You don’t have to be a tea lover to enjoy this Earl Grey and Lemon Pound Cake, but, as a tea lover myself, I simply can’t get enough! Earl Grey-infused milk and plenty of fresh lemon come together to make this an unforgettable pound cake. This Earl Grey and Lemon Pound Cake is fragrant, flavorful, and fresh. Without a doubt, it’s the perfect afternoon snack or delicate dessert.
Earl Grey tea is black tea infused with bergamot, a type of citrus native to southern Italy, making it ideal to pair with lemon. The soft and moist Earl Grey pound cake is complemented perfectly by the simple lemon icing. This cake has all of the characteristics of a traditional pound cake but without the pound of eggs and butter! It’s dense yet even textured with a nice crust on the outside.
For this Earl Grey and Lemon Pound Cake recipe you'll need:
- Soy milk – Almond milk or another neutral-flavored milk should also work.
- Earl Grey tea – This recipe uses Earl Grey twice, steeped in milk and as an addition to the cake batter, so I recommend choosing a high-quality tea that you like. For the milk, you can use any loose-leaf or bagged tea. For the cake batter though, make sure you’re using finely ground leaves without bergamot rinds. My current favorites are this one from Choice Organics and this one from Justea.
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Avocado oil – You can substitute this with another neutral oil, like vegetable, but I wouldn’t use something like coconut or olive oil because it’ll overpower the delicate flavors.
- Granulated sugar
- Flax Eggs – To make one flax egg mix one tablespoon of flax meal and three tablespoons of water then let thicken. Using warm water helps it thicken faster too!
- Lemon – This recipe uses lemon zest and juice.
- Powdered sugar
Notes:
What type of tea should you bake with?
Make sure you use finely ground tea leaves in the cake batter. Large loose-leaf Earl Grey tea is fine for steeping in the milk, but not so great to eat!
Can you use tea bags to infuse the milk?
Sure! But if you do use tea bags for steeping in the milk, make sure to press the tea bags after simmering to get all that infused milk out. I also recommend remeasuring the milk before adding it to the batter because it could evaporate when heating, so add some extra milk if you don’t have a full cup after simmering.
Should you use room-temperature ingredients when baking?
When baking, room-temperature ingredients are typically best and this recipe is no exception.
Can you overmix pound cake batter?
Yes! It’s super important to not overmix your cake batter. Overmixing kills the texture, so when you combine the dry and wet ingredients, make sure to gently fold until just combined.
Can you check on cake while it's baking in the oven?
It may be tempting, but don’t open your oven for at least 30 minutes when baking so your pound cake doesn’t sink.
What size pan should you use to make pound cake?
A 9×5″ loaf pan is a standard size, but feel free to use a smaller pan, like an 8.5×4.5″, if that’s what you have on hand. The resulting cake will just be a little taller and potentially require 5-10 minutes of extra bake time.
How long does pound cake stay fresh for?
Stored in an airtight container and with the cut side tightly wrapped with a beeswax wrap, pound cake will stay fresh at room temperature for 5 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days. I’d recommend storing in the fridge if your home is too warm.
Earl Grey and Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
Earl Grey Milk
- 1 c unsweetened soy milk
- 3 tsp Earl Grey tea leaves or 2-3 Earl Grey tea bags
Earl Grey Pound Cake
- 1¾ c all-purpose flour
- ¼ c cornstarch
- 1 tsp Earl Grey tea leaves finely ground
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 c Earl Grey milk
- ½ c avocado oil
- ¾ c granulated sugar
- 2 flax eggs see ingredient list above for more info
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1½ tsp lemon zest
Lemon Icing
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ¾ c powdered sugar
Instructions
First, make the Earl Grey milk.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the soy milk and 3 tsp of Earl Grey tea leaves. Heat until simmering (about 2-5 minutes), stirring frequently to prevent the milk from scorching.
- Once simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat and let the tea steep while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Next, make the cake.
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ (180℃) and lightly oil a 9x5" loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and tea leaves.
- Next, strain the tea leaves from the soy milk and give the milk a quick whisk (to make sure it's not too hot!) then add the avocado oil, sugar, flax eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest and whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth out the top, then bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Finally, time for the icing.
- While the cake cools, whisk together the remaining lemon juice and lemon zest with the powdered sugar until smooth.
- Slowly pour the icing over the top of the pound cake, letting it drip down the sides.
- Slice with a sharp knife and enjoy!