Description
To truly appreciate this bake, it is helpful to look at how these distinct flavor components interact within a smaller baking format. This particular dessert is a scaled-down quick bread that infuses standard cake batter with milk that has been thoroughly steeped with whole tea leaves and purple floral buds. Instead of relying on artificial extracts or flavorings, the recipe extracts the natural oils and aromatics directly from the raw ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- ½ tsp culinary dried lavender
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Glaze (Optional)
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1–2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of culinary lavender, finely crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a small loaf pan (approximately 5 x 3 inches).
- Heat the milk until warm but not boiling. Add the Earl Grey tea bags and lavender. Steep for 10 minutes, then remove the tea bags and strain out the lavender. Let cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the infused milk. Mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If desired, whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cooled cake before serving.
Notes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 210 kcal
Keywords: small batch earl grey lavender loaf cake