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–+ servings
A chocolate earl grey cake with a slice removed
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Earl Grey Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting

This soft 2-layer cake is infused with earl grey tea. A shiny, luxurious dark chocolate frosting ties it all together.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 1 6-inch cake
Author: Karie

Equipment

  • Stand mixer

Ingredients

Earl Grey Cake

  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons earl grey tea (3-4 teabags)
  • 3 egg whites room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 ounces unsalted butter room temperature

Dark Chocolate Frosting

  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
  • 2 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup hot earl grey tea
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

For the earl grey cake:

  • Grease two 6-inch pans and line with parchment. Preheat oven to 350° F. 
  • Scald the milk, add the tea, and let steep, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the soft butter and mix on low until the butter breaks down into pea-sized crumbs.
  • In a separate bowl, combine strained milk, egg whites, and vanilla. Add all but 1/4 cup of liquid ingredients to the stand mixer and blend on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Pour in remaining milk mixture and blend until combined, 1 minute. 
  • Divide batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow to cool completely.
  • Invert and remove from pans, removing parchment from the bottom of the cake.

For the chocolate frosting:

  • Cream together the cocoa powder and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until well blended, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the honey, vanilla, and salt; mix until smooth. Add the hot tea gradually, mixing on low and scraping the bowl part way through. Blend well.
  • Add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until blended. Turn the speed up to medium and whip until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes.

To assemble cake:

  • Slice the rounded tops of cake layers to make cakes flat, if necessary. Spread chocolate frosting in between layers.
  • Coat the filled cake with a thin layer of chocolate frosting and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  • Apply final frosting as desired.