There’s just something magical about baking where familiar flavors get a little makeover, right? I swear, if you haven’t tried baking with tea yet, you are missing out on a whole new level of cozy. Forget your usual chocolate chip routine for one afternoon! This Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days is my ultimate go-to when I need a hug in dessert form. It takes that sophisticated, slightly floral perfume of Earl Grey—you know, the bergamot that makes it sing—and mixes it right into a perfectly moist vanilla base.
I first started experimenting with tea in baking when I realized my afternoon ritual of a London Fog latte wasn’t quite cutting it during a chilly afternoon. This cake mimics that amazing creamy, fragrant profile without any fuss. Trust me, once you nail the milk infusion, this cake transforms everything!
Why This Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days is a Must-Try
I promise you, this London Fog creation is worth a spot in your baking rotation. It’s not some fussy, complicated pastry that takes all day. It’s designed for real life—those mornings when you just need a warm slice with your second cup of coffee.
- The texture is unreal—super tender and beautifully moist, thanks to infusing the milk.
- You get that signature, delicate Earl Grey flavor that’s instantly comforting.
- The glaze is so simple but adds the perfect touch of sweetness on top.
- It nails that ‘cozy day’ vibe we’re all looking for in a baked treat!
Quick Prep and Bake Time for Your Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days
We’re talking almost instant gratification here. The prep time is only about 20 minutes, which is fantastic for an afternoon bake. Plus, the total time, including the 35 minutes in the oven, means you can have this Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days ready before your favorite show starts! It’s honestly lightning fast.
Essential Ingredients for Your Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days
Okay, the ingredients list for this cake looks pretty standard, but trust me, the magic happens in how we treat two specific things: the butter and the tea! We need everything ready to go so we don’t rush the mixing process. I always lay everything out on the counter first. Make sure that butter is truly softened—like, if you poke it, your finger sinks right in but it isn’t greasy or melted at all.
For the actual cake batter, grab:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (don’t skip this! It balances the sugar!)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (make sure these are room temperature too!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
And for the simple drizzle glaze that pulls it all together, you’ll just need:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
My biggest tip here, and why I call this E-E-A-T worthy, is about the tea. Don’t use the cheapest stuff you have! The bergamot oil in quality Earl Grey is what gives you that signature London Fog aroma. We want a really good, fragrant tea bag because that’s where 90% of our flavor is coming from.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for the Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days
Let’s talk tea adjustments! If you happen to have loose leaf Earl Grey—which is sometimes even better than bags—you can definitely swap that in. Just use about 1 teaspoon of the loose leaves steeped in the milk instead. Also, if you are making this on a truly dreary day and want an intensely strong tea flavor that punches through? Steep those tea bags for a full 20 minutes instead of the required 15 later on. It just deepens that floral note beautifully.
Step-by-Step Instructions for the Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days
Okay, here is where we put all those amazing ingredients to work! Trust my timing on this; rushing the steps is what makes a cake turn out dense or dry. We are moving smoothly from infusing the milk to whipping up that light batter. I always have my wire rack ready for cooling, and I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to check your oven temperature first. If you’re curious about other quick recipes while this bakes, check out my guide on how to make perfect homemade pancakes!
Making the Earl Grey Infused Milk for the Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days
This is the heart of the whole cake, so don’t cheat the clock here! First, you need to steep those two Earl Grey tea bags right in the 1 cup of whole milk. Get the milk hot—not boiling—and let those bags hang out for a full 15 minutes. This gives the flavor plenty of time to transfer. Once that time is up, pull those bags out and let the milk cool down a touch before we use it in the batter.
Assembling and Baking Your Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days
We start by setting the oven to 350°F (175°C) and getting those 8-inch pans prepped—grease and flour them up nice! Then, cream your softened butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy—that takes a few minutes on medium speed. Add the eggs one by one, then slowly alternate adding the flour mixture (which you whisked with baking powder and salt earlier) with that beautiful Earl Grey milk. Start and end with the dry stuff. Mix until it’s *just* combined. Seriously, stop when the streaks disappear; overmixing cake batter is amateur hour!
Divide the batter evenly and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. When the toothpick comes out clean? You’re golden. Let them cool in the pans for exactly 10 minutes before flipping them onto a wire rack to cool completely before we glaze them up!
Tips for Success with Your Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days
Baking is chemistry, but I think of it more like gentle persuasion! To make sure this Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days comes out absolutely perfect every single time, you need to treat your ingredients right. The number one mistake people make with any butter cake is using ingredients straight from the fridge. Those eggs and that butter must be at room temperature!
When they are soft and flexible, they trap air when you cream them, which gives you that light, springy crumb we are aiming for. If they are cold, they just smash together and you end up with a heavy cake, and honestly, who wants a heavy London Fog? No one!
Also, pan preparation is non-negotiable here. Since we have a delicate glaze going on top, we need these layers to release cleanly. I always go overboard with the grease and flour, making sure every single corner of those 8-inch pans is coated. If you’re having trouble with sticky cakes in general, I once wrote a little piece on how to make sure everything releases smoothly, you can check out some of those tricks in my one-bowl apple cake guide—many of the prep tips apply here!
Finally, let’s talk glazing consistency. When you mix up that simple heavy cream glaze, you want it definitely pourable, but not watery. If you find you’ve accidentally used too much milk or it seems too thin, just whisk in a tiny extra tablespoon of powdered sugar until it drips slowly off your whisk. You want it to coat the top but still drizzle down the sides naturally. If it’s too thin, it disappears into the cake instead of resting beautifully on top.
Serving Suggestions for the Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days
So, you’ve got your perfectly baked, beautifully glazed London Fog cake sitting on the counter—now what?! That delicate vanilla and tea flavor is really versatile. If you decided to use that simple cream glaze I mentioned, that’s often enough all on its own when paired with a hot cup of tea, obviously!
But if you want to dress it up a bit for company, don’t weigh it down with heavy frostings. A few fresh raspberries or thinly sliced strawberries on top look gorgeous and the little burst of tartness cuts through the sweetness so nicely. If you skip the glaze entirely, a simple, soft dusting of powdered sugar is elegant and lets the Earl Grey aroma really hit you first. It’s really beautiful in its simplicity!
Storing Your Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days
This is one of those cakes that tastes great the next day, which is a real win! Once that glaze has set up completely—and I mean totally firm—you want to cover it up tight. I just cover the cake plate with some plastic wrap snugly, or you can transfer slices to an airtight container.
Since this cake isn’t loaded with dairy cream cheese frosting, it’s perfectly fine right on the counter for about two days. Any longer than that, or if your kitchen is really warm, tuck it into the fridge to keep the moisture in. Honestly though, with a cake this good, two days is usually the absolute longest it lasts around here!
Frequently Asked Questions About the London Fog Cake
I know you’ll have questions! When you introduce a new flavor like Earl Grey into a classic cake structure, people always want to check the details. That’s smart baking! We want zero guesswork here. If you’ve got more questions after reading these, feel free to hop over to my contact page, although I bet these next few cover everything you need for making the perfect Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days.
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Absolutely! Cakes often taste better the next day once the flavors have settled in. However, here is the golden rule: Bake the layers completely and cool them fully, but DO NOT glaze them until you are ready to serve or within a few hours of serving. If you glaze it too early, the moisture from the glaze can sit weirdly on the cake top or make the layers stick together if you stack them.
How do I ensure the Earl Grey flavor is strong enough in the Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days?
This is the flavor payoff question! If you follow the recipe, you’ll get a delicate, lovely flavor. But if you want it bold—really screaming ‘London Fog’—go for a high-quality Earl Grey brand. I mentioned it before, but don’t be shy about that steeping time. Push that 15 minutes to 18 or 20 minutes if your kitchen isn’t too cold. The longer the tea bag sits in the hot milk, the more bergamot essence gets into your batter!
What kind of milk is best for steeping the tea?
The recipe calls for whole milk, and honestly, I strongly recommend sticking with that. Since the fat content in whole milk carries flavor better than skim milk, using 2% or whole milk ensures that all those lovely bergamot oils from the Earl Grey transfer nicely into the liquid we use in our batter. Using anything less just means the flavor infusion won’t be as rich when you make your Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days.
Estimated Nutritional Information for This Cake
Now, let’s talk numbers, though I always say baking for joy counts for more than calories! Remember that these details are just good estimates based on the recipe as written. Things like how much butter you use when greasing the pan, or the exact brand of sugar you reach for, can change these slightly. These numbers help you budget your treats!
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 35g
- Fat: 19g
- Protein: 5g
So, 350 calories for a slice of this cozy cake isn’t too bad, considering how rich and satisfying it is. Just promise me you’ll enjoy every single bite!
Share Your Irresistible London Fog Cake Recipe For Cozy Days Experience
Now that you’ve gone through every step of making this fragrant, cozy cake, I absolutely need to know how it turned out for you! Baking is definitely better when shared, right? I put all my best tips in there, but every home kitchen has its own quirks, so I want to hear all about it.
Did you stick with the simple vanilla glaze, or did you try something fun? Let me know in the comments below! If you managed to get a beautiful picture of your finished London Fog layer cake—especially if you paired it with a good book and a blanket—I would love, love, love to see it!
Tag me on social media if you post any pictures! It truly makes my entire week when I see my recipes coming to life in your kitchens. Seeing your success reminds me why I love sharing all these baking secrets in the first place. If you found this recipe helpful and you’re looking for more baking inspiration from my kitchen travels, check out the ‘About Me’ section right here on the site at my main page!
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Irresistible London Fog Cake
- Total Time: 55 min
- Yield: 1 cake (8 servings) 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple recipe for a moist cake flavored with Earl Grey tea and vanilla.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
- Steep the Earl Grey tea bags in the hot milk for 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and let the milk cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the steeped milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, heat the heavy cream until just simmering. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake layers.
Notes
- You can use 1 teaspoon of loose leaf Earl Grey tea instead of tea bags; steep it in the milk for 15 minutes and then strain the milk.
- For a stronger tea flavor, steep the tea bags for an extra 5 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 35
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 19
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 75
Keywords: London Fog Cake, Earl Grey Cake, Tea Cake, Vanilla Cake, Simple Cake