This Earl Grey Yogurt Cake Recipe will fast become your go-to option when looking for a simple, yet tasty cake. Made in one bowl, with no special equipment, the batter is infused with ground tea leaves for a fragrant, bergamot scented bite. Topped in a blood orange glaze, this may be the most delicious yet simple cake you've made in a while.
The flavour of earl grey tea always has, and I mean, always been one of my favourite flavour additions in baked goods. You'll have seen several earl grey infused recipes on my website, such as my Earl Grey Lemon Cupcakes, Earl Grey Creme Brulee Tart, and Earl Grey French Toast.
My personal favourite has to be the Earl Grey Cupcakes filled with Blackberry Curd - a beautiful combination together! Earl Grey tea is an incredibly versatile ingredient, in that it works perfectly with chocolate and all the citrus fruits plus berries and stone fruits. How versatile is that for humble tea leaves!
Every French child grows up learning to bake a simple yogurt cake. It's one of those basic baking recipes that pass down from generation to generation. Traditionally it's made using the yogurt pot as a measure with the 1-2-1 method (1 pot yogurt - 2 pots flour - 1 pot sugar).
Today I'm sharing with you a variation of my classic French Yogurt Cake (which I'll share with you soon, promise!). I've taken inspiration from Bon Appétite by adding earl grey into the batter (you can't go wrong with this addition!) and then topped the cake with a blood orange glaze. This moist sponge with a tender crumb has been given the perfect Spring makeover.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple to make. Made in one bowl and with no electric mixer required, this is as simple as you could get when making a cake.
- It's so versatile. Sub the Greek yogurt for natural yogurt, vegetable oil for olive oil, leave out the tea leaves or sub the blood orange for lemon. You can make this your own incredibly easily.
- Smells and tastes insane! This is one of those loaf cakes that your guests (and you) will be chomping at the bit to get to whilst it's baking. The smell is intoxicating, and the taste most definitely does not disappoint.
Ingredients needed
For the Earl Grey Yogurt Cake
- Eggs - provide structure and, more importantly, moisture to the sponge. Make sure to whip them for the required time.
- Sugar - needed to sweeten
- Vanilla extract - to add extra flavour.
- Yogurt - I use Greek yogurt as the natural tang cuts through the sweetness. Substitute with plain natural yogurt or sour cream. Adding this provides a crumb that is so moist and tender!
- Oil - I use vegetable oil as I want the flavour to be neutral, but substitute with olive oil but note that the taste of olive oil will be more robust.
- Plain flour - provides structure to the sponge, but make sure to sift it into the whisked eggs.
- Earl grey tea leaves - our hero flavour component. I use ground tea from inside Earl Grey teabags. I prefer the super fine texture. You can use loose leaf tea but I find the texture grainy in the baked cake which I’m not a fan of. If you have loos leaf then grind it in a pestle and mortar.
- Baking powder, baking soda and salt - the powder and soda act as a leavening agent and provides lift to the sponge. The salt acts as a balance to the sweetness.
For the blood orange glaze, optional
Powdered Icing Sugar, a little Greek yogurt and blood orange juice as used to create a beautiful soft pink glaze to coat the top of the Earl Grey Cake.
Blood oranges are only available for such a small amount of time, so if you can’t find them, don’t worry. Substitute with fresh lemon or regular oranges that are found year-round. Add a couple of drops of red natural food colouring if you want to achieve that pretty pink colour.
Step-by-step instructions
This truly is the simplest one-bowl cake to make. The perfect for weekday baking!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients & instructions!*
Make the Earl Grey Cake
1. Prepare your pan—grease the base and sides of a 2lb loaf pan. Line with parchment paper leaving an inch or so of the paper to overhang the sides to form a sling later on. It makes it way easier to lift the cake out once baked. (Image 1)
2. Whip the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, using a whisk, whip the eggs and sugar until they turn light, pale and aerated. If doing this by hand don't whisk for less than a minute. We want lots of air in the mixture! This is your arm workout for the day! (Image 2)
TIP: If you want to use a hand-held electric beater fitted with the whisk attachment then by all means go for it!
3. Mix in yogurt and oil. Add the Greek yogurt and the vegetable oil into the mixing bowl and whisk until just combined. (Image 3 & 4)
4. Sift in dry ingredients. We're keeping it simple and sifting the dry ingredients directly into our mixing bowl. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt through a fine-mesh sieve onto the whisked eggs. Then add the Earl Grey tea leaves. If using a teabag, just cut it open and pour those tea leaves right into the mixture. (Image 5 & 6)
Fold together gently. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined and a few flour streaks remain. (Image 7 & 8)
6. Pour into prepared pan and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and level off the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. (Image 9)
The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, and the cake is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely. (Image 10)
Make the blood orange glaze
I added the blood orange glaze as I love the natural colour that blood oranges give to everything and I wanted to make the most of them still being in season. Next time I'll add the zest to the loaf also.
But the glaze isn’t essential, this Earl Grey Cake recipe is still a winner without it!
1. Add powdered sugar and orange juice into a bowl and whisk together. Make sure to sift the powdered sugar otherwise you may get a lumpy glaze! (Image 11)
Add Greek Yogurt to the glaze. I add yogurt to the glaze as I love the tang that cuts the sweetness of the icing sugar. But it will make the glaze a bit runnier. (Image 12)
TIP: If you prefer a thicker glaze then omit the yogurt or increase the amount of powdered icing sugar you use, by 30g (¼ cup) at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
2. Pour the blood orange glaze over the cake, leave it to set for ten minutes or so, slice and serve alongside a cup of tea! (Image 13)
Variations
By simply omitting the tea leaves from the recipe, you can turn this earl grey loaf recipe into a base recipe. From there you can create your own favourite yogurt cake or loaf. My favourites include:
- French Yogurt Cake: Keep it simple by flavouring the batter with vanilla bean extract. Baked in a round tin or loaf pan, this humble, everyday cake is a staple in our house.
- Orange Yogurt Cake: Add a teaspoon of orange blossom water and orange zest to the batter and sprinkle the top with coarse sugar before baking for extra crunch.
- Blueberry Yogurt Loaf: Add a handful of fresh blueberries to the batter for little pops of fruity sweetness.
Pro tips
- Weigh your flour. Use digital scales for an accurate measurement. Too much flour will lead to a dry sponge that can crack when rolling.
- Don't overmix. Once the dry ingredients are added to the mixture, fold through gently to knock out the air. Mix until a few flour streaks remain. It's tempting to keep mixing the beautiful batter, but it'll result in a chewy sponge, and we definitely don't want that.
- Don't overbake. We've added yogurt into our sponge to create extra moisture and then we've been careful not to over mix the batter. It would be such a shame to overbake the loaf and ruin it. Insert a toothpick into the sponge and it should come out with a few moist crumbs only. Cover with foil if the top browns too quickly and continue baking.
Frequently asked questions
It's basically black tea leaves that have the oils from the bergamot orange added to the leaves. That’s what gives the taste and smell such a beautiful, fragrant flavour. It's our favourite tea here in the UK so if you’ve never tried it I strongly urge you to!
One hundred per cent of course! I would recommend a 23cm (9-inch) cake pan. Check the cake at 35 minutes and bake until done.
How to store and freeze
To Store: The Earl Grey Yogurt Cake is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Either freeze as a whole wrapped well in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Or slice and wrap individual slices in plastic wrap. The yogurt cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Leave out on the countertop to thaw.
Tools you’ll need
- Large mixing bowl: You only need this one bowl to prepare the batter for ultimate ease.
- Whisk: I make this cake by hand but if you prefer to use an electric hand-held beater, go for it.
- Rubber spatula: This allows you to scrape right to the bottom of the bowl when folding in the dry ingredients, making sure there are no remaining pockets of flour.
- 2 lb loaf pan 23x14cm (9x5.5inch): The ideal pan for the loaf shape.
More simple cake recipes
If you tried this Earl Grey Yogurt Cake or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how you go in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Also, please leave a star rating whilst you're there!
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Earl Grey Yogurt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Earl Grey cake batter
- 2 large eggs
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 240 g Greek yogurt (or plain natural)
- 180 ml vegetable oil (or canola)
- 250 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 6 g Earl Grey Tea leaves , ground
Orange glaze
- 180 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 30 ml fresh orange juice, blood orange or navel orange
- 15 g Greek yogurt
Instructions
Earl Grey cake batter
- Heat oven & prep pan: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Grease with butter a 2 lb loaf pan 23 x 14cm (9 x 5.5-inch) and line the base and sides with parchment paper.
- Whisk eggs & sugar: In a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until pale and light - this takes approximately one minute.
- Mix in yogurt & oil: Add the Greek yogurt and oil and whisk until fully combined
- Sift in dry ingredients: Sift into the bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then add the ground Earl Grey tea leaves. (See note)Fold together gently: Using a spatula, fold gently until a few streaks of flour remain.
- Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake on the centre shelf for 50-55 minutes until golden brown and the sponge springs back or a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake is browning too quickly then cover in aluminium foil and continue to bake. Cool on a wire rack for ten minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely.
Orange Glaze, optional
- Whisk: Add powdered icing sugar and orange juice into a small bowl and whisk together. Add Greek yogurt and whisk until combined. If the glaze is too runny, then add more powdered sugar 30g (¼ cup) at a time and mix until desired consistency is reached.
- Pour: Pour glaze over cooled cake and set aside for ten minutes for the glaze to harden. Slice and serve.
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Julia
I’ve made this cake twice now and yum!! Love it. I can never find blood oranges so used a naval orange the first time and grapefruit the second. I also added grapefruit zest to the cake and loved the extra citrus flavours! This has become my go to cake.
Emma
Hi Julia, You are a star!! Thank you so much for providing such fabulous feedback! Subbing the blood orange for grapefruit or naval oranges is perfect. Makes me so happy to know that you love it. It's such an easy loaf to pull together x
Krystal
I followed the recipe exactly, except for the addition of a little bit of orange zest and chocolate pieces in the batter. It came out fantastic! I would highly recommend. My mom doesn't like tea, but even she liked this recipe!
Emma
Hi Krystal, The zest and chocolate addition to my Earl Grey Yogurt Cake sound absolutely incredible. Thanks so much for leaving such a lovely review and it thrills me that your mum loved it! Emma
Julia Rudholzner
Hello Emma, thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Here's me making it for the n-th time this year (substituting blackberry juice for blood orange today). I love coming back to your blog for the insightful instructions and beautiful pictures every time I make this! I have one suggestion though to make it even more quick: how about giving the grams for the oil instead of ml, since we already got the scales out? I weighed mine out today and I get 160g for 180ml of oil. Since I probably won't remember this next time, it would be so helpful to find it in the ingredients.
Cake smells absolutely delicious just coming out of the oven as I am writing.
Love, Julia
Emma
Hi Julia, What brilliant feedback - I'm so happy that you love the process images and instructions. And you make such a valid point. When weighing in grams- the scales are definitely already out and it makes total sense to add the liquid measurements in grams too. I will definitely do this from now on and over time will update all the recipes on my site. Thank you for this,
Emma
Malvika
This is such a delicious and easy to follow recipe. I was in need of a quick and easy bake, and this was so easy to whip up AND is one of the yummiest things I’ve baked. I made a couple small adjustments: I used an Earl Grey blend that had rose and lavender added to it and did a plain glaze with vanilla extract instead of the blood orange. I also used homemade Indian plain yoghurt instead of Greek yoghurt and it still worked perfectly so it seems this recipe is really easy to work with based on what you have around.
Thank you for such a lovely recipe, Emma! I will be saving this one for sure and look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Emma
Those changes you made sound absolutely delightful. Thank you for such wonderful, positive feedback Malvika. It's a great versatile recipe, leave out the earl grey and customize it to your heart's desire!
Emma
Diane
Hi!
This may be a silly question - do I cut the tea bag so the leaves fall out and pour them in the batter? Can’t wait to make, sounds so delicious!
Emma
Hi Diane, Yes absolutely, add the tea leaves right into the batter. Just make sure that they are ground. (See notes on this in the recipe card.) Thanks
Emma