Tea in Your Cake Instead of Your Cup

Written by Kaeleigh James

For a moment, it was summer. But that moment has passed and Oregon Spring is back. So naturally, I baked a cake. Because what better inspires one to indulge in a baking extravaganza than dreary grey skies, the almost imperceptible sound of a light rain, and fat water droplets sliding down your windowpanes? The obvious answer is a chocolate cake with an earl grey buttercream. Because why drink your London fog when you can eat it?

For those of you in the dark on the majesty of a London fog, it’s an earl grey tea with a touch of vanilla and honey for sweetness in a bath of foaming milk (hence the fog). When I say majesty I mean majestical. If the cake version of this cosy drink feels a bit too laborious I won’t be disappointed if you settle with a homemade frothy London fog instead.

With that said, let’s talk about cake and frosting and cake with frosting. The cake part of this was a breeze. What I love about this recipe is that it uses oil instead of butter which means no additional butter softening time. Though the cake doesn’t use any, the buttercream does so get it out when you begin the cake and place it beside your preheating oven. It should be just right by the time you’re ready to move onto the frosting. Making the buttercream is where things get exciting. You start by infusing butter with tea leaves. Yeah. Think about that. You’re a chef now. I really wonder why I haven’t been doing this my whole life. I could’ve been spreading flavored butter on my toast for the past 20 years. Now I know.

I’ll be honest, by the time I finished this elaborate process, my cake did not pass the English bakery window display test but it tasted just fine. I get impatient once the frosting step comes around and I never let my crumb coat set long enough. Now, enough about my own problems...below you’ll find the recipe, plenty of pictures, and a few tips for success. I wish you the best of luck in your baking ventures and I hope your cake turns out to be fit for Queen Elizabeth II herself.

Just your average chocolate cake

• butter or nonstick cooking spray, for the pans

• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to sprinkle the pans

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons grape-seed oil, or whatever kind you have lying around

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

• 1 and 1/2 cups milk

• 1 cup hot, strong-brewed coffee

  • It doesn’t have to be hot but you know *shrug*

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.

2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

3. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes. With the mixer on, add the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.

*Not everyone has almond extract on hand but I highly recommend it for added flavor and future recipes.

1. Turn the mixer on low and alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl once you’re finished. With the mixer on low, pour in the coffee. Mix just until combined.

2. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let them cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before removing the cakes from their pans.

A not so classic but rather exciting & adventurous earl grey buttercream

• 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/4 cup (12 grams) loose Earl Grey tea

  • I just cut open the Earl Grey teabags I had at home

  • This is considered cheating

  • Attempt at your own risk

• 1/2 cup large egg whites (4 to 5 eggs)

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

• A few scrapes of a vanilla bean if you so desire

1. Place 1 cup of the butter in a saucepan with the loose tea. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the tea steep for 5 minutes more.

* You may think more infusion time = better buttercream...you are wrong my friend. Don’t let this sit too long or your frosting will have a hint of bitterness just like your soul. Oh, just mine? My bad.

1. Strain the butter through a fine-meshed sieve set over a bowl and refrigerate until it reaches the same consistency as softened butter, 20 to 30 minutes. There will likely be small bits of tea left in the butter but it makes the frosting more interesting.

* The butter mixture is likely a sickly green colour but don’t fret your buttercream will turn out a nice shade of cream by the end.

1. Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and place it over medium-high heat. Place the egg whites and sugar in a bowl and whisk by hand to combine. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Whisking every few minutes, heat the egg mixture until it reaches 160 F on a candy thermometer or is hot to the touch. Pour the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

2. Beat the egg white mixture on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until it holds medium-stiff peaks. When done, the outside of the mixer bowl should no longer hold any heat. If you mix too long it’ll start heating up again.

* Unfortunately, I never attained medium-stiff peaks but my buttercream ended up just fine. If you’ve been whipping for double the amount of time, I recommend accepting defeat because overwhipped egg-whites are far worse than under whipped.

1. Swap out the whisk attachment for the paddle.

2. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla (and beans if you choose), tea-infused butter, and remaining 1 cup butter, a couple tablespoons at a time. Once it’s all in there, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is silky smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

Final Assemblage

1. Once the cakes have completely cooled, level the more uneven one and leave the nicer looking one for the top. Place it on your chosen serving dish or a turntable if you’re extra fancy. Spread a hefty scoop of buttercream onto your first layer with an offset spatula. Plop your next layer on top and slick a thin layer of frosting across the whole cake to lock those loose crumbs in. Refrigerate for a hot minute (hot minute dependant on your patience level), remove, and frost to perfection.

2. Serve to Queen Elizabeth II & her corgis.