London Fog Cake Earl Grey Lavender (Printable)

Delicate tea-infused cake with Earl Grey and lavender, topped with creamy vanilla frosting

# What You Need:

→ For the Cake

01 - 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
02 - 4 Earl Grey tea bags
03 - 2 tsp dried culinary lavender
04 - 2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
05 - 2 tsp baking powder
06 - ½ tsp baking soda
07 - ½ tsp salt
08 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
09 - 1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
10 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
11 - 1 tbsp vanilla extract

→ For the Lavender Syrup

12 - ¼ cup (60 ml) water
13 - ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
14 - 1 tsp dried culinary lavender

→ For the Earl Grey Frosting

15 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
16 - 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
17 - 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) infused milk (reserved from cake step)
18 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat the milk in a small saucepan until steaming without boiling. Add the Earl Grey tea bags and 2 tsp lavender; steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, strain out lavender, and let cool completely. Reserve 2–3 tbsp of the infused milk for the frosting; use the remainder for the cake batter.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Alternately add the flour mixture and infused milk, beginning and ending with flour, mixing just until combined. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
03 - Combine water, sugar, and lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; steep 10 minutes, strain, and cool to room temperature.
04 - Beat butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla and salt. Beat in reserved infused milk, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
05 - Brush cooled cake layers with lavender syrup. Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread with frosting. Top with second layer, frost top and sides. Garnish with additional dried lavender if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The Earl Grey infusion gives you this sophisticated, aromatic depth that you just cant get from vanilla alone
  • Lavender syrup keeps the cake impossibly moist for days, meaning no dry crumb disappointments
  • It tastes like an expensive café latte but is actually straightforward enough for a relaxed afternoon baking session
02 -
  • Never skip cooling the infused milk completely before adding it to your batter, or you risk melting the butter and deflating all those air bubbles you created
  • The lavender syrup needs to be fully absorbed into the cake layers before you start frosting, or youll end up with sliding tiers and a messy kitchen
  • Ground Earl Grey leaves folded into the batter create little pockets of intense tea flavor that people cant quite put their finger on but absolutely love
03 -
  • Grind 1 teaspoon of dry Earl Grey tea leaves into a fine powder and whisk it directly into the dry ingredients for an extra punch of bergamot flavor
  • Wrap your cake pans with bake-even strips to ensure perfectly flat layers that stack without any wobbles or tilting
  • Make the lavender syrup and frosting a day ahead—the flavors develop and meld beautifully overnight

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