London Fog Earl Grey Cake (Printable Version)

Soft Earl Grey cake soaked in milk, layered with lavender vanilla bean cream cheese frosting, perfect for tea lovers.

# Ingredients:

→ Earl Grey Cake

01 - 3 tbsp (12 g) Earl Grey tea
02 - 1 tbsp (2 g) culinary lavender
03 - 2 1/4 cups (282 g) all-purpose flour
04 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
05 - 1/4 tsp baking soda
06 - 1/2 tsp salt
07 - 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
08 - 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
09 - 3 eggs, at room temperature
10 - 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
11 - 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

→ Earl Grey Milk Soak

12 - 1/2 cup whole milk
13 - 2 tbsp (8 g) Earl Grey tea
14 - 1/2 tbsp (1 g) culinary lavender
15 - 1/2 cup (150 g) sweetened condensed milk
16 - 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

→ Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting

17 - 1 tbsp (2 g) culinary lavender
18 - 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
19 - 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
20 - 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar
21 - 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
22 - Purple food coloring (optional)

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9 inch light metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
02 - Add the Earl Grey tea and lavender to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Pass through a sieve to remove large bits.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ground Earl Grey tea, lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
04 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes using an electric mixer on high speed.
05 - Add eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture. Mix on medium speed until pale and smooth, about 1 minute.
06 - Add buttermilk and dry ingredients alternately to the batter, mixing on low speed until fully combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 38-44 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
09 - Heat milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Add Earl Grey tea and lavender, then steep for 15 minutes. Strain and allow to cool.
10 - Mix the cooled milk with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Set aside.
11 - Grind lavender. Cream softened butter on high speed for 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and mix for 1 minute. Incorporate powdered sugar, lavender, vanilla, and food coloring as desired.
12 - Trim the top of the cooled cake slightly to allow the milk soak to absorb. Poke holes into the surface of the cake and slowly pour the Earl Grey milk over it.
13 - Frost the cake with lavender cream cheese frosting, cut it into 16 slices, and serve.

# Additional Notes:

01 - Ensure the milk soak is fully cooled before using it to avoid melting the cake structure.