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Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake…sweet lemony almond cake swirled with a mix of fresh blueberries and infused with the warming flavors of earl grey tea for a cozy winter twist. Finish this simple cake with a citrus lemon glaze that’s unique and delicious. Every last crumb is SO GOOD. Enjoy for brunch, as an afternoon snack with a latte, or for dessert with a dollop of whipped cream. Bonus? It’s simpler to make than you’d think, and so very pretty…with very little effort.
It’s Tuesday, but it feels a bit more like a Monday, right?
Well, actually to be honest I’m lost as to what day it is most days of the week. Lately they’ve been blurring together a bit. With the long weekend behind us, I hope you guys are feeling refreshed and excited for the short week ahead. I also hope you’re ready for some baking because we obviously have some cake to chat about. I figured we did tacos yesterday, so with snow set to fall all week long, Tuesday afternoon baking just felt so very right.
Plus, it’s been a while since I’ve done a Tuesday baking recipe. This week just felt like a nice week to bring a sweeter Tuesday recipe back!
So here we are…and with a cake you might not expect out of me (because we all know that I really love a good chocolate cake).
The background Story.
The funny thing about this recipe? I actually really dislike tea. I can do a hibiscus tea, but pretty much all warm teas make me gag. I know, I know, so weird. Trust me, I want to love a mug of green tea or that cup of chamomile tea, but I just can get it down. Maybe with some persistence I could learn to like it, but I’ve never given it too much of a shot. Tea just is not my favorite.
That said, I do love the flavors that are abundant throughout a lot of teas. Chai tea is cinnamon spice and everything nice. It’s probably my favorite flavor to incorporate into fall and winter desserts (do you remember my chai latte cupcakes?). And Chamomile pairs so wonderfully with honey. I often use it in spring and summer desserts (like this strawberry chamomile naked cake). And then there is earl grey, the warming tea that reminds me most of winter.
I haven’t done as much with earl grey as I have with chai and chamomile, but it’s still a flavor I love. It’s a British black tea, typically flavored with oil from the rind of a bergamot orange, a citrus fruit with the appearance and flavor somewhere between an orange and a lemon with a little grapefruit and lime thrown in. Way back in the day I shared an earl grey blueberry muffin in the original HBH cookbook. Last year I made earl grey citrusy pancakes. This winter I drew inspiration from those original blueberry muffins…and now we’re talking blueberry earl grey cake.
Here are the details.
The first step is to steep the tea in milk. I used whole goat milk, but you can also use coconut milk or any nut-based milk you enjoy. Ideally something creamy with a higher fat content like canned coconut milk or Malk organic nut milk (this is my favorite brand of nut milk).
While the tea is steeping, get together all the ingredients you need. Once the tea has steeped in the milk, the rest of the cake comes together quickly.
Cream some butter with lots of lemon and orange zest and a touch of sugar. Then add eggs and a splash of cream.
Once all the wet ingredients have been mixed. Simply beat in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add the steeped milk and then stir in lots of blueberries. If you’re low on blueberries, pretty much any berry would be great.
Layer the batter into a loaf pan. Then add a small handful of berries and finish the cake up with a sprinkling of sugar on top. At this point, it’s time to bake. Like most pound cakes, this takes about an hour in the oven, which is a long time, but well worth the wait.
While the cake bakes, make the glaze.
While the cake is so good on its own (really, it is), the glaze seals the deal (literally) and makes this extra special.
The first step is the citrus. I used a Meyer lemon and a blood orange. You can use all lemons too, but I love the color the blood orange adds, so pretty.
I zested the fruits with a Y peeler, then thinly sliced the zest into very thin dainty strips. Set the strips aside for a minute and mix the lemon juice together with a little powdered sugar (only just a little) and all the citrus zest. Spoon this over the cake for a truly delicious topping.
And that’s it…simple, pretty, perfectly sweet, extra moist, and SO GOOD! Every bite is bursting with sweet blueberries and hinted with lemon and orange.
Happiest Tuesday night baking to you all! Hope you guys enjoy this Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake as much as I do!
Looking for other wintery sweets? Here are a few to try:
5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake
Dirty Horchata Tres Leches Cake
Coconut Banana Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
Lastly, if you make this Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 374 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3-4 bags earl grey tea
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus, 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour (or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon blueberry jam (optional)
Lemon Glaze
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 blood orange (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Bring the milk to a low boil in a small saucepan until steaming. Remove from the heat. Add the tea bags, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and discard.2. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a (9×5 inch) loaf pan.3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest, and orange zest until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, then add the vanilla. Add 1 cup flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt, and beat to combine. Add the steeped milk, beating until just combined. 4. Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour, then fold in 3/4 cups blueberries.3. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Swirl in the blueberry jam, then Sprinkle on the remaining blueberries and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the center is just set. Let cool before glazing.4. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Remove the zest from the blood orange with a vegetable peeler in wide strips. Thinly slice the strips. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth and drizzly. Stir in the orange zests.5. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
To Freeze: Bake as directed, cool completely, then tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze in a freezer bag or freezer safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or on the counter for a few hours.
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Storing: this cake keeps well for 3-4 days at room temperature.
This post was originally published on February 16, 2021
Hi! This looks AMAZING. I really want to make this, but is it possible to do it without a mixer? I saw you were using one when you posted videos of it on instagram. Thanks so much:)
Hey Erica,
Totally fine to mix by hand! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So delicious, and easy! So pretty too. I would definitely make again, no changes to the recipe.
Hey Liz,
I so appreciate you giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Would this be okay if we used frozen blueberries or do you suggest defrosting them first? Looks AMAZING!
Hey Alex,
Totally fine to use frozen blueberries and no need to thaw them:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just whipped this recipe up today as per the directions exactly. The addition of almond flour is a nice touch and I just love citrus this time of year! Happily sitting down now for a slice with some hot tea ☕️
I would recommend either lowering the temp to 350 for the full time or decreasing the baking time by 10 minutes – I’m glad I checked mine before the full time was up or it would have been well overdone.
Hey Amanda,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! xTieghan
Love the texture the almond flour gives this!
Thanks so much Sam! xTieghan
Could you use coconut flower? If so, would you make any other adjustments to the recipe using it?
Hey Helen,
Do you mean in place of the almond flour? I think that would work well for you. I would not use coconut flour for the entire cake though. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was tasty! It didn’t turn out as full as yours looks in the pic—ours was a bit deflated, but the 10-year-old made it so anything could have happened…she did use half coconut sugar and half brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar…could that have something to do with it? It was still really good though.?
Hey Lisa,
I so appreciate you giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Yes, those sugars would affect the turn out of the cake:) xTieghan
I made this recipe (as is, no substitutions 🙂 ) this AM and it’s incredible. And not REMOTELY like the BA recipe that another reader so kindly suggested. Also people need to chill with the “can I sub this, can I sub that?” YALL just google it! She probably tested it different ways and this was the best. If you’re dairy, gluten, nut, egg, soy, everything-free why are you asking someone who isn’t how you should be cooking?! Okay I’m done. This cake is amazing!!
Hey KJ,
I so appreciate you giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I told my husband last night at 10:30 that I was sick of just watching your amazing videos and never making anything. I had everything in house to make this bread and I was making it. I subbed in frozen raspberries and raspberry jam and used regular lemons and oranges. The only thing I didn’t factor in was how good the house was going to smell ALL NIGHT LONG!!!! I just glazed it and I may have just dressed her up a bit with toasted sliced almonds on top also.Haha Thanks for all your great recipes and feeding my inner baker.
Hey Jane,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Lol thanks for following along:) xTieghan
Is earl grey not an ingredient used by multiple people in desserts? Anyway, this was delicious. Thanks for the recipe
Hey Taylor,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Thanks! xTieghan
Love your recipes! I’m really excited to try this one. I’m temporarily going dairy-free (which is why I’ve been LOVING so many of your recipes!!) and I haven’t done any baking yet. Do you think I can substitute vegan butter for the 1 stick salted? Or should I use a neutral oil instead? Thanks!
Hey Jaclyn,
I think a vegan butter would work well here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could a nut milk be used in place of cow milk?
Hey Alura,
Absolutely! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Nutrition facts? Diabetic
Hey Alan,
So sorry I am only able to provide the estimated calorie count. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can I use unsweetened almond milk in place of the milk?
Hey Cornelia,
Yes, that will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I don’t see where you add the almond flour in the description notes – only the 1cup of all purpose flour after the vanilla. Am I missing something?
Hey Kara,
Sorry for the confusion, you are adding the almond flour in step 3. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan