London Fog Cake with Earl Grey and Lavender (Print version)
A delicate cake infused with Earl Grey tea and lavender, topped with creamy vanilla frosting.
# What you'll need:
→ Cake Components
01 - 1 cup whole milk
02 - 4 Earl Grey tea bags
03 - 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender
04 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
05 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
06 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
09 - 1¾ cups granulated sugar
10 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
11 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
→ Lavender Syrup
12 - ¼ cup water
13 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
14 - 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender
→ Earl Grey Frosting
15 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
16 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
17 - 2–3 tablespoons infused milk reserved from cake preparation
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt
# How to make it:
01 - Heat the milk in a small saucepan until steaming without boiling. Add Earl Grey tea bags and 2 teaspoons lavender, steeping for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, strain out lavender buds, and allow to cool completely. Reserve 2–3 tablespoons of the infused milk for frosting preparation; use the remaining milk for the cake batter.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3–4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, incorporating fully after each addition, then add vanilla extract. Alternately add flour mixture and infused milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour, mixing just until combined. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
03 - Combine water, granulated sugar, and lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove lavender buds and allow syrup to cool to room temperature.
04 - Beat butter on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed until incorporated, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and salt, mixing to combine. Beat in reserved infused milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired spreading consistency is reached.
05 - Brush the tops of cooled cake layers generously with lavender syrup. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand, spread an even layer of frosting over the surface. Position the second cake layer on top, then frost the top and sides of the entire cake with remaining frosting. Garnish with additional dried lavender buds if desired.
# Expert suggestions:
01 -
- The Earl Grey infusion creates this subtle citrusy depth that makes people pause and ask whats different
- Lavender walks the perfect line between floral and comforting, not soapy or overwhelming
- That lavender syrup soak keeps the cake impossibly moist for days
02 -
- Hot milk will cook your eggs if you try to rush the cooling step, so please let that infused milk come to room temperature before using
- Over-browning the edges means your oven runs hot or the pans are too thin, so check at 20 minutes and adjust accordingly
- The syrup soak might seem like extra work, but skipping it is exactly how you end up with dry cake tomorrow
03 -
- Grind 1 tsp of Earl Grey tea leaves into a fine powder and fold it into the batter for an extra punch of bergamot flavor
- If you're unsure about lavender strength, start with half the amount and taste the syrup before brushing it on the cake