | Brunch, tea, gatherings |
Ingredients
Earl Grey Cake
- 3 tbsp Earl Grey tea (loose-leaf or from tea bags)
- 1 tbsp culinary lavender
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup buttermilk
Earl Grey Milk Soak
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp Earl Grey tea
- ½ tbsp culinary lavender
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 tbsp culinary lavender
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, cold
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- Purple food coloring (optional)
Equipment
- 9×9 inch light metal baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Electric mixer
- Food processor or spice grinder
- Fine mesh strainer or sieve
- Mixing bowls
- Offset spatula
- Cooling rack
- Saucepan
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Make the Earl Grey Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line your pan with parchment.
- Grind Earl Grey tea and lavender together. Sift to remove larger bits.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, ground tea/lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, cream softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until smooth and pale.
- Mix in dry ingredients and buttermilk, alternating between the two. Stir just until combined.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake 38–44 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 30 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack.
2. Prepare the Milk Soak
- Warm milk in a saucepan over low heat. Add Earl Grey tea and lavender. Steep 15 minutes.
- Strain out solids and cool the infused milk.
- Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
3. Make the Frosting
- Grind lavender finely and sift out large pieces.
- Beat butter on high speed for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add cream cheese and beat again until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, lavender, and vanilla. Mix until fluffy.
- Add food coloring if using.
4. Assemble the Cake
- Trim the top of the cooled cake to create a flat surface.
- Poke small holes across the surface using a skewer or wooden stick.
- Slowly pour milk soak over the cake. Let it absorb fully.
- Spread frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula.
- Slice into 16 squares and serve.
Tips for Best Results
- Use fresh, high-quality Earl Grey for the best flavor.
- Don’t skip the milk soak — it gives the cake its signature texture.
- Chill the frosting ingredients for better structure and easier spreading.
- Let the cake cool completely before assembling to avoid melting the frosting.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze unfrosted cake for up to 2 months. Thaw before adding milk soak and frosting.
Common Questions
Can I use tea bags instead of loose-leaf?
Yes. Cut open the bags and measure out the amount needed.
Is the lavender strong?
It’s subtle. You can reduce the amount slightly if you prefer a milder flavor.
Can I skip the food coloring?
Yes, it’s purely decorative.
Can this recipe be made gluten-free?
Yes, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute. Expect a slight change in texture.
Final Thoughts
London Fog Cake is a quiet kind of showstopper — full of flavor, gentle in sweetness, and deeply satisfying. It’s ideal for people who love baking with tea or want something unique for a gathering. Floral, warm, and smooth, this cake offers something a little different and a little memorable in every bite.
London Fog Cake
This perfect London fog cake is an extra soft and moist cake flavored with Earl Grey tea and lavender, soaked with sweet Earl Grey lavender milk and frosted with silky lavender vanilla bean cream cheese frosting. It’s so incredibly soft, packed full of Earl Grey and lavender flavor, with the most irresistible texture from the tea milk soak, almost like a tres leches, but not quite as wet. The most perfect tea cake!
Ingredients
Method
- For the Earl Grey Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9 inch light metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Add the Earl Grey tea and lavender to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Pass through a sieve to separate any large bits.
- 3 tbsp (12 g) Earl Grey tea,1 tbsp (2 g) culinary lavender
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, Earl Grey tea, lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.
- 2 1/4 cups (282 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled,1 1/2 tsp baking powder,1/4 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp salt
- Add the softened butter and granulated white sugar to a large bowl. Cream together for 2 minutes with an electric mixer on high speed.
- 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened,1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- Then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until pale in color and smooth, about 1 minute.
- 3 eggs, at room temperature,1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- Add in the buttermilk and dry ingredients a little bit at a time, mixing on low speed until all is combined and the batter is smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 38-44 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then pull up on the parchment paper to release it from the pan. Let the cake continue cooling on the cooling rack until completely cooled.
- For the Earl Grey Milk Soak
- While the cake cools, work on the Earl Grey milk soak. Add the milk to a small sauce pan and heat over low heat until steaming, then add in the Earl Grey tea and lavender. Allow it to steep for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat. Pass the mixture through a sieve and allow the milk to cool.
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk,2 tbsp (8 g) Earl Grey tea,1/2 tbsp (1 g) culinary lavender
- Transfer the Earl Grey milk to a liquid measuring cup or something you can easily pour from. Mix in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Set aside until ready to use.
- 1/2 cup (150 g) sweetened condensed milk,1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- For the Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the lavender to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Pass through a sieve to separate any large bits.
- 1 tbsp (2 g) culinary lavender
- Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and mix on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Then add in the cream cheese and mix on high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
- Sift in the powdered sugar, and add in the lavender and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined, then on high speed for 1 minute until fluffy again. Add in purple food coloring and mix until combined.
- 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar,1 tsp vanilla bean paste,purple food coloring (optional)
- Assembling the Cake
- When the cake is completely cooled, cut a very thin layer off the top of the cake off using a sharp knife. This will make it easier for the Earl Grey milk to absorb into the cake. Transfer it to a serving plate. Poke holes on the top of the cake using a wooden stick or the handle of a wooden spoon.
- (I used the handle of a honey dipper for smaller holes.)
- Slowly pour the Earl Grey milk mixture on top of the cake. It is thin so it should absorb into the cake and the poked holes easily, but do be patient as it does.
- Frost the top of the cake with a thick layer of lavender cream cheese frosting using an offset spatula. Then cut into 16 slices and serve!