Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf Cake

Topped with a delicious Earl Grey glaze, this loaf cake is one of my favorites! The mix of lemon and Earl Grey works beautifully, and it’s perfect served as dessert or even breakfast.

It’s no secret that I have some strong feelings for Earl Grey. (If you ever had any doubt, please see these cupcakes and these macarons for reference.)

But, if I have to be honest, this Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf Cake might just be my favorite recipe with this particular flavor yet. The cake itself is moist and bursting with lemon flavor, but the Earl Grey glaze might be the real star of the show.

Also, in terms of cakes, loaf cakes are definitely the easiest way to go. There’s no need to worry about achieving perfect frosting or smooth sides—just drizzle some glaze on top and you are good to go!

Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf Cake Tips

This recipe is pretty straightforward, but here are just a few tips to make it perfectly every time:

• After adding in each ingredient, make sure to scrape the bowl very well. This is especially important to do after adding in the eggs and sour cream. In order to get an even mixture that rises well, you want to make sure all the ingredients are homogenous.
• Once you add in the dry ingredients, don’t overmix. Like any other cake, you always want to mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Overmixing can cause the cake to taste tough, which nobody wants.
• Use a toothpick to test if the cake is done. To test if the cake is done, insert a toothpick or cake tester directly into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean with just a few crumbs, it’s done baking. If it comes out liquidy, continue to bake the loaf and check every 5 minutes or so. To learn more about testing if a cake is done, check out this article.
• Let the cake cool completely before glazing. If you pour the glaze on while the cake is still warm, it will melt into the cake itself. Let the cake cool completely at room temperature before glazing to get the best results.

Helpful Tools for Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf Cake

To make this loaf cake, there are a few tools I recommend picking up:

• Loaf pan — A good loaf pan is pretty essential when making this recipe, and I like using a glass one because it keeps the loaf from getting too dark. 
• Earl Grey tea bags — You can buy whatever kind of Earl Grey tea you prefer, but I personally love the Twinings version. For this recipe, I just cut the bags open to use the leaves.  

Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf Cake FAQ

Can you make this cake ahead of time? Yes, definitely! You can store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. I would recommend glazing it right before serving to have the best flavor. Alternatively, you can also freeze the unglazed cake for up to 2 months—just thaw it completely before serving.

How do you line the pan with parchment paper? This technique can be a bit tricky to figure out at first, but it really makes getting the cake out of the pan a breeze. I recommend watching this video to learn more about this process.

What is the best way to let this cake cool? After removing this loaf cake from the oven, I recommend cooling it in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely at room temperature.

You Might Also Like These Recipes:

• Earl Grey Lavender Cupcakes
• Earl Grey Macarons
• Earl Grey Rice Pudding

Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf Cake

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf 1x

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Description

Topped with a delicious Earl Grey glaze, this loaf cake is one of my favorites! The mix of lemon and Earl Grey works beautifully, and it’s perfect served as dessert or even breakfast.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113 g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
• 3 eggs (150 g)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (10 g)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (5 g)
• 1/3 cup sour cream (80 g)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (195 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (1 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (2 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (1 g)
• Leaves from 2 Earl Grey tea bags (4 g)

Earl Grey Glaze:

• 1 cup milk (240 g)
• 2 Earl Grey tea bags (4 g)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a medium-sized loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the pan with a piece of parchment paper. Align the parchment paper so that it covers the bottom of the pan and extends across the long sides, and leave a little bit on the edges to lift the loaf out later.
2. Prepare the Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with an electric mixer), beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Next, add in the eggs one at a time, and scrape the bowl well after each addition. Once homogenous, add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and sour cream, and mix until combined, scraping the bowl at the end. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and tea leaves. Add the dry ingredients into the other mixture and mix until just combined—be careful not to overmix!
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the batter so that it’s even. Bake the loaf cake in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
4. Let the loaf cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift the cake out of the pan and transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Prepare the Earl Grey Glaze: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Then, turn off the heat, add in the 2 Earl Grey tea bags, and let the tea infuse for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes are up, strain the tea into a separate container and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 6 tablespoons of the Earl Grey-infused milk. If necessary, add more of the infused milk until you reach a glaze-like consistency.
6. Once the cake has completely cooled, drizzle the glaze on top and serve. The more glaze the better in my opinion!

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Equipment

Loaf Pan

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Earl Grey Tea Bags

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Notes

• Stored in an airtight container, this loaf cake can be refrigerated for up to 3-5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the unglazed loaf cake for up to 2 months.