London fog is one of my favorite drinks in the winter, but few coffee shops tend to have it on their menu. While I was doing homework for grad school, my desire for this tea latte motivated me to create a tea inspired snack to propel my studying. So, I set out to make a treat that replicated the Earl Grey and vanilla flavor of a London fog. Insert- the London fog tea cake. This tea cake is made up of an orange, Earl Grey batter and topped with a vanilla and orange icing. The orange compliments the bergamot from the tea and balances out the sweetness of the vanilla. If you plan on making these for breakfast, feel free to skip the icing if you desire.
I took inspiration from the Earl Grey muffins by Gay Lea. I added 1 tsp of orange zest to the batter and reduced the Earl Grey tea from 1/4 cup to 2 T, using about 6 tea bags. For the icing I used powdered sugar, vanilla bean and extract, and freshly squeezed orange juice. I recommend baking the cakes at 375 for the first 5 minutes, and then reducing the temperature back down to 325 for the remainder of the baking time. This will help ensure the cakes rise properly while baking.
London Fog Tea Cakes
Recipe by
Servings
12 servings
Prep time
10 min
Cooking time
15 min
London Fog inspired tea cakes are a muffin-like snack made with Earl Grey tea and topped with a vanilla-orange icing. They make a great sweet breakfast and an even better afternoon study snack. Feel free to leave out the icing if you prefer. I have had them both ways and they are delicious with or without the icing. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- tsp grated orange zest
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves
- 3/4 cup butter melted
Icing
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Orange juice (approx 1/2 tsp)
Directions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 375. Place 12 muffin liners in a muffin pan.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add in baking soda, powder, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: To a large mixing bowl, add orange zest and both sugars. With your hands, rub the orange zest into the sugar (Clumps are okay). Add in eggs and mix until creamy in texture, about one minute. Whisk in yogurt, tea, and vanilla until just combined. Slowly add butter and whisk together.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredients into your large mixing bowl. Fold in with a spatula until just barely combined. It will be thick, and some lumps are okay; do not overmix.
- Bake: Fill prepared muffin tins almost to the top with the batter using a large cookie scoop. Bake at 375 for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.
- Icing: While the cakes cool, make the icing. Add the powdered sugar and both vanillas to a small bowl. Slowly add in orange juice, starting with 1/2 tsp, until desired consistency is reached.
Notes
1. Feel free to use either fresh squeezed or store-bought orange juice!
The Whisking Tree 
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