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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.
Can you use cow milk for the tea instead of nut milks? Will that somehow impact the cake?
Hey Liv,
That will work totally fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This bread is so delicious! I’m wondering how you get that beautiful yellow color to the bread? I followed your recipe exactly, well I thought I did!
Hey Christina,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! The yellow color came from the lemons:) xTieghan
I made this Sunday evening – it’s Tuesday and I only have 2 slices left… talk about a major hit in my home! I will definitely make again. I suggest using coconut milk.
Hey Sara,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Delicious. Made this Sunday and it already got devoured. Only thing is it seemed a tad dry. I used all regular flour. Would that have made a difference? Or maybe add more milk next time?
Hey Trisha,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am glad it was enjoyed! Not using the almond flour could have possibly caused this, maybe it was slightly over baked as well. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Just made this Sunday. The cake is very moist and all the zest is really delicious. Unfortunately all my blueberries sunk to the bottom despite giving them a generous dusting in flour before adding to the batter – so minus 1 star for uneven berry distribution, LOL.
Hey Kathryn,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Question! 375 degrees at sea level or in CO?
Hey Alicia,
I would bake at 375 either at sea level or altitude. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Mine didn’t come out nearly as pretty as yours:( I somehow managed to overbake the outside with it still stodgy and wet in the middle…guess I need more practice lol. Lovely recipe though, goes great with tea!
Hey Roseanne,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! Let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
This recipe was super easy!! I am impatiently waiting for the cake to cool but can already tell it’s going to taste amazing. Thank you!
Hey Bridget,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
This is like the Twiggy of pound cakes. An English, timeless beauty
This came out soooo delicious! I only had almond milk on hand but a 1/2 tbsp of butter helped provide the fat it was missing from the lack of dairy milk. I really love how with the 4 tea bags the tea flavor really shines in the perfect crumb. It also plays SO WELL with the zippy citrus in the icing (which I will probably use to glaze some homemade earl grey doughnuts inspired by this because WOW!)
Hey Dalia,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
I have made a lot of lemon blueberry cakes over the last year, but this was my family’s absolute favorite. The almond flour creates such a tender crumb and the earl grey complements the lemon with citrusy, floral notes without being too too strong for anyone who doesn’t love earl grey tea. I didn’t have whole milk, so I steeped the tea in almond milk with about 1 tbsp. of heavy cream to compensate for the fat, and it was perfect. Cannot wait to make and enjoy this again!
Hey there,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
Made this for a brunch yesterday. Someone else made scones. Needless to say, that my earl gray cake was the big hit!
(Luckily I set a few slices aside so I could have it for breakfast this morning – which is exactly what I’m doing!)
This was a delicious pound cake. I was psyched that my grocery store had blood oranges. Added a great flavor.
My one question: I splurged on the almond flour. Wondering what the taste difference would have been if I just used APF?
Thanks for the recipe – the earl gray tea added an incredible flavor.
Hey David,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. The almond flour gives the cake a bit of a lighter texture. xTieghan
Are their any other recipes like this and the other one with rhyme, because I really wanna do one but without the lemon. Just wondering, thx
are there any other recipes similar to this and the other one with thyme? I really wanna make some sort of pound cake similar to these but without lemon
Hey Camilo,
Here are some recipes that you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/strawberry-olive-oil-cake/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/tres-leches-cake/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cherry-strawberry-streusel-cake/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/vanilla-glazed-blackberry-peach-coffee-cake/
I hope this helps! xTieghan
So oddly my cake is like 2 inches high and not the 5 inches as the pan was 9 x 5…but other then that it looks good and smells great! I wonder why it didn’t rise up…
Hey Sadia,
I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan
Delicious. Made it with full flour and no lemon (added extra orange). It felt pretty dense though- not sure if that’s because I used frozen berries or if it’s the glaze soaking in. I’ll definitely make it again and try it without the glaze!
Hey Amy,
I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan