Next Post
Sheet Pan Sticky Gochujang Chicken Meatballs.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
I decided to make this delicious sounding treat, Earl Grey Lemon Cake…. Delicious ?
So far Half Baked Harvest recipes never disappoint! ?Always love hearing the back story on your recipes.
Thank you ?
Hey Cindia,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I’ve made this several times and love the depth of flavor. The floral notes from the bergamot with the citrus is just fantastic! I haven’t made the lemon thyme loaf/cake yet, but that’s next! Just a fantastic recipe as always.
Hi Micaela,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
Love this recipe! Since you live in Breckinridge, Colorado, do all of your recipes account for the elevation?
Hey Andrea,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. I actually don’t live in Breck, but you can follow all of my recipes as is:) Have the best week! xTieghan
hi! If making ahead of time (one day) is it better to save the glaze until the day of serving or does that also hold up well if done in advance? Thank you!!
Hey Charlotte,
I would go ahead and save the glaze for day of serving. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made this as dessert for our Easter lunch spread and it was so delicious! So many compliments and I think every person who tried it asked me for the recipe!
Personally I found the almond flour to be a bit dense so next time I will use only 1/4 cup almond flour and the rest APF. I still like a bit of almond flour flavor and texture, just not quite so much.
Awesome recipe, Tieghan!
Hey Anya,
Happy Friday! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
This came out perfect! I did coconut oil at room temperature instead of butter, non dairy milk, and gf flour and it came out just amazing. I also added a strussel topping made of coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and almond flour on top. My only complaint was that the earl grey flavor wasn’t really there, but it didn’t make it any less tastey. Will deffinitely make again!
Hey Juliana,
Awesome! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
Hey there! Do you think this could be made into cupcakes? If so, how long do you think I should bake? Thanks much and can’t wait!
Hey Kelly,
Sure, that should work just fine, I would start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious! I made it for my family, and some don’t like tea, so I saw on Instagram a comment that you could leave the tea out, just add the milk plain. That is what I did and it was amazing! I used canned coconut milk and think it made all the difference! We ate it in two days! I’m making more this week!
Hey Kylee,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
One of the best cakes I’ve ever eaten. Fantastic recipe!
Hey Kate,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I just made this but I don’t think it turned out right… 375 for an hour might have been too much… the top of your cake looks a good amount lighter than how mine turned out. I’m a bit of a beginner at baking so if you have any advice I would really appreciate it. I love your recipes! I make them all the time! First one to not turn out as pretty as your pictures!
Hey Taylor,
Thanks for trying the recipe. Sorry yours seemed to have been over baked, unfortunately all ovens can be slightly different. Next time just keep and eye on it and once a knife comes out clean it’s done:) I hope this helps! xTieghan
The cake was delicious – but I was expecting more of the Earl Grey flavor to come through. Next time I will use an extra tea bag…..
p.s. your recipes are amazing!!!
Hey Christine,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Seriously SO GOOD!!! my husband doesn’t always like lemon/blueberry together but he loved this. I used coconut milk and all A.P. Flour and seriously just so good. Turned out perfectly!! Thank you!!
Hey Amy,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday? xTieghan
Hi! Do you think I could make this recipe into muffins instead of a loaf? Thanks!!
Hey Julia,
Sure, muffins would work well here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Although it looks pretty, unfortunately this cake just doesn’t work. The addition of almond flour gives the cake a horrible mealy consistency. The flavor of the cake is really mild and a bit boring- even following the directions to steep the earl grey tea. The lemon glaze is the only thing that really makes the cake edible. HFH does great meal recipes (dinner, lunch, etc) but in my experience the baking recipes miss the mark. And as another reviewer mentioned, this recipe is similar to an earl grey yogurt cake from Bone Appetit. You’re better off trying that recipe!
Hey Cat,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
This is amazing! Made it following your gluten free option as my husband can’t have wheat. Unbelievably good! Thank you.
Hey Sue,
I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for giving it a try. Have a great week! xTieghan