Earl Grey Lavender Cake

image of an earl grey lavender layer cake decorated with buttercream flowers

5 from 16 ratings

Earl Grey Lavender Cake

This earl grey lavender cake is so delicious and has the perfect balance of flavor between the delicate floral notes of lavender and the distinct earl grey flavor!

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Additional Time1

Total Time1 55

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 349kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Earl Grey Lavender Milk

1 cup whole milk, room temperature 240g
2 Tbsp dried culinary lavender 5g
2 Bags of earl grey tea

Earl Grey Lavender Cake Recipe

3 cups cake flour 360g
3 cups granulated sugar 600g
2 1/2 tsp baking powder 10g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1 cup carton egg whites or 7 large egg whites, room temperature 240g
1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature 250g
1/2 cup earl grey lavender milk - made in above recipe 120g
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 28g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
purple gel food coloring optional

Lavender Buttercream Frosting

8 large egg whites, room temperature 240g
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 500g
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 454g
1/4 cup earl grey lavender milk, room temperature 60g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
purple, pink and green gel food coloring

Recommend Equipment

3, 8- inch cake pans
Serrated Knife
Spinning cake stand
Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
10- inch greaseproof cake board
Large offset spatula
3 Small piping bags
3 Small round piping tip like a Wilton 3

Instructions

Earl Grey Lavender Milk

Pour 1 cup of milk into a small saucepan.
Heat over medium heat until the milk begins to simmer.
Remove the pan from the stove top. Add 2 Tbsp dried lavender and 2 earl grey tea bags in the milk.
Let the mixture steep for 15 minutes, then pour the liquid through a strainer into a small bowl. You should end up with just a little over 3/4 cup (the lavender will absorb some of the milk).
Set aside to cool completely before using in the cake batter and frosting.

Earl Grey Lavender Cake Layers:

Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line and grease three, 8-inch cake pans or four, 7-inch cake pans with parchment rounds and non-stick spray (I used 7-inch cake pans).
Mix together 3 cups cake flour, 3 cups granulated sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer on a low speed until combined.
Mix 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter slowly into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks like moist sand.
Mix in 1 cup of egg whites on a medium speed until incorporated.
Add 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup earl grey lavender milk (made in recipe above), 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. If you want to color your cake layers, add in a squirt of gel food coloring during this step. Mix on a low speed until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat on a medium speed for about a minute to make sure everything is properly mixed together. This cake recipe uses the reverse creaming method, so this step is important to help give the cake layers a lighter texture.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
Flip the cake layers out onto a wire rack to cool. Use a serrated knife to level the top of the layers once they're fully cooled.
If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 20 minutes before making your cake. The cake layers should still be cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble your cake.

Earl Grey Lavender Swiss Meringue Frosting:

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the earl grey lavender buttercream frosting.
Before making the frosting, be sure to thoroughly clean your mixing bowl. If there’s any grease it can make it difficult to whip up the meringue.
In a medium sized pot, add about 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer.
Add 8 egg whites and 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar into a large metal bowl.
Place the bowl on top of the pot filled with simmering water. The bowl should create a seal over the pot. Make sure the water isn’t actually touching the bottom of the bowl, or it can cook the egg whites.
Whisk the mixture constantly for about 3 minutes, until it reaches 160°F / 71°C. You can test the mixture to see if it’s ready by rubbing a tiny bit between your fingertips. The sugar should be fully dissolved, and it should feel super smooth and hot to the touch.
Lift the bowl away from the pot and dry the bottom with a towel.
Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on a medium high speed with a whisk attachment. Mix for about 10 minutes, or until you have stiff, glossy peaks that stick straight up.
Mix in 2 cups of unsalted butter at a medium speed, 1 stick at a time. Then add in 1/4 cup earl grey lavender milk (made in recipe above), 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp salt, and a drop of purple gel food coloring and mix on medium until fully incorporated. The buttercream should be a light purple color. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
The frosting should have a thick, whipped consistency at this point. If it looks lumpy or broken, keep mixing until it looks smooth and thick. If it doesn't seem to come together after an additional 10 minutes of mixing, check out my Swiss meringue buttercream troubleshooting guide.
To make the frosting extra smooth, swap out the whisk attachment for a paddle attachment and continue mixing on a low speed for a couple minutes. Then set aside.

Assembling this Earl Grey Lavender Cake:

Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Spread an even layer of buttercream on top of each cake layer. Flip the top cake layer upside down to make it easier to frost and get sharp corners.
Next, add a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covered the cake layers. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Then add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper.
The next step is totally optional, but I like to decorate the cake with a ring of buttercream flowers. To do this, color the remaining buttercream different shades of green, pink, and purple.
Place each color of frosting in its own piping bag and pipe a floral design around the sides of the cake like in the pictures above. I used a Wilton 325 tip to pipe the leaves, a small french tip and an open star tip to pipe the flowers, and a Wilton 5 tip to pipe the little dots.

Video

Notes

Making this Layer Cake in Different Sizes

One batch of batter is about 1800g, so I add roughly 600g to each of my cake pans (when using 3, 8-inch cake pans).

You can also use one batch of batter to make 2, 9-inch cake layers or 4, 6-inch cake layers.

If you want to make earl grey lavender cupcakes, bake them at 350F / 175C for 18-21 minutes. One batch of batter will make about 3 dozen cupcakes (yield will vary based on the size of your liners).

Tips for Making the Best Earl Grey Lavender Layer Cake:

Let the dried lavender and earl grey tea steep in the milk for 15 minutes to give it this cake an amazing flavor!
Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Ingredients at room temperature mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. This makes it a lot easier to stack and frost.
Make a vegan or dairy free cake if needed! Use your favorite type of dairy free milk to replace the sour cream and heavy cream and use vegan butter sticks in place of the butter. For the egg whites I recommend using a powdered egg replacer.
If your hands run hot, wrap a paper towel, or thin kitchen towel around your piping bag to prevent the transfer of heat from your hands into the frosting.

Making This Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

Make the cake layers in advance and freeze them. This breaks the process up and makes this recipe more approachable.

You can make the frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

This cake can sit out at room temp for a day, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

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