Description
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.
Ingredients
- For the Earl Grey Cake:
- 3 tbsp (12 g) Earl Grey tea
- 1 tbsp (2 g) culinary lavender
- 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
- 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- For the Earl Grey Milk Soak:
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 2 tbsp (8 g) Earl Grey tea
- 1/2 tbsp (1 g) culinary lavender
- 1/2 cup (150 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- For the Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 tbsp (2 g) culinary lavender
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
- 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- purple food coloring (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9 inch light metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. Add the Earl Grey tea and lavender to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Pass through a sieve to remove large bits.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, Earl Grey tea, lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 minutes.
5. Add in the eggs and vanilla bean paste, then mix on medium speed until pale and smooth, about 1 minute.
6. Alternate adding the buttermilk and dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 38–44 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then lift it out and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
9. For the milk soak, heat the milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Add the Earl Grey tea and lavender, and steep for 15 minutes. Strain and let cool.
10. Stir the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla bean paste into the steeped milk mixture and set aside.
11. Pulse the lavender for the frosting in a food processor and sieve out large bits.
12. Beat the softened butter on high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
13. Add the cold cream cheese and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
14. Sift in powdered sugar, add ground lavender and vanilla, and beat until fluffy. Mix in food coloring if using.
15. Once the cake is fully cooled, trim the top layer and poke holes over the surface.
16. Slowly pour the milk soak over the cake, allowing it to absorb.
17. Frost the top with the lavender cream cheese frosting, slice into 16 pieces, and serve.
Notes
This cake is best made with fresh, high-quality Earl Grey tea and culinary-grade lavender for the most fragrant results. The milk soak provides a tender, almost tres leches-like texture, so let it absorb fully before frosting. For a natural lavender hue, use a light touch of purple food coloring or omit for a more rustic look.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 95mg