London Fog Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Earl Grey tea is a popular one in my family, we all love anything Earl Grey. So, why not make baking that tastes just like it? Some may think that this is more of a fall-flavoured cake but I think this one is delicious whatever time of year you enjoy it! Plus, if your mom loves earl grey and not so much a fruit or lemon cake fan, this is perfect for Mother's Day!

This cake is a basic vanilla cake but with all the additions of Earl Grey flavour that you can think of. The milk that is used in the batter is steeped in earl grey, there are tea leaves directly in the batter, then I drizzle an Earl Grey syrup over the cakes, and lastly, the icing has a bit more of that earl grey milk just to finish it off. So if you're a tea lover, this one is for you!

Yield: 1 cake, 6-8 slices

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 32-35 min

Cooling time: 45 min

For the Cake:

• 2/3 cup butter

• 1 1/3 cup refined sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 2 cups flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt (if not using salted butter)

• 3 Earl Grey tea bags

• 1 cup Earl Grey milk (optional, can use normal milk)

Directions:

1. If using Earl Grey milk, make about 30 minutes before you plan on starting the cake (see below for directions). It needs time to cool before using in the batter.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 x 8-inch round pans. Tip: Trace the bottom of the pans on a piece of parchment paper and cut out the circle and place in the bottom. This, and greasing, will ensure that the cake will not stick to the bottom and it'll be very easy to get the cakes out.

3. Start the batter by creaming the butter and sugar together. Then, add one egg at a time and mix in. Then, add the vanilla.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt (if using). Then, add this in increments along with 1 cup of the steeped milk (save the rest for the icing). I did this 3 times by adding the same amount each time to ensure everything keeps it's consistency.

5. Then, cut open a tea bag and dump the tea leaves into the batter. You can adjust the amount here, depending on the extent you want your cake to taste like tea. Also depends on the size of tea leaves (mine were very small)

6. Then, pour half of the batter into each cake pan, spreading it to reach the sides, and put in the oven. Cook for 32-35 minutes, whenever a toothpick comes out clean. Cook time just depends on how your oven cooks.

7. Take out of oven when done and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pans and then take them out to cool completely on a cooling rack.

8. See below for instructions on assembly as well as the icing and syrup recipes.

Earl Grey Milk (Optional):

1. Bring a small sauce pan to medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk and a tea bag in and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. You can set it in the fridge to speed this process up.

Earl Grey Syrup (Optional):

1. Bring a small saucepan to medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup of sugar, and tea leaves from one tea bag. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing:

2/3 cup butter (I used salted)

3 cups of icing sugar

1 1/2 tbsp of Earl Grey milk (or normal milk)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl or electric mixer bowl, add the butter and whip for 5 minutes (it's long, I know. But this is what makes it fluffy!). Then, add the vanilla extract, icing sugar, and slowly stir in the 1/4 cup of earl grey milk leftover.

2. Whip the ingredients together for an additional 5 minutes or until the icing is thick but airy.

Assembly:

1. Once the cakes are completely cooled, take a fork and poke a few holes through the top surface of the cakes.

2. (Optional) Taking the Earl Grey syrup, drizzle or brush over the cake tops and allow to soak into the cake. This is, as stated, optional but it helps the cake remain moist and infuses a little more of that Earl Grey flavour.

3. Using one half of the icing, spread over the cut top of one of the cakes. I find this easier to do with thick icing when I put a few dollops throughout the top so it's easier to spread. Then, flip the other cake on top with the cut side down. Then, ice the top of the cake and you're done!

If you want a more visual presentation of the assembly, I'll have videos of me doing the whole cake on my Instagram stories and highlights.

I've only made this cake a couple times and its so dang good every time. You can of course change up the icing with a whipped cream or even just cool whip if you can't be bothered to make icing. It'll still taste great. This cake obviously would go amazing with tea.

Let me know if you try this out! I love to see pictures and hear about your little twists on my recipes, it gives me ideas on how to change things up. It also just makes me happy to see people getting creative because that's exactly why I started this blog.

Thanks for reading! Have a great Thursday and we'll see you this weekend for an appetiser you won't want to miss out on!