Cake · Baking

London Fog Cake

I went through a London fog phase in my first winter in Toronto where I was ordering one from every coffee shop I walked past. Eventually I decided to make one into a cake. Earl grey steeped directly into the cream and the milk gives the layers a tea flavour that is present without being overpowering. The lavender is optional but I think it makes the cake.

Ingredients

Earl Grey Chiffon Cake

• 6 egg yolks
• 150g granulated sugar
• 120ml neutral oil
• 220ml warm milk
• 2 tbsp cream of earl grey tea
• 225g cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 egg whites
• 80g granulated sugar

Lavender Buttercream Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp Lavender Buttercream loose leaf tea
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. 1 Warm the milk until steaming, add Earl Grey tea, steep 5–7 minutes, strain, and let cool.
2. 2 Whisk egg yolks, sugar, oil, and the cooled Earl Grey milk until smooth.
3. 3 Sift in cake flour, baking powder, and salt; mix until fully combined.
4. 4 Beat egg whites until frothy, slowly add sugar, and whip to stiff peaks.
5. 5 Fold one-third of the meringue into the yolk mixture, then gently fold in the rest until no streaks remain.
6. 6 Pour batter into an ungreased chiffon/tube pan and bake at 350°F for 45–50 minutes. Immediately invert the pan and cool fully before releasing the cake.
7. 7 For the cream, heat heavy cream in a pan over medium heat. Add tea leaves and steep for 5–7 minutes. Do not boil.
8. 8 Remove from heat and let cool completely, then strain out tea leaves.
9. 9 Add sugar and vanilla extract. Whip with a mixer until medium to stiff peaks form.
10. 10 Assemble the cake by layering with the whipped cream. Pipe onto cake and garnish with extra tea leaves.

Tips & Notes

Use loose leaf earl grey if you can for a more intense flavour. The lavender in the frosting should be subtle start with a small amount and taste as you go. This cake is beautiful served with a cup of earl grey tea on the side.