• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Chenée Today
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • Shop
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Sweets

    Earl Grey Lavender Cake with Honey-Lemon Glaze

    May 15, 2021 by Chenée Lewis

    3.8K shares
    Earl Grey Lavender Cake Recipe with Honey Lemon Glaze | Chenée Today

    I love this cake! This single-layer Earl Grey lavender cake is full of rich earl grey flavor with hints of lavender, lemon, and buttermilk. It's topped with a glossy honey lemon icing, and best of all, it's so easy to make!

    A recipe like this lavender Earl Grey cake sounds complicated -- you might think you have to use fresh lavender flowers or infuse whole leaf tea. But it actually couldn't be simpler! It's actually a simple vanilla cake recipe, with tea leaves right in the batter to give it that distinctive Earl Grey flavor without any extra time!

    This cake would be perfect for a casual dessert, a springtime tea party with friends. Maybe even for a low-key baby shower! The flavors are perfect and just make you think spring!

    What does Earl Grey taste like?

    This lavender Earl Grey cake is made with Earl Grey tea, which is a black tea flavored with bergamot, a type of citrus fruit. If you're not already a die-hard Earl Grey fan like me, you will be. It's DELICIOUS. It's a very distinctive flavor, and a delicious variation on a standard black tea. Plus, the citrus and tea flavors together work very well in baked goods, ranging from cakes and cookies to ice cream!

    Earl Grey Lavender Cake Recipe with Honey Lemon Glaze | Chenée Today
    Earl Grey Lavender Cake
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe

    For this cake, I used the type of Earl Grey that I buy to drink, which is Revolution Earl Grey Lavender Black Tea (affiliate link). It has the bright, citrusy flavor of bergamot, along with the soothing scent of lavender. I love the blend of a classic flavor with slight floral note! So I knew that it would be perfect in this easy Earl Grey lavender cake. But if you have another type of tea you prefer, I'm sure it would complement these flavors well! If you do try a different tea, share that in the comments so we can try it out!

    To give this Earl Grey lavender cake its tea flavor, you'll just need to open your tea bags and stir the leaves into the batter. The smaller the tea leaves are the better, so if need be you can chop them a little before adding them.

    Ingredients

    • eggs - your eggs should be room temperature to achieve the best fluffy texture in this lavender Earl Grey cake.
    • granulated sugar - adds a light sweetness to your cake batter.
    • vanilla extract - definitely look for a high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
    • vegetable oil - using oil instead of butter in this cake keeps the baking process easy and keeps our cake moist!
    • buttermilk - adds even more of that moist texture and tangy flavor.
    • all-purpose flour - be sure that you measure out your flour using either the spoon-and-level method or (even better) a food scale to measure by weight. Both will help you get the right amount of flour, but using a food scale to measure out 160 grams.
    • baking powder and baking soda - these help to give our cake a lift!
    • lavender Earl Grey tea - I use Revolution Earl Grey Lavender Black Tea for this recipe, but you can use any Earl Grey you prefer and add in a half teaspoon of lavender extract.
    • salt - balances out the sweetness the batter.

    Honey-Lemon Glaze

    • zest of one lemon
    • 2 tbsp honey
    • 2 cups powdered sugar - (240g)
    • 2-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice - or as much as you need to get the right consistency
    Earl Grey Lavender Cake Recipe with Honey Lemon Glaze | Chenée Today
    Earl Grey Lavender Cake

    Equipment

    You'll need an 8-inch cake pan for this Earl Grey lavender cake recipe, but otherwise it's a simple bowl-and-whisk cake recipe!

    SUBSCRIBE to my Youtube Channel!

    Step by Step

    This cake is so easy! It's a one bowl recipe that you can whisk together in just a few minutes!

    1. First, you'll mix together your wet ingredients: Eggs, sugar, and vanilla, followed by the oil and buttermilk.
    2. Then just fold in your dry ingredients: Flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and tea leaves.
    3. Then just pour it into your pan and bake!

    It's that simple! And it's a single layer cake, which is my favorite type of easy cake to whip up for a casual occasion. So go ahead and get baking!

    Tips and F.A.Q.

    Does Earl Grey have lavender?

    Not traditionally -- Earl Grey is a black tea that has been flavored with citrusy flavor of the oil of bergamot. But many variations on Earl Grey have included lavender, and the lavender variation is often called French Earl Grey tea.

    What goes well with Earl Grey flavor?

    Just like in this cake, my favorite accompaniments for Earl Grey are lavender, vanilla, honey, and lemon. Other great flavors to go with Earl Grey are blackberry, chocolate and cardamom.

    How do you infuse Earl Grey for baking?

    One of the most popular ways is to infuse the tea into warm milk prior to baking. That method allows for a variable tea flavor without affecting the look and texture of your bake. In this Earl Grey lavender cake, we're baking the tea leaves right into the cake! I love this method because it's much easier, and it means you can see the bits of tea leaves right in the crumb of the cake.

    How much caffeine is in an Earl Grey cake?

    It depends! Most tea bags contain between 30 and 50 mg of caffeine, depending on the amount of tea in each bag and the variety of tea used. Since we're using three bags of tea in this Earl Grey lavender cake, I'd estimate about 150 mg of caffeine in the entire cake.

    Related Recipes

    If you like this easy Earl Grey lavender cake, then you definitely will want to try another quick and easy single-layer cake recipe, my Pineapple Upside-Down Cake! It's full of that caramelized pineapple flavor and it's SO quick and easy!

    You also might like my Orange Rosemary Olive Oil Cake -- like this lavender Earl Grey cake, it's got bright, citrus flavors, and it's made in the same 8-inch cake pan! So easy!

    pineapple upside-down cake
    Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
    earl grey lavender cake

    Earl Grey Lavender Cake

    Print Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    An Earl Grey lavender cake recipe with Earl Grey lavender tea leaves in the cake batter, and topped with a honey-lemon glaze! Perfect Earl Grey cake for any occasion!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Course: Dessert, Tea
    Cuisine :American, British
    Servings: 8 slices
    Calories: 415kcal
    Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

    Equipment you may need

    • 8-inch round cake pans
    • whisk
    • measuring cups and spoons
    • mixing bowls
    • rubber spatula
    • parchment paper
    • food scale
    • cooling rack

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs - room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 6 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • ½ cup buttermilk - (see note)
    • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour - (160g)
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
    • ¼ tsp baking soda
    • 3 bags Lavender Earl Grey Tea - or 2 tablespoon of crushed full-leaf tea (see note)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt - optional

    Honey-Lemon Glaze

    • zest of one lemon
    • 2 tablespoon honey
    • 2 cups powdered sugar - (240g)
    • 2-4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice - or as needed

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, tea, and salt. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla with a whisk until thickened and smooth.
    • Mix in oil, followed by buttermilk until blended.
    • Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just barely combined.
    • Pour into prepared cake pan and drop from 2 inches onto counter to get rid of air bubbles.
    • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center of the cake comes out clean.
    • Cool in pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Prepare Honey-Lemon Glaze:

    • Whisk together honey, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl.
    • Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth.
    • Add lemon juice as necessary to achieve a very thick, but pourable consistency.
    • Spread glaze over cooled cake.

    Video

    https://cheneetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/EARLGREYCAKEREEL.mp4

    Notes

    Buttermilk: I prefer using full-fat buttermilk in this Earl Grey lavender cake because it adds flavor and richness, and keeps the cake moist for longer.  But if you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute ½ cup of whole milk with 2 teaspoon of the milk replaced with vinegar or lemon juice.
    Lavender Earl Grey Tea: I use Revolution Earl Grey Lavender Black Tea for this recipe, but you can use any Earl Grey tea you prefer, and for the lavender flavor add ½ teaspoon of lavender extract (or 1 teaspoon of crushed culinary lavender buds).

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 piece | Calories: 415 kcal | Carbohydrates: 76 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Cholesterol: 47 mg | Sodium: 148 mg | Potassium: 148 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 60 g | Calcium: 62 mg | Iron: 1 mg
    Nutrition Disclaimer
    Tags: earl grey cake, earl grey cake recipe, earl grey lavender cake, earl grey lavender tea, earl grey tea cake, lavender earl grey cake
    Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can't wait to see (and share) your results! Follow me on Instagram at @chenee_today and tag #cheneetoday!

    PIN this Earl Grey lavender cake recipe for later!

    Lavender Earl Grey Cake Recipe with Honey Lemon Glaze | Chenée Today

    Last Updated on January 25, 2022 by Chenée Lewis

    More Sweets

    • No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream
    • Lavender Lemon Cupcakes
    • Sweet Summertime Cookbook
    • Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies
    3.8K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Let Me Know What You Think! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Angela

      September 01, 2022 at 6:42 pm

      I’m curious if I could use lavender essential oil instead of extract or make a simple syrup with it?

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        September 12, 2022 at 1:34 pm

        I haven't tried baking with lavender essential oil yet, so I'm not sure how it would work out. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes! 🙂

        Reply
    2. CynCo

      January 22, 2022 at 4:07 pm

      How much tea do you use if using loose leaf? (That’s the only lavender/earl grey I could find.)

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 25, 2022 at 10:41 am

        Hi! I'd say you can use 2 tablespoons of crushed looseleaf tea for this cake. Hope it works well for you!

        Reply
    3. Rachel

      January 20, 2022 at 3:04 pm

      5 stars
      We love this cake! I will admit we changed to a cream cheese frosting as that's a family favorite and it worked really well together. It's now the cake of choice for my 13 year old. Question: have you frozen the cake as a way to make it well ahead of a party?

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 25, 2022 at 10:43 am

        So great to hear that! I haven't frozen the cake before serving, but I'm sure this cake would freeze well -- I'd recommend freezing it unfrosted and wrapping it well, and then adding the frosting or glaze before serving.

        Reply
        • Isabelle

          March 24, 2022 at 3:48 pm

          Do you open the teabags and add the tea to the cake or do you step it in the milk?

        • Chenée Lewis

          March 25, 2022 at 4:20 pm

          Yes, you just open the teabags and add it directly to the cake batter!

    4. Kelly Kilcoyne

      August 21, 2021 at 8:11 pm

      5 stars
      Have not yet tried it with the glaze, but used a not-too-sweet vanilla bean buttercream Absolutely delicious. A keeper, for sure!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        August 22, 2021 at 12:40 pm

        So glad you liked it! Vanilla bean buttercream sounds like a fantastic complement to this cake.

        Reply
    5. Biana

      May 24, 2021 at 10:22 pm

      5 stars
      Both the cake and the glaze look amazing! A slice of it will be great with a cup of tea.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        May 26, 2021 at 5:39 pm

        So great with tea! Thanks!

        Reply
    6. saif

      May 24, 2021 at 10:14 pm

      5 stars
      This cake looks so delicious. The honey lemon glaze makes it better. Definitely going to make one.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        May 26, 2021 at 5:41 pm

        Yes! The glaze is my favorite part!

        Reply
    7. Sue

      May 24, 2021 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      The combination of lemon and lavender can't be beat, and this cake delivers beautifully. Wonderful!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        May 26, 2021 at 5:41 pm

        I love lavender and lemon together too!

        Reply
    8. Gavin Sutherland

      May 24, 2021 at 9:04 pm

      5 stars
      I'm not a tea drinker but my wife LOVES the stuff so I made this for her birthday last weekend. She absolutely loved it and I had more than 1 slice too so looks like it'll become a regular in this household!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        May 26, 2021 at 5:41 pm

        Wonderful! So glad she liked it!

        Reply
    9. Kylie Archer

      May 24, 2021 at 8:58 pm

      5 stars
      This cake was a hit with everyone for afternoon tea! The flavours are absolutely delicious!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        May 26, 2021 at 6:01 pm

        Thank you! Yeah it's perfect for tea time!

        Reply
    10. Saif

      January 03, 2021 at 3:23 am

      5 stars
      This cake looks gorgeous. I love the lemon honey glazing of the cake. It looks so delicious.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 5:14 am

        Thank you! The glaze is my favorite part!

        Reply
    11. Christie Gagnon

      January 03, 2021 at 1:31 am

      5 stars
      I've never used tea in baking before and this sounds like the perfect recipe to start - yum!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 5:14 am

        I like this method because it's so easy -- you just mix the tea leaves in with the batter!

        Reply
    12. Tara

      January 02, 2021 at 11:04 pm

      5 stars
      Such a beautiful cake Chenée! Love that glaze and the use of the Lavender Earl Grey Tea. So light and refreshing.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 5:15 am

        Thank you so much! It's one of my favorites.

        Reply
    13. Alison

      January 02, 2021 at 10:01 pm

      5 stars
      The flavor of lavender and earl grey go so well together in this light and fluffy cake!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 5:15 am

        Definitely! They're such a winning combo!

        Reply
    14. Devy

      January 02, 2021 at 9:46 pm

      5 stars
      I love everything with lemon. So I was not surprised when I found myself loving this cake so much that I already think of making it again. Such a delightful treat. Thank you

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 5:15 am

        I love lemon treats too! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake!

        Reply
    15. Julianne | Finding Julianne

      June 09, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      I am a huge earl grey fan so my mouth is watering just thinking about this! I'm pinning it so I can try it out later. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Chenée Today

        June 22, 2020 at 4:48 am

        Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!!

        Reply
    16. Alexis

      April 30, 2020 at 9:43 pm

      These flavors sound amazing! I’ll definitely be making it for Mother’s Day for myself, lol! Can’t wait to try it ?

      Reply
      • Chenée

        April 30, 2020 at 10:10 pm

        I hope you love it! And an early Happy Mother's Day to you! ?

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    About Chenée

    I’m Chenée (kinda rhymes with “today”) and I love all types of baking! But my favorite recipes are ones that are quick and easy, and still yield impressive results. The ones you can't help but make again and again! That's what I share here, and I hope I can make your baking life a little easier along the way. MORE ABOUT CHENÉE >>

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Twitter

    Trending Recipes

    • Boursin Pasta - Tiktok Viral Recipe
    • Fried Potatoes and Onions
    • Strawberry Shortcake Crumble

    Valentine's Day Recipes

    • Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake
    • Mini Red Velvet Cake
    • Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies
    • Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake

    Get my Cookbook!

    Sweet Summertime Cookbook - recipe book of summer desserts and summer recipes!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    About Chenée
    Shop my Favorite Tools
    Disclosure Policy
    Privacy Policy
    Nutrition Disclaimer
    Contact

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Subscribe

    As Seen In

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Chenée Today, LLC. All rights reserved.

    3.8K shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Yummly
    • Email
    • WhatsApp