Hi, I’m Sam from dishfoody.com, where cozy tea time meets decadent cake perfection. If you’re tired of bland vanilla cakes or overly sweet lattes, this London Fog Cake captures the essence of Earl Grey tea latte in soft, moist layers infused with bergamot tea and lavender, soaked with tea milk, and topped with silky vanilla lavender frosting.

Perfect for afternoon tea, birthdays, or winter celebrations, it’s aromatic, tender, and subtly floral. With years of tea-infused baking expertise, I’ve streamlined this elegant recipe for home bakers. Here’s everything you need: ingredients, steps, variations, and tips.

Why This Recipe Works

Earl Grey tea and lavender infuse batter, milk soak, and frosting for consistent layered flavor.
Tea milk soak creates tres leches-like moisture without sogginess.
Cake flour ensures extra tender crumb that stays soft for days.

Ingredients & Prep

Cake Layers

2¼ cups (282g) all-purpose or cake flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp finely ground Earl Grey tea
½ tsp culinary lavender (optional)
10 tbsp (140g) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk

Earl Grey Milk Soak

½ cup milk
1 Earl Grey tea bag or 1 tsp loose tea

Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz (226g) cream cheese, cold
2 cups (260g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tbsp culinary lavender (steeped in 1 tbsp warm milk)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Brew Earl Grey milk soak: Heat ½ cup milk with tea bag 5 minutes; cool and strain.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and line three 6-inch or two 8-inch pans.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground tea, and lavender. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until pale.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to batter. Divide into pans.
Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans.
Poke warm cakes with skewer; spoon tea milk soak evenly over layers. Cool completely.
For frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese. Add steeped lavender milk, vanilla, and sifted powdered sugar; beat fluffy. Frost assembled cake.

Flavor Variations

Classic: Skip lavender for pure Earl Grey bergamot.
Salted Caramel: Drip with homemade salted caramel.
Chocolate: Add cocoa to batter for London Fog mocha.

Variation	Key Ingredient	Dietary Tag	Flavor Profile
Classic	Earl Grey only	Simple	Citrusy, tea-forward
Caramel Drip	Salted caramel	Indulgent	Sweet-salty
Mocha	Cocoa powder	Rich	Chocolatey, warm

Storage Tips

Store frosted cake airtight at room temp 2 days or refrigerate 5 days. Freeze unfrosted layers 2 months.

FAQs

No lavender? Use vanilla frosting or extra tea.
Cake flour substitute? All-purpose + 2 tbsp cornstarch per cup.
Stronger tea flavor? Steep tea in buttermilk overnight.

Conclusion

Savor elegant London Fog Cake soft Earl Grey lavender layers with creamy frosting evoking cozy tea lattes. Perfect celebration centerpiece. For more tea-inspired treats, visit dishfoody.com and try our Carrot Cake Overnight Oats.

London Fog Cake

Print Recipe

Earl Grey-infused London Fog Cake with tender vanilla bean cake layers, creamy lavender buttercream, and subtle bergamot flavor. The cake version of your favorite cozy coffeehouse drink.

Author: ssam
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs (incl. cooling)
Yield: 12 servings 1x
Category: Dessert, Cake
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American, Coffeehouse
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

For the cake:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup brewed strong Earl Grey tea (cooled)
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
For the lavender buttercream:
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons culinary lavender (ground fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour 3×8-inch cake pans.
2. Brew strong Earl Grey tea and let cool. Steep lavender in 1/4 cup hot cream for buttercream, then strain.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk/tea mixture.
5. Divide batter between pans. Bake 22-28 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool completely.
7. For buttercream: beat butter until creamy, gradually add powdered sugar, then lavender cream, vanilla, and salt.
8. Assemble cake with buttercream between layers and on top/sides.

Notes

Use high-quality loose leaf Earl Grey for best flavor.
Chill cake layers before frosting for easier assembly.
Add edible flowers for beautiful presentation.
Store at room temperature up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 620
Sugar: 55g
Sodium: 320mg
Fat: 34g
Saturated Fat: 21g
Unsaturated Fat: 11g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 75g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 6g
Cholesterol: 140mg

Keywords: london fog cake, earl grey cake, lavender cake, tea cake recipe