These earl grey cupcakes were originally made for a wedding cake tasting that I did for Lyndsey and Jordan. These cupcakes use oil instead of butter, which make them almost as easy to make as a box mix cake. To top it all off, they’ve got a super fluffy sponge cake texture that you just can’t get with a butter cake recipe. You’ll see that I have added steeped dry lavender as an optional flavor to these earl grey cupcakes. I find that lavender helps bring out the earl grey flavor better, but feel free to leave it out if that’s not your thing.
Here’s my earl grey cupcake recipe, but keep reading below for variations on a basic vanilla buttercream that pair well with this cake.
Earl Grey Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 tea bags earl grey tea
- 1 tsp culinary lavender (optional)
- zest of one lemon
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
Instructions
- Heat the milk until steaming but not boiling. Steep the lavender (if using) and earl grey tea for 20 mins. Pro tip: The tea bags may soak up some of the milk, so either squeeze out the bags or start with a little more than the 1/2 cup you need for the recipe. I sometimes make a whole cup and add the leftover milk into coffee or tea.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Add lemon zest and almond extract to the earl grey milk. Separately mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix eggs and sugar with a stand mixer with whisk attachment or a hand mixer until batter is very pale in color and drips off the beaters in ribbons that hold their shape slightly before assimilating back into the bowl.
- Mix in the oil until homogenized.
- Alternate very gently adding the milk mixture and dry ingredients into your batter.
- Pour into lined cupcake tin until each cupcake liner is about 2/3 full. These cupcakes will NOT dome up but will bake more flat on top. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Let cool completely and top with your favorite frosting!
Did you notice that in my photos, I’ve done piped four different frosting + sprinkle combinations? That’s because I actually did four different flavors of frosting for the wedding cake testing: vanilla, almond, coconut, and cream cheese. I’m leaving you with a basic vanilla American buttercream below, but to make other flavors, you can swap out the vanilla extract for almond extract, coconut extract, rosewater, orange blossom water, etc… You get the idea.
Basic Vanilla American Buttercream
Ingredients
- 2 sticks room temperature unsalted butter (1 cup)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Beat the butter until fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and beat until well combined.
- Add cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
- If using a stand mixer, switch the paddle attachment for a whisk attachment and whip for a few minutes to get a lighter, fluffier frosting.
That’s it! Lyndsey and Jordan ultimately did not go with this flavor for their wedding cake (that recipe is coming soon). But this earl grey flavor actually has become one of my favorites! And it got RAVE reviews from family and friends. I hope you try it out! If you’re looking for more cupcake recipes, check out my lychee rose cupcakes.