London Fog Earl Grey Tea Cake
Friday, March 29, 2019
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Without blowing my own horn too much, I have to tell you this Earl Grey "London Fog" cake is a devastating beauty. With two layers of Earl Grey infused sponge cake and a drizzle of Earl Grey syrup, soft billowy whipped vanilla cream and a canopy of edible flowers it's a surprisingly easy show stopper. It was inspired by one of the blog's most popular cakes: the chai spiced cake. It made me wonder why there were so many coffee cakes but what about tea cakes? Or cakes with actual tea in them.
Ingredients
- Oil cooking spray
- 250g/8.83ozs butter, softened
- 250g/8.83ozs. caster or superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 5 eggs, at room temperature (or 3 duck eggs)
- 250g/8.83ozs. self raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Tea leaves from 1 Earl Grey tea bag or 1 teaspoon loose leaf Earl Grey tea, crushed until fine
- 1/4 cup milk
Earl Grey Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 Earl Grey tea bag
- 1 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
To decorate
- 450ml/16 flozs. cream
- 3 teaspoons vanillin sugar
- Edible flowers
Method
- Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Line the base of two 20cm/8inch round tin and spray the base and sides well with non stick spray. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, whisking until combined. Then remove from the mixer and sift in the self raising flour and baking powder from a height. Fold these in with the Earl Grey tea leaves using the milk to keep the batter moist.
- Divide the batter into the two tins and smooth over using an angled spatula or a dough scraper. Place in the oven gently and don't slam the door. Victoria sponges are known for being a little bit temperamental and do not open the door while it is baking or turn on the light. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely in the tin. You can make these a day ahead of time, just wrap them in cling film once they've completely cooled.