Settling down with a good cup of tea is one of lifes little pleasures, pop some fairy lights and a softly scented candle in the mix and you're living the hygge life. I have to admit, usually I opt for a bog standard builders brew. Yorkshire Tea with milk, no sugar please. However, when I'm feeling a little frazzled and stressed out there's only one thing I want in my mug, a beautifully scented Earl Grey. I take this with milk too; I know, I'm sorry.
What on earth could be better than a steaming cup of perfumed earl grey tea I hear you ask? How about a freakin' cake, infused with earl grey tea?! OMG right?! A pillowy tea infused sponge, creamy vanilla frosting and lashings of blueberry jam.
I present to you the Earl Grey and blueberry cake. Hot Damn. Blueberries pair perfectly with the bergamot in the tea, if you're feeling super fruity you could even add a handful of fresh blueberries to the sponge.
Did you guys know that Newcastle, oh all right, Northumberland, is the ancestral home of British Prime Minister and tea enthusiast Charles Grey? Legend has it that the tea was specially blended to suit the lime heavy water at
Howick Hall. The Greys enjoyed the tea so much they brought the infusion with them to London where it caught the eye, and taste, of Twinings. And so, an icon was born.
The key to this cake is the tea infused milk. Steeping the teabags in the milk for a good hour before baking the cake is essential to get that strong Earl Grey taste. While you're waiting for the infusion you might as well brew yourself a cup, it's a hard life. Just don't forget those fairy lights and candles.
Earl Grey and Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
- For the infused milk :
- 150ml whole milk
- 4 Earl Grey tea bags
- For the cake
:
-
350g
unsalted butter, softened
-
350g
caster sugar
-
6
large eggs
-
350g
self raising flour
-
1tsp
baking powder
-
1tsp
vanilla extract
-
For the frosting
:
-
250g
unsalted butter
-
450g
icing sugar
-
1tsp
vanilla extract
-
4tbsp
milk
-
blueberry
jam
-
fresh
blueberries to decorate
Cooking Directions
- First of all pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat over a medium heat. Allow to bubble but remove just before it comes to the boil. Add the 4 tea bags, give it a stir and leave until completely cool. Once cooled down, remove the bags, give them a good squeeze and discard. Set the infused milk aside while you make the cake.
- Preheat the oven to 170C and line 3 9" cake tins with baking paper. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on a medium speed for 5 minutes until the butter is light and creamy. Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and crack the eggs in one at a time. Once the eggs are fully Incorporated add half of the flour and mix to combine, add the infused milk and vanilla extract followed by the remaining flour and mix again.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking tins and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown and the cake springs back when you touch it. Allow to cool in the pans for 20 minutes before removing them and placing on a baking rack to finish cooling.
- To make the frosting first mix the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until pale and soft. Add the icing sugar, vanilla and 2tbsp of the milk. Turn the mixer on low and gradually increase the speed. Whip for 5 minutes, if the frosting looks too stiff add the rest of your milk. You may find you need a little more, just go steady until you reach a nice piping consistency.
- Spread the frosting on top of your first cake followed by a good splodge of blueberry jam, top with the next cake and repeat. Pop your top layer on and spread the remaining frosting on top, scatter with fresh blueberries. If you have a piping bag and nozzle feel free to pipe your butter cream on for a more polished look.
