Cake · Baking

London Fog Cake

London Fog cake is for the earl grey lovers every layer is infused with fragrant bergamot and a hint of lavender that makes it feel like the most elegant afternoon tea in cake form. The sponge is tender and lightly perfumed, and the frosting is silky, floral, and beautiful in its simplicity. It is a cake that looks impressive on a table and tastes even better than it looks. Paired with an actual cup of earl grey, it is one of the most satisfying combinations I know. This is the birthday cake I would choose for myself.

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 Warm the milk until steaming, add Earl Grey tea, steep 5–7 minutes, strain, and let cool.
2 Whisk egg yolks, sugar, oil, and the cooled Earl Grey milk until smooth.
3 Sift in cake flour, baking powder, and salt; mix until fully combined.
4 Beat egg whites until frothy, slowly add sugar, and whip to stiff peaks.
5 Fold one-third of the meringue into the yolk mixture, then gently fold in the rest until no streaks remain.
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 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 Remove from heat and let cool completely, then strain out tea leaves.
9 Add sugar and vanilla extract. Whip with a mixer until medium to stiff peaks form.
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.