London Fog Earl Grey Lavender Cake (Printable)
Delicate aromatic layers infused with Earl Grey tea and lavender, finished with creamy vanilla bean frosting.
# What You Need:
→ For the Earl Grey Lavender Cake
01 - 1 cup whole milk
02 - 3 Earl Grey tea bags
03 - 1 tbsp dried culinary lavender
04 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
06 - 1/2 tsp salt
07 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
08 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
09 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
→ For the Vanilla Bean Frosting
11 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
12 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 2 tbsp whole milk
14 - 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
15 - Pinch of salt
→ For Decoration (Optional)
16 - Dried lavender buds
17 - Lemon zest
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Heat milk in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat. Add Earl Grey tea bags and lavender, cover, and steep for 15 minutes. Strain and cool to room temperature.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
04 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
05 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract.
06 - With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with cooled tea-infused milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
07 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Smooth tops with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
08 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Beat until fluffy and smooth.
10 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with frosting. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost top and sides of the cake.
11 - Decorate with dried lavender buds and lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cake itself becomes a conversation starter, looking elegant but tasting like your favorite coffee shop order
- That moment when someone takes their first bite and their eyes light up because they recognize the London Fog flavors
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients matter more than you think, especially the butter and eggs
- Let the tea infused milk cool completely before adding it to the batter or you will end up with melted butter and a dense cake
03 -
- Use vanilla bean paste instead of extract if you want those gorgeous little specks in your frosting
- Chill the frosted cake for 30 minutes before slicing to get the cleanest layers