This earl grey lemon cake features earl grey infused cake layers with earl grey buttercream and tangy lemon curd between each layer.
This earl grey lemon cake is everything I want in a cake. It has the fragrant tea flavour of earl grey in both the soft cake layers and the simple American buttercream with a bright tanginess of lemon curd in the middle of each layer to offset the sweetness of the cake. I couldn't stop thinking about this combination before I made this cake and now I can't stop thinking about making it again and again.
For the star element of this cake, the lemon curd, you'll want to make one batch of my lemon curd recipe. You can see that post for more detailed instructions on how to make lemon curd that I don't go into here. That recipe will make just enough lemon curd to fill one 3-layered 6" or 8" cake.
How to make earl grey lemon cake
Infuse milk with tea: In a small pot, heat milk until just before it simmers. Stir in the earl grey tea bags, cover, and steep for 5-10 minutes. Use a spoon to press tea bags against the side of the pot to squeeze out all the tea-infused liquid inside before discarding. Reserve about 4 tablespoons of this earl grey infused milk in a separate small bowl for the frosting. Set aside to cool.
Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together melted butter, oil, and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until all combined.
Alternate mixing in milk and flour: With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding in half the flour mixture into the wet mixture, then add half the earl grey infused milk at a time, until both are just combined. Don't overmix.
Pour into cake pans: Divide the batter evenly into lined cake pans. For 6" cake pans, I filled each with about 450g of batter.
Bake: Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let them cool in their pans for 10 minutes before flipping the cakes out upside down and letting them cool completely.
Make lemon curd: Make one batch of my lemon curd the day before assembling the cake or before making the earl grey buttercream to allow time for it to cool completely.
How to make earl grey buttercream
Cream the butter: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer and paddle attachment until it becomes creamy and light in colour, about 4 minutes.
Add powdered sugar: With the mixer on low speed, add in all the powdered sugar. As the sugar is combined, turn up the mixer to medium speed.
Whip in earl grey-infused milk: Add in the earl grey infused milk one tablespoon at a time. Beat the frosting until it becomes fluffy and spreadable, about 5 minutes.
Add gel food colouring: Divide a small portion of icing into a piping bag and snip off the tip of the bag. If you're doing additional icing colours, separate small portions of icing out into small bowls and stir in gel food colouring and transfer to their own small piping bags.
How to frost and assemble a cake with lemon curd
Spread buttercream on first layer: Level your cake layers if needed until they are flat on both sides. Lay down your first layer on a turntable. Use an offset spatula to smooth a layer of buttercream on top of the cake layer.
Pipe ring of frosting: With the buttercream you portioned out into a piping bag, pipe a thick ring of frosting around the edge of the cake. This will act as a wall or barrier to prevent the lemon curd from leaking out.
Fill with lemon curd: Spread 2-3 heaping spoons of chilled lemon curd into the middle of the ring and smooth out.
Repeat with other layers: Place your second layer on top and repeat frosting an even layer, piping a ring of buttercream, and filling the middle with lemon curd. Top with your last layer.
Frost rest of cake: Smooth buttercream around all sides and top of the cake and smooth out. Decorate with any designs you wish. I've opted for some tiny yellow lemons with green leaves on my cake by portioning out small amounts of buttercream and colouring them with yellow and green gel food colouring.
Tips for success
- How to prevent lemon curd from leaking out of cake: Chill your cake in the fridge after you've piped the ring of buttercream around the edge and only add the lemon curd in the middle once the buttercream ring stiffens. Use chilled lemon curd straight from the fridge while it's still thick so that it holds its structure better.
- What to do if the lemon curd leaks: Quickly wipe up the drips and spread buttercream frosting on the sides of the cake, concentrating on the area between the layers, especially where it is leaking. Chill the cake in the fridge immediately so that the frosting hardens a bit.
- For soft and fluffy cake layers: Use cake flour and a mix of both butter and oil as denoted in this recipe. Alternate adding half of the flour mixture and infused milk into the wet ingredients, briefly mixing between each addition and don't overmix after everything has been combined.
- Can this cake be made ahead of time?: The lemon curd and earl grey cake layers can be made 1-2 days before assembling the cake. Just ensure the cake layers are wrapped in plastic wrap. The cake layers can also be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 weeks and thawed in the fridge overnight before using.
- How to store this cake: This earl grey lemon cake can be well-wrapped and stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Let it come to room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe
Earl Grey Lemon Cake
Ingredients
Earl Grey Cake Layers
- 350 ml milk or plant-based milk
- 4 earl grey tea bags
- 420 g cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, melted
- 125 g flavourless oil
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Curd Filling
- 1 batch of lemon curd
Earl Grey Buttercream
- 250 g unsalted butter, softened
- 500 g powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons earl grey infused milk, reserved from making cake layers
Instructions
Earl Grey Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line three 6" cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a small pot, heat milk until just before it simmers. Stir in the earl grey tea bags, cover, and steep for 5-10 minutes. Use a spoon to press tea bags against the side of the pot to squeeze out all the tea-infused liquid inside before discarding. Reserve 3-4 tablespoons of this earl grey infused milk in a separate small bowl for the frosting later. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, stir together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together melted butter, oil, and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until all combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding in half the flour mixture, then half the earl grey infused milk at a time, until both are just combined. Don't overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly into lined cake pans. For 6" cake pans, I filled each with about 450g of batter.
- Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let them cool in their pans for 10 minutes before flipping the cakes out upside down and letting them cool completely.
Earl Grey Buttercream
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer and paddle attachment until it becomes creamy and light in colour, about 4 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in all the powdered sugar. As the sugar is combined, turn up the mixer to medium speed.
- Add in the earl grey infused milk one tablespoon at a time. Beat the frosting until it becomes fluffy and spreadable, about 5 minutes.
- Divide a small portion of icing into a piping bag and snip off the tip of the bag. If you're doing additional icing colours, separate small portions of icing out into small bowls and stir in gel food colouring and transfer to their own small piping bags.
Assemble the cake
- Level your cake layers if needed until they are flat on both sides. Lay down your first layer on a turntable. Use an offset spatula to smooth a layer of buttercream on top of the cake layer.
- With the buttercream you portioned out into a piping bag, pipe a thick ring of frosting on the edge of the cake. This will act as a wall or barrier. Spread 2-3 heaping spoons of lemon curd into the middle of the ring and smooth out.
- Place your second layer on top and repeat frosting an even layer, piping a ring of buttercream, and filling the middle with lemon curd. Top with your last layer.
- Smooth buttercream around all sides and top of the cake and smooth out. Decorate with any designs you wish.
Notes
- Be sure to really squeeze out all liquid from your earl grey tea bags after steeping. All of the delicious infused milk is inside.
- Keep your lemon curd chilled in the fridge and use it to fill your cake while it's still thick and cold.
- This buttercream recipe makes enough to frost between the layers and to cover a 6" cake. If you want to decorate the outside of the cake with any fancy piping or buttercream rosettes, you will want to double or make 1.5 times the recipe.
Lilly
Hi! I was wondering how I can make this recipe into cupcakes. I’ve made this cake for my moms birthday and it was a hit! I really love this recipe so how long would I bake them for? And how many cupcakes would it make? Thank you!
Jess
Hello! These cute little lemons that are covering thr cake-is it icing, or a cookie or something? It’s so cute!
Gail Ng
They're just piped with icing! 🙂
Michelle
Hi! If I use 9 inch cake pans, how would I adjust the temperature and baking time?
Gail Ng
Your cake will bake a bit faster in a 9" pan because there's more surface area exposed. Use the same temperature but bake for a little less time! I haven't tested it but try about 20-25 mins at 350F. Start watching them at 20 mins and use your judgement - top should be set and toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
Lea
hi Gail!!! does the buttercream frosting hold up okay at room temperature? planning to give it to my teachers for teachers day but room temperature here in Singapore can get really hot sometimes around 30-32 degrees celsius
Gail Ng
A short amount of time (~1 hour) should be okay but I would be very nervous about leaving it out longer because butter melts at around 32C. The lemon curd filling inside relies on the buttercream being firm enough to hold it in so if the buttercream gets too soft, the lemon filling might leak out from the sides of the cake. If you don't mind using shortening, you could replace either all or half of the butter 1:1 with shortening which stays solid up to 46C. I rarely have to deal with those temperatures indoors here so best of luck!
JEANIE
To Friends...
Earl Grey Tea...
and LEMONS!!
THANK YOU
Shruti
Hello! This recipe looks incredible. Do you have any advice on how I could convert this to several mini-cakes for a tea party? Thank you!
Gail Ng
I would bake the batter in a rectangular/square rimmed baking tray and then cut out 3-4” cake layers with a round cutter! Bake it for less time - around 15-20 minutes and you may have to make more batter depending on the size of your pan. Or you could easily bake these as cupcakes, dig out a hole in the middle and fill them with lemon curd before frosting.
Shruti
Thank you!!
Sherlen
Hi Gail! I was wondering how many grams of milk approx will go into the cake? Just because I know the milk will evaporate when steeping the earl grey in & would vary for each person depending on how long they steep it for? Thank you!