Earl Grey Honey Cake

Sticky sweet, but not overbearing, this Earl Grey Honey Cake is the perfect companion to your afternoon coffee. It’s one of those cakes that doesn’t try to fight its way into the lime light. It knows that once tried, young and old will come back for more.

We love cakes in our house. Even before having children, my husband always used to make fun of me for “this weird 3pm German thing” we did. What others use to have their daily apple or banana, my family dedicates to come together at the dining table. Over freshly brewed tea and coffee, we share plates of beautiful cakes, all simple yet full of flavour. It’s something that brings us together, lets us relax and gives the required energy to get through the last few hours of the day. 

While we haven’t done overly much of “Kaffee und Kuchen” during our children’s early years, their little German genes recently started to surface and crave this time together. It’s something so beautiful to have your kids run to the table all excited. Their little hands put the iPads aside and reach for the baked goods laid out in front of them. It’s one of those perfect mum moments, when your children get excited about the food you made for them. When they not only finish every crumb, but even ask for more. 

With our kids getting older and snacking more, the rule I have in the house is that they can eat as much as they like of whatever they like – as long as I made it. That means no seconds on store bought cookies, but multiple serves of mine. It’s a super simple rule that gets our kids excited, but also allows me to put a little extra goodness into their favourite snacks.

When I first made this earl grey honey cake I was a little hesitant to serve it to my children. Not because I was worried about the earl grey tea, no. But because I wasn’t sure if they would take to the honey glaze. My oldest especially is suspicious of anything she hasn’t tried before. If she gets wind of an ingredient she doesn’t think to like, it’s game over, no matter how good the taste might be. The zesty taste of orange, combined with bergamot notes of earl grey can sometimes even surprise our adult palettes. But with this earl grey honey cake, no one made a fuss. They all came back for seconds and were so happy (and full) after their afternoon tea. 

So next weekend, why don’t you get your baker’s hat on and whip up some sticky sweet magic for your loved ones?

Tools you may need

Large bundt cake tin

Large mixing bowl

Kitchen scales

Stand mixer like a KitchenAid with paddle attachment

Large frying pan

Silicone spatula

Cooling rack

Silicone brush

Ingredients

• Loose Leaf Earl Grey Tea (black tea)
• Milk, opt for whole milk 
• Self-raising Flour (can be swapped for all purpose flour and baking powder)
• Sugar – white or brown sugar is ok
• Coconut Sugar
• Eggs
• Unsalted butter
• Plain Yoghurt
• Vanilla Extract or vanilla bean paste
• Orange zest
• Orange juice
• Honey

Other cake recipes to try

If you enjoyed my Honey tea cake, why not try one of these sweet treats next:

• Lemon drizzle cake
• Sourdough Zucchini loaf
• Sourdough Carrot Cake
• Rustic Rhubarb Granola Bowl
• Warming Bratapfel Porridge
• Sourdough Oatmeal Choc Chip Cookies
• Almond Flour Shortcut Biscuits
• Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl

How to make Earl Grey Honey Cake from scratch

First thing’s first, preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). You know it’s all about the heat.

In a small pot or small saucepan, combine the milk and loose leaf earl grey tea leaves. On medium heat, bring everything to a simmer. Once bubbling, turn off the stove, remove the pot from the heat and allow for it to sit for about 5 minutes. 

Over a cup or small bowl, put the milk mixture through a strainer to keep the tea-infused milk, but discard the tea leaves. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all cake ingredients including the strained tea and milk mixture. Using a large stand mixer, combine your dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until you have a smooth cake batter.

Grease a large (3 litre) bundt cake tin and transfer your batter into it. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get every little bit. 

Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until fully baked. To test, insert a wooden skewer into your cake after around 40 minutes. If it comes back clean, your cake is done. Should your skewer still have a little bit of liquid dough stuck to it, bake for another 5 to 10 minutes before running the skewer test again. 

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and place it in its tin onto a wire rack to cool. Bundt cake tins can be a little stubborn at times and want to hold onto the cake. It often helps to allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes before gently tipping it upside down to remove the cake. Let the cake cool on the wire rack.

When your cake is cool enough to touch, it’s time to prepare your honey glaze. This is the time to shut your doors and windows. The first time making this cake I was greeted by a whole swarm of bees when cooking my glaze with open windows. Learn from my mistake and shut all doors and windows while preparing the glaze.

Use a large frying pan for the next step. The more surface heat your glaze gets, the quicker it will be to make. Place your pan onto the stove on medium heat. Add your glaze ingredients and let it simmer until it starts to thicken. Keep mixing the glaze while cooking to prevent it from burning or overflowing. You should eventually get a syrup-like consistency. 

Drizzle the glaze over the cake. I find it easiest to use a small spoon or even a brush for this one, as this allows the cake to absorb most of it before it drips off. 

Serve your delicious Honey Tea Cake at room temperature with your favourite tea or coffee.

Tips and tricks for making a delicious Honey Tea Cake

• When making the honey glaze, ensure to close all doors and windows. The swarm of bees my first honey glaze attracted was pretty crazy and it took them a while to buzz off again, so best to be safe.
• Earl Grey tea goes well with most citrus fruit. If you are out of oranges, try and substitute for either lime or lemon juice and lemon zest. 
• If your glaze is quite liquid, use a brush to spread it over your cake. The cake itself will absorb a lot of it, so going slow will prevent this delicious glaze from dripping off and being wasted. 
• Bundt cake tins can be a little temperamental when letting go of the baked cake. If your cake is stuck even after cooling down, use a silicone spatula or small wooden spoon to run along the edges and loosen the cake. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Earl Grey Tea go well with honey?

Yes, Earl Grey tea and honey go incredibly well together. Enjoyed as tea, honey adds a lovely rounded sweetness, that lets Earl Grey be enjoyed both warm and cold. In baked goods such as this earl grey honey cake, honey is used as a sticky glaze to elevate an otherwise plain and simple bundt cake.

What fruit goes well with Earl Grey cake?

Earl grey honey cake goes well with any fruits that pair well with honey. For me, figs and raspberries are top of the list, however stewed pear and apple can also add a beautiful hint of caramelised flavours. Due to its simple flavour and texture, earl grey honey cake is a fuss-free cake that will invite most added fruit with open arms.

What flavours work well with Earl Grey?

The tea flavors of earl grey naturally pair incredibly well with lemon, orange and honey. I often like to experiment and swap a couple of bits and pieces, like trying a squeeze of lime in my tea, instead of lemon. Mandarin can be hit and miss I found, it really depends on the type of mandarin you get. If not in a citrusy mood, a few fresh figs are absolutely delightful with your cup of earl grey tea.

Why did my honey cake collapse?

When cakes are mid-baking and haven’t fully set yet, a cold gust of air that interrupts the otherwise hot baking temperatures, can disrupt the baking process and cause your cake to collapse. This is true for honey cakes, as well as any other type of cake that should rise during baking. For best results, keep the oven door shut and peak through the glass window instead of opening the oven door. Your cake will thank you for it later.