Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf Cake

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

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It's no secret that I have some strong feelings for Earl Grey. (If you ever had any doubt, please see these cupcakes and 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 is the real star of the show.

And when it comes to 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're good to go!

What You'll Need

Here's a quick overview of some of the key ingredients and tools needed to make this cake. The full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post!

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter - I always recommend baking with unsalted butter instead of salted. That way, you have more control over the total amount of salt in the recipe.
• Lemon - You'll use both lemon zest and lemon juice when making this cake.
• Sour cream - I love baking cakes with sour cream because it makes them so moist and tender. If you don't have sour cream, you could always swap in greek yogurt instead.
• Earl Grey tea bags - For this recipe, you'll use Earl Grey tea in both the cake and the glaze. I usually use the individually wrapped tea bags because that's what I typically have in my kitchen.

Equipment

• Silicone spatulas - I always like to use silicone spatulas when baking because they're so flexible! You can use them to scrape down the bowl as you're mixing all the ingredients together, as well as when you need to pour the batter into the loaf pan.
• Loaf pan - I typically use a medium-sized loaf pan when making this recipe, but feel free to use whatever type of pan you prefer.
• Medium saucepan - To make the Earl Grey glaze for this cake, you'll need to steep the tea in boiling milk, so be sure to have a medium saucepan handy.

How to Make This Cake

Got all your tools and ingredients ready? Let's make some cake!

Start by beating together the unsalted butter and sugar. I like to use a stand mixer to do this, but you can also use a handheld mixer. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, which usually takes about 3-5 minutes. (Image 1)

Add in all the liquid ingredients and lemon zest. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and sour cream, and mix until combined, scraping the bowl well after mixing. (Image 2)

Whisk together the dry ingredients, then add them to the mixture.  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, being careful not to overmix. (Image 3 and Image 4)

Time to bake! Pour the batter into a medium-sized loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. 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. (Image 5 and Image 6)

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 Earl Grey tea bag, and let the tea infuse for 10 minutes before removing the tea bag. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of the Earl Grey-infused milk to create a glaze. (Image 7)

Drizzle the glaze on the cake and serve. Be sure to wait until the cake has completely cooled before pouring the glaze on top. As an extra garnish, you can top the cake with sliced lemons. Enjoy, and try not to eat it all in one sitting! (Image 8)

Tips for Making This Recipe

This recipe is pretty straightforward, but here are just a few tips to keep in mind when making it at home:

• 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 in the oven, 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 and chewy. No thank you!
• 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 ready to come out of the oven. If it comes out liquidy, continue to bake the loaf and check every few 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. It's best to let the cake cool completely at room temperature before glazing.

Common Questions About This Cake

How to Store & Freeze

To store: Cover and store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.

To freeze: Let the cake cool completely after baking, then wrap it (unglazed) in plastic wrap or a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months. You can also slice the cake and wrap the slices individually before freezing. When you are ready to eat the cake, let it thaw at room temperature or heat it up for a few minutes in the oven, then drizzle the glaze on top to serve.

Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! And don't forget to subscribe to The Baker's Almanac for even more baking recipes and tips.

Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf Cake

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★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Leslie Jeon
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf 1x

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Description

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

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Earl Grey and Lemon Loaf:

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened 
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar 
• 3 whole eggs (150g)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• ⅓ cup (80g) sour cream
• 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda 
• Leaves from 2 Earl Grey tea bags 

Earl Grey Glaze:

• ½ cup (114g) milk
• 1 Earl Grey tea bag
• 1 ¼ (142g) cups powdered sugar

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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 Earl Grey tea leaves. Add the dry ingredients into the other mixture and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. 
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the batter with an offset spatula so that it's even. Bake the loaf cake in the preheated oven for 45-55 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 Earl Grey tea bag, and let the tea infuse for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes are up, remove the tea bag from the milk and set the saucepan aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 3 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. Enjoy! 
7. Stored tightly in an airtight container, this cake will stay fresh at room temperature for 3-5 days or up to 2 months in the freezer (unglazed). 

Equipment

Earl Grey Tea Bags

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Loaf Pan

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Notes

• Sour Cream: If you don't have sour cream, greek yogurt works as a great alternative. 
• Recipe Update: This recipe was updated in February 2023 to decrease the amount of Earl Grey glaze. 

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: loaf cake, earl grey, lemon, earl grey loaf cake, cake