I’ve had a serious cake craving this past week—maybe it’s because it’s my birthday month, and my subconscious is sending cake signals! So, I’m indulging myself with a homemade cake. I’m not usually a fan of store-bought or bakery cakes (though I do make an exception for Whole Foods’ Berry Chantilly Cake 😉) so I decided to whip up a small 3-tier cake with flavors I love and thought would pair well together. And guess what? It turned out amazing!
About the flavors:
🍃 Earl Grey Tea: To fully infuse the cake with the rich flavor and aroma of Earl Grey tea, we start by steeping the tea in the milk used for the cake. Additionally, we incorporate Earl Grey tea leaves directly into the sponge, ensuring a deep, layered taste.
🍓 Berry Jam: To add a touch of brightness and a hint of acidity, I’ve crafted a vibrant jam from blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. This jam brings a burst of fresh flavor to each slice, enhancing the overall experience of the cake.
🧁 Pistachio Cream Cheese Butter Cream: Growing up, my favorite frosting was cream cheese frosting. Its tangy richness adds a delightful dimension that goes beyond just sweet icing. I also love how the nutty flavor of pistachios pairs beautifully with Earl Grey. That’s how the pistachio cream cheese buttercream came to life!
The process & sample baking schedule
I prefer to split this bake into two days. It helps reduce stress and keeps my kitchen from getting overwhelmed with dirty dishes and cluttered counters. Below you can find a sample schedule. Refer to the recipe card for details.
Day 1:
- Make the Earl Grey Milk for the chiffon cake
- While the Earl Grey Milk is cooling, make the Mixed Berry Jam
- Now that the Earl Grey Milk has cooled to close to room temperature, make the Earl Grey Chiffon Cake
Day 2
- Make the pistachio cream cheese butter cream
- Assemble the cake
- Serve the cake and store leftovers in the fridge.
Recommended Equipment
- Stand mixer: You need a stand mixer or a hand mixer to make the chiffon cake and the pistachio cream cheese butter cream.
- Sauce/small pot: You will need a sauce pot to create the earl grey tea milk and the berry jam.
- 5″ silicone cake mold: I highly recommend getting silicone mold to bake the chiffon cake in. It does wonders reducing the stress of cutting parchment paper to fit baking dishes or cutting the cake layers to shape.
Looking for more cake recipes? Check these out
Earl Grey Chiffon Cake with Berries & Pistachio Cream Cheese Butter Cream
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- sauce pot
Ingredients
Earl Grey Milk
- 100 g whole milk
- 2 bags earl grey tea
Earl Grey Chiffon Cake
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 100 g cane sugar
- 75 g earl grey milk
- 40 g neutral oil
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 bag earl grey tea
- 80 g cake or all purpose flour
Mixed Berry Jam
- 1 cup equal parts frozen blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
- cane sugar to taste, optional
Pistachio Cream Cheese Butter Cream
- 1/2 cup raw pistachios
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 113 g cream cheese room temperature
- 56 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Make the earl grey milk
- Add milk and earl grey tea bags in a pot and bring it to a simmer. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the tea steep for 10 minutes. Then, squeeze the tea bag to get all the milk out and discard the tea bags.
Make the berry jam
- Add the frozen berries to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the berries break down and the mixture thickens to a sauce-like consistency. Taste the sauce and add sugar if needed to suit your preference. Once cooled, transfer the jam to a air tight container and store it in the fridge until it is ready to use.
Make the chiffon cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Then, divide the sugar into two portions: 75g and 25g.
- Add the cream of tartar to the bowl with the egg whites. Beat the mixture until it becomes foamy, similar to cappuccino foam. Gradually add 75g of sugar while continuing to whip the egg whites until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Mix the egg yolks with the remaining sugar, room temperature earl grey milk, neutral oil, and vanilla extract. Next, sift in the flour, baking powder, and tea leaves. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Gently fold one-third of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until the batter lightens. Then, gradually fold in the remaining egg white mixture, one-third at a time, until the batter is pale and light.
- We are making a 3 tiered cake, so evenly distribute the batter amongst three 5″ silicone cake mold and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the sponge has turned a golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven. Carefully pick up each mold and drop it against the baking sheet to help loosen the edges and preventing the cake from deflating in the center. Let it cool for 2-3 hours. After the cake cools, you can move onto assembling the cake. You can also refrigerate the cake and assemble it later.
Make the pistachio cream cheese butter cream
- Place the pistachios in a food processor or blender and pulse until they are coarsely chopped. Set aside half of the coarsely chopped pistachios– this will be use to decorate the cake.
- Continue processing the remainder of the pistachios until it becomes a chunky paste. Add milk gradually to help achieve the desired consistency.
- Beat cream cheese and butter together on high speed until it becomes smooth and creamy. Add in the pistachio paste and powdered sugar and continue to mix until everything is incorporated evenly and the butter cream is nice and fluffy.
Assemble the cake.
- On a serving plate, spread a small amount of buttercream in the center. This will help keep the cake in place.
- Remove the cakes from their silicone molds. Place one cake layer on the plate, centering it over the buttercream smear.
- Spread a thin layer of berry jam over the cake layer. Follow with a layer of buttercream. Add the next cake layer on top and repeat the process of adding jam and buttercream. Continue layering until all cake layers are stacked.
- Once the final layer is in place, apply buttercream all over the cake. Start by spreading it on the sides. Use a flat spatula and rotate the plate to evenly coat the sides.
- You can either pipe the butter cream on top or create a smooth, flat layer. Finally, sprinkle crushed pistachios over the entire cake.
Serve
- Serve the cake within the next three hours. Keep leftovers in the fridge and allow it to rest on the kitchen counter for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the cold butter cream to soften.
