This Earl Grey Chocolate Cake combines the richness of the classic chocolate with the aromatic malty notes of Earl Grey tea. While most recipes either call for the tea liquor go into the cake batter or the buttercream frosting, we went ahead and did both! So, this whole Earl Grey Infused Chocolate Cake, is packed with the flavor of the classic tea that the Brits love so much. This dessert’s flavor profile creates a sophisticated interplay between the deep chocolate and the fragrant and malty Earl Grey, making it a good choice for afternoon tea gatherings or special occasions where you want to showcase these complementary flavors. So, this International Tea Day bake this delicious dessert and surprise your loved ones.
Chocolate Cake with Earl Grey Buttercream
Servings: 8 Servings
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup Cadbury Cocoa Powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 2½ tsp baking soda
- ⅓ cup buttermilk powder
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1¾ cups water
- ½ cup strong brewed Earl Grey tea (2-3 tea bags steeped in hot water)
- 2 tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves, finely ground
- 2 eggs
For the Earl Grey Buttercream:
- - 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- - ¼ cup Earl Grey tea
- - ½ cup egg whites
- - 1¼ cups sugar
- - 1 tbsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, then grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter. Set aside
- Brew the the Earl Grey tea next, going for only ½ cup for a concentrated flavor. Once brewed, set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Use mortar and pestle to grind 2 tablespoons of Earl Grey tea leaves into a fine powder.
- Take a mixing bowl, and into it sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, buttermilk powder, and the ground Earl Grey tea leaves into it.
- Mix on low speed with paddle attachment to combine.
- Then add the oil, water, brewed Earl Grey tea. Once mixed, add the eggs one at a time, continuing to mix until mixed well.
- Your batter is ready, pour the batter into the cake pans. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
8.Poke with the cake with your finger to check if the cake springs back and if a toothpick inserted into its center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them ool in pan for 15 minutes.
- After that, remove the cakes from their pans and cool them on a wire rack.
For the Earl Grey Buttercream:
- Take a saucepan, heat 1 cup of the butter with the loose tea on medium flame. Once the butter Heat until the butter melts, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- After that, remove from heat and let the tea steep in the butter for 5 minutes more.
- Post that, strain the butter and refrigerate it. Check after 30 minutes to see if it has cooled down to the consistency of softened butter.
- Add the egg whites and sugar into a heatproof mixing bowl, attach a stand mixer or fix a hand mixer whisk until combined.
- Fill a small saucepan with a few inches of water and heat over medium heat, then place the mixing bowl on top of the saucepan. Whisk intermittently, heating until it reaches 70°C.
- After this, put the mixer bowl back on the kitcher counter with the electric mixer.
- Fix the whisk attachment, and whisk the egg mixture for 10 minutes, until you get close to stiff peaks. Don’t fixate on stiff peaks.
- Swap to the paddle attachment and bring the speed down to low, then add the vanilla, tea-infused butter, and the remaining 1 cup of butter, a tablespoon at a time.
- Once everything is incorporated, mix everything until the buttercream is silky smooth. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Go back to your cooled cakes and on one cake, spread the buttercream generously on top of it. Then place the second layer on it. Then slather the buttercream frosting lightly on the top and sides of the two cakes.
- Refrigerate the frosted cake until set, for about 30 minutes.
- To finish it off, pour caramel drizzle onto the cake.