Featured · Baking

Orange Earl Grey Chocolate Cake

Bergamot, dark chocolate, and a whisper of candied orange. This one started with a tin of tea and turned into the most requested recipe I've ever made.

Ingredients

Cake

• 150 g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 35 g cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)
• 175 g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 125 g butter, very soft
• 100 g sour cream, room temperature
• 2 shots strong Earl Grey tea, cooled
• 2 tbsp Tokyo Earl Grey tea leaves, finely ground

Orange Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting

• 226 g cream cheese, cold
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 to 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 300 ml heavy cream, cold

Orange Sugar Syrup

• 60 g granulated sugar
• 120 ml water
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 to 3 tbsp fresh orange juice

Method

1. 1 Preheat oven to 325°F and position a rack in the center. Grease and line a deep 7-inch round cake pan.
2. 2 In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until smooth and slightly fluffy. Add eggs and mix until fully incorporated.
3. 3 Mix in sour cream, vanilla extract, and the cooled Tokyo Earl Grey tea until smooth.
4. 4 In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. 5 Sift in cocoa powder and whisk until combined, then stir in the finely ground Tokyo Earl Grey tea.
6. 6 Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 1 to 2 additions, mixing gently until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and give a final brief mix to ensure no dry pockets remain.
7. 7 Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top.
8. 8 Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. 9 Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely.
10. 10 Make the syrup by heating sugar, water, and orange zest until dissolved, then stir in orange juice and let cool.
11. 11 Make the frosting by beating cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and orange zest until smooth.
12. 12 Add orange juice, then pour in cold heavy cream and whip until medium peaks form.
13. 13 Slice the cake into 3 layers. Brush each layer generously with orange syrup and spread frosting between each layer.
14. 14 Spread the remaining frosting on top, chill for at least 1 hour, then slice and serve.

Tips & Notes

Use blood oranges when in season for a more dramatic colour and flavour. The tea goes in finely ground, not steeped, so make sure to grind it as fine as you can before adding it to the batter. This cake keeps well for 3 days at room temperature and actually improves as the flavours meld.