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.

Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake | halfbakedharvest.com

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).

raw blueberries

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.

cake before baking

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.

glaze being drizzled on 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.

overhead photo of Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake

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.

overhead close up photo of Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake

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.

close up photo of Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake slice

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.

Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

@halfbakedharvest

blueberry lemon cake #lemonloaf #earlgreycake #earlgrey #blueberry #lemon #cake #homebaking #starbucks #poundcake

♬ Elevator Music – Bohoman

Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
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.

SavePrintEmail

Ingredients

Lemon Glaze

US Customary – Metric

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. 
View Recipe Comments
Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake | halfbakedharvest.com

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. SAME. I HATE any kind of hot tea except tea that’s extremely similar to chai or chai itself. That’s the only tea I like hot. But I’d really like to try baking with the flavors! Other than this cake, what other tea infused desserts to you recommend? Abigail
    P.S. I made your chai cupcakes recently and loved them.

    Reply

    1. Hi Patricia,
      Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Sorry about the bundt pan, but this recipe is intended for a loaf pan:) xx

      Reply

    1. Hi Allie,
      I’ve never made this cake as cupcakes, I think they would be more similar to muffins. But, I would reduce the bake time to 20-25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe! xx

      Reply

  4. Is it possible to make this recipe in a regular 9″ cake pan instead of a loaf pan? Would I need to make any modifications?

    Reply

    1. Hi Renee,
      Sure, that would work for you! I would just keep an eye on it towards the 40 minute baking mark:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. When steeping the tea in the milk, my milk reduced to 1/4 cup. Is this what I need, or should I add another 1/4 cup to make a 1/2 cup of milk total? I hope this makes sense. Just don’t want have too little liquid and the cake be dry!! Making for Easter 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Amanda,
      You need to remove the milk from the heat once it comes to a low boil, so yes you will want to add more milk, you should have 1/4 cup of milk:) I hope this makes sense! xTieghan

      Reply

      1. Yes, thank you! I wound up with 1/4 cup milk and it turned out delish! I made this along with your baked Gruyère puff pastry and they were both a hit! Everyone wanted the recipes 🙂

        Reply

        1. Hi Amanda,
          Wonderful!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear that it was a winner! xxT

          Reply

  6. Do you think regular breakfast tea would be ok in this recipe? I want to make it for my mom’s 60th birthday 🙂

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Made this for the weekend and it was full of lemon and blueberry goodness. The Earl grey tea flavour with this was subtle, but delicious. Great recipe, thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Colleen,
      Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    I made this today for a new guy that I’m seeing and I brought it to his house for dessert and he asked if he could keep the rest, soooo I’d say this is a winner! I followed the recipe exactly (I didn’t use the almond flour, I went the all regular flour route). Super easy and so flavorful! And moist ?

    Reply

    1. Hey Lacey,
      Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Made this for my mom for her birthday. It was delicious! Will be a go to recipe. I baked it for 60 minutes however next time I would try 55!

    Reply

  10. Definitely too mealy and the ratio of liquid to powdered sugar was off and created a far too runny glaze. The citrus dominated and the blueberry and earl grey was lost 🙁

    Reply

    1. Hi Sheila,
      You can follow the recipe as is, no adjustments needed. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xTieghan

      Reply

        1. Hi there,
          Yes, that will work well for you!! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan

          Reply

  15. I just made this cake and it is delicious! The texture is very light and fluffy and the earl grey is a beautiful compliment to the orange and lemon flavors. I personally love earl grey tea and so this cake was a hit for me! I would definitely make this again.

    Reply