earl grey almond yogurt cake

May 2, 2012

I do not own a teapot.

One could argue that I know plenty of other life skills to make up for it, such as how to correctly address a formal letter to the Italian Consulate of New York, or that boiling a pan with a bit of water and baking soda will dissolve away any trace of a lingering sauce, or bake booze into anything and you have the best party trick OF ALL TIME.

All these important tidbits aside, you are full-grown when you have a teapot you can call your own.

Perhaps it is in part to my Scottish ancestry but just like our scones, my family takes tea seriously. They also take it freshly brewed from a royal blue teapot with milk and sugar, but those are details that are really just a matter of taste.

Fancy cups, matching saucers, tiny spoons, sugar bowls with lids, creamers…omgz…I think I just figured out the reason why they call it a tea party!

Let’s be real, half the fun of drinking tea is the accessories that come with it and drinking from a fancy cup with a pinky finger held high.

My mom confirms this truth by owning – and using! – a tiny lemon-shaped sponge that slips on the spout to catch any drips. I’m serious! They actually make those! I’m fairly certain she bought it because she was tired of cleaning up tea rings on the table but she is the queen of making practical everyday objects extra classy without even trying. Admit it though, those pesky drips can be super annoying.

I do have quite a collection of tiny spoons so I’m ready when my cabinets are to accept the teapot into our home for a party. However, in the meantime I’m happy to just bake with my tea and drink it by the single cupful.

The base for this everyday and not too sweet loaf cake starts with black tea steeped in milk. Once the flavors start to come out mix it up with a good hit of yogurt to ensure nary a dry crumb and then top it all off with a sprinkling of toasted sliced almonds for a little crunch.

This easy little cake is best served warm in generous slices for breakfast, an afternoon snack or on the late night when no one is looking.

Earl Grey Almond Yogurt Cake
Makes one 8×4 loaf

3 bags (6 grams) earl grey tea leaves
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 1/4 cup (156 grams) flour
1 cup (100 grams) almond flour
2 teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
1 cup (215 grams) sugar
zest + juice of one lemon
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
2/3 cup (160 grams) yogurt
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup (22 grams) sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 8×4 loaf pan, line with parchment and butter the paper. Set aside.

In a small saucepan combine the milk and the tea leaves (I snipped the top off the tea bags and emptied them right into the pan) and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk is warm and tea begins to steep. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. In a small bowl (or liquid measuring cup) whisk together the oil, yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla and mix until the oil and yogurt have combined. Stir in the milk and tea leaves. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, whisking briefly to break the yolks, then add to the yogurt mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well using several quick strokes. Be careful not to overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.


 

{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }

erin May 2, 2012 at 8:04 am

tea + cake =sold. i’m a sucker for anything this sweet that can be eaten with equal gusto morning or night, judgment-free. shall we just call it breakfast cake? and hoorah for the yogurt, makes everything better.

Reply

Eileen May 2, 2012 at 1:36 pm

This is exactly my ideal cake–easy, non-fussy, moist, not too sweet. Plus the cake itself–not a tower of glurgy frosting–is the star of the show. I heartily approve.

Reply

thelittleloaf May 3, 2012 at 8:21 am

Gorgeous cake. I love using tea to flavour baked goods and almond flour always makes the crumb so deliciously tender.

Reply

Julie @ Willow Bird Baking May 3, 2012 at 2:56 pm

Congratulations on your SAVEUR award, Lillie — it was well-deserved. You have a lovely blog that I’m excited to follow 🙂

Reply

Lillie May 5, 2012 at 11:01 am

Thank you so much!!

Reply

Shaara May 4, 2012 at 1:05 pm

Lillie, a huge congrats!!!!
I’m super excited for you!
You are an inspiration : )

Reply

Lillie May 5, 2012 at 11:01 am

Aw thank you so much! xo

Reply

Jean May 5, 2012 at 2:35 am

Hope you had a big celebration. Congratulations. Your dad was pretty excited for you:-)

Reply

Lillie May 5, 2012 at 11:00 am

Thank you Jean!

Reply

Deb May 6, 2012 at 11:47 am

I’ve developed an interest in baking with tea and was delighted to find your post with Earl Grey. A lovely cake indeed!

Reply

Virginia May 7, 2012 at 8:29 am

Me gusta mucho tu blog , te felicito ya que salio premiado como uno de los mejores .
Desde Argentina mis saludos , te dejo mi blog de cocina hogareña http://www.acocinar.bligoo.cl.

Reply

Shaara May 27, 2012 at 5:17 pm

Made this on a lazy 3-day weekend Sunday… this is a wonderful brunch cake. The Earl Grey really adds an interesting, complementary flavor.

Reply

Lillie May 30, 2012 at 12:09 pm

Yay! It is a perfect lazy day cake! 🙂

Reply

CD September 12, 2012 at 5:51 pm

Can you use almond milk in place of the milk?

Reply

Lillie September 12, 2012 at 6:23 pm

Yes, I think it would work perfectly in this cake. I’d love to know how it turns out!

Reply

Saucy Spatula October 10, 2012 at 10:04 am

I’ve made Earl Grey Tea Cookies before and this recipe just sounds increditable!

Reply

Li @ Words and Cake October 16, 2012 at 7:05 pm

Hey, I tried this a while ago with chai tea instead of earl grey and it turned out great! Check it out on my blog http://wordsandcake.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/chai-almond-teacake.html 🙂

Reply

Lillie October 18, 2012 at 8:49 am

It looks great and chai sounds wonderful in this cake!!!

Reply

Emilia January 12, 2013 at 9:47 am

I made this for the first time last week, and thought when it came out of the oven that I’d put too much lemon zest/juice in …. the next day, all the flavors had come together and it was DELICIOUS! The crumb is moist and light, and the taste is just sweet enough to be satisfying without being overwhelming. Thanks for the recipe!!

Reply

Lillie January 12, 2013 at 3:41 pm

Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear it was a success!

Reply

Sarah April 15, 2013 at 10:10 am

Oh Lillie, I made this but put the batter in tiny-tiny muffin-cases (actually für truffles). They were delicious and adorable, you would have loved them!

Reply

Lillie April 24, 2013 at 3:28 pm

Sounds too adorable! Glad they were enjoyed! xo

Reply

Geni October 13, 2013 at 10:32 am

this cake is absolutely awesome! I made one Thursday and here it is Sunday and I’ve got another one in the oven. I put 4 teabags in this loaf so we’ll see how that turns out. Oh my, the flavors! I love the blend of tea, lemon and almond all in one bite! Oh yeah, I’m buttered up!

Reply

Lillie October 22, 2013 at 12:17 pm

Wonderful! I’m so glad it has been enjoyed! Happy baking!

Reply

Deanna January 27, 2018 at 1:07 am

In the oven now. Can’t wait to see n taste the result !

Reply

Deanna January 27, 2018 at 1:08 am

In the oven now. Can’t wait to see and taste the result!

Reply

Jennifer Li February 26, 2020 at 5:33 pm

AHMAZING recipe. Wow so delicious. The crust was nice and crispy, inside was moist. You can really taste the lemon. So easy to make as well. Thanks!!!

Reply

Cancel reply

Leave a Comment

{ 2 trackbacks }