Earl Grey Lavender Cake

This light Earl Grey lavender cake is moist and floral! It’s packed with aromatic flavors and topped with lavender frosting, perfect for any occasion.

Our daughter surprised us with this fantastic earl grey and Lavender cake upon our arrival from a long walk when we least expected it. 

This earl grey cake has a unique taste from the bergamot in the tea, which mixed perfectly with the lavender. Smooth lavender frosting on the top adds a creamy sweetness to every bite. We enjoyed it so much that we couldn’t resist sharing a picture before it was all gone. It was a great moment to cherish, and I was impressed with her baking skills and creativity.

While I love to infuse Levander in oil, make a salve, bath bombs, or lavender water, baking with lavender is another great experience that fills the whole kitchen with the lovely scent of lavender. Culinary lavender has a specific taste that twists ordinary recipes into a culinary adventure, like this lavender strawberry jam, extract, biscuits or make this lavender lemonade cocktail.

Ingredients to make earl grey cake with lavender

• Eggs
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Flour 
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Earl grey tea bags 
• Culinary Lavender buds

Frosting

• Powder sugar
• lemon
• Culinary lavender buds

What is culinary lavender?

Culinary lavender is lavender cultivated for culinary applications and has a milder flavor than other lavender types. 

Lavandula angustifolia, also known as English lavender or true lavender, is one of the most commonly used varieties for culinary purposes. It has a sweet fragrance and delicate flavor due to its lower camphor content, resulting in a more pleasant and subtle taste. 

You can either order culinary lavender online or use the culinary lavender you are growing; lavender angustifolia is the right choice. 

To prepare and use lavender for cooking, you need to dry it by snipping the stems off after the flowers open and hanging them to dry. 

What does Earl Grey and Lavender Cake taste like?

This lavender and Earl Grey tea cake has a unique flavor profile. 

The cake will have distinct notes of bergamot, with the citrusy characteristic of Earl Grey flavor combined with a delicate lavender flavor and floral aroma. In addition, the cake has a moist and tender texture.

What is earl grey tea cake?

Earl Grey tea is a black tea flavored with bergamot, characterized by its citrusy and floral flavor, which comes from bergamot oil. Bergamot is a citrus fruit that gives Earl Grey tea its unique aroma and taste.

Traditionally, Earl Grey tea is made from black tea leaves blended or infused with bergamot oil extracted from the rind of bergamot oranges.

It has a rich, bold black tea base with a fragrant and slightly tangy flavor from the bergamot oil. While I enjoy a cup with a splash of lavender milk every afternoon, it also construes an essential ingredient in this cake recipe.

Why you will love this recipe

The blend of Earl Grey tea and lavender creates a unique floral and citrusy flavor profile.

As you bake the cake, the lavender infusion fills your kitchen with a beautiful aroma.

The cake is moist, tender, and perfectly balanced in sweetness, creating a satisfying texture that melts in your mouth.

The lavender Earl Grey cake is visually appealing, especially when decorated with lavender buds or other elegant garnishes. It makes a beautiful cake that will wow on any occasion, even a wedding cake.

The cake freezes well, allowing you to make it in advance and enjoy it later.

If you are a tea lover, this cake is a delicious way to enjoy those flavors in a different form.

Make this Earl Grey Lavender Cake Recipe

First step: Preheat the oven

To prepare, preheat your oven to a temperature of 160°C (320°F). Then, either line the base and sides of an 8-inch square cake pan with baking paper or grease it thoroughly using butter.

Second step: Make an earl grey tea cake

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, combine the butter and sugar, beating them together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add the eggs to the bowl, whisk them until well combined, and set aside.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, earl grey tea, and lavender buds in a separate bowl. Once mixed, add these dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture, stirring until a smooth batter forms.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and use a spatula to smooth the surface. Place the tin in a preheated oven and bake the cake for approximately 30-40 minutes. To check if the cake is done, insert a skewer into the center—if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

Let the cake cool in the tin for 2 minutes, then carefully remove it and transfer it to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Third step: Make lemon lavender frosting

Finely grind your lavender in a food processor or mortar and pestle. In a small bowl, combine the white sugar and culinary lavender buds.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and stir well to combine. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. After 10 minutes, taste the frosting and adjust the sweetness or lemon flavor by adding more sugar or lemon juice for a tangier taste. 

Spread it generously over and around the sides of the cake using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle some additional culinary lavender buds on top to decorate the cake.

Tips to make a perfect cake

• Don’t overmix your batter. Overmixing can result in a tough and dense cake. Instead, mix until the ingredients are just combined.
• Use room-temperature butter; it should not be melted or frozen cold.

Variations to lavender earl grey cake

1. Lavender Buttercream Frosting: Incorporate culinary lavender into a butter cheese frosting. Beat together softened butter, butter, powdered sugar, and a teaspoon or two of culinary lavender buds until creamy and well combined. 
2. Lavender syrup: similarly, you can use lavender syrup and reduce the amount of sugar.
3. Lavender Earl Grey Tea: Use dried lavender to Brew a lavender tea with Earl Grey tea to enhance the floral notes of lavender and earl grey cake.
4. Vanilla cake: add vanilla extract or scrape vanilla bean into a batter for additional vanilla flavors.
5. Layering the cake with frosting: This recipe makes a single layer cake. To make a moist cake, you can make more layers of frosting. Split the cake into 2 or 3 layers and spread an even layer of frosting on top of each cake layer. When assembling the cake, stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or a flat plate. Add a small amount of frosting to the board as a sticking agent to secure the first cake layer.

How to store this earl grey lavender tea cake?

This cake will keep at room temperature for a couple of days, and you can keep it longer if refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze lavender and the Earl Grey Cake?

If you want to freeze this Lavender and Earl Grey Cake, completely cool the cake. Cut it into slices, wrap each slice in cling film (plastic wrap) first, and place it in an airtight container.