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French Earl Grey Bundt Cake

August 21, 2018 by Salma 8 Comments

French Earl Grey Bundt Cake | The Polka Dotter
I love the aroma of earl grey tea brewing. The scent always evokes comforting, cosy childhood memories, after growing up in a home where my parents’ favourite hot beverage was invariably a steaming hot cup of earl grey tea.

Fast-forward many years on, and when Marimekko recently approached me to create a sweet treat that celebrated their beautiful Oiva Puolikas collection, a collection of minimalist pieces reimagined in a pastel palate of soft pinks, beige and white, with the theme of ‘Gathering around the Table’, I was immediately drawn to the idea of family and friends sharing an earl grey scented cake.

This fragrant earl grey tea bundt cake is infused with bergamot notes, soaked in earl grey syrup, drizzled with a tangy lemon glaze and decorated with dried rose petals and cornflowers, and is the perfect treat to share with others on a cosy crisp spring evening.

This is a sponsored post, and you can shop all these gorgeous pieces from the Marimekko collection here.

French Earl Grey Bundt Cake | The Polka Dotter  French Earl Grey Bundt Cake | The Polka Dotter French Earl Grey Bundt Cake | The Polka Dotter
Baking Notes
Bundt cakes are stunning with their intricate designs, but they can sometimes be a little difficult to extract from the pan. For success every time, I would suggest the following: (1) Use a good quality pan, (2) Reserve greasing the pan until just before pouring the batter in it, (3) Grease the pan very generously in every crevice with a cooking spray or oil (4) Sift a little flour over the oiled pan, then tap off the excess (5) Be mindful of how long the cakes rest in the pan before turning out – if left for too long or not long enough, they can stick, with 10-12 minutes for mini bundt cakes and 12-15 minutes for large bundt cakes usually being ideal (6) If the cake sticks to the pan, placing the pan cake-side-up in a tray filled with 3-4cm of boiling water for 2-3 minutes expands the cake pan and allows easier release. Take great care not to burn yourself and do not allow the water to come into direct contact with the cake. 

French Earl Grey Bundt Cake | The Polka Dotter French Earl Grey Bundt Cake | The Polka Dotter French Earl Grey Bundt Cake | The Polka Dotter

Print

French Earl Grey Bundt Cake

French Earl Grey Bundt Cake | The Polka Dotter
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Makes a 20cm x 8cm (6 cup capacity) bundt cake and serves 10-12 people

Ingredients

Scale

Earl Grey Bundt Cake

  • 300g unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
  • 225ml whole milk
  • 10–12 earl grey tea bags
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 75g brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste or essence
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 360g plain flour, sifted
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 tsp fine sea salt
  • Sifted icing sugar, to decorate
  • Dried edible cornflowers and rose petals, to decorate

Earl Grey Syrup

  • ¾ cup water
  • 165g (¾ cup) caster sugar
  • 4 earl grey tea bags
  • ½ tsp vanilla paste or essence

Lemon Icing

  • 100g icing sugar
  • 1 ½ tbsp (30ml) strained lemon juice

Instructions

Earl Grey Bundt Cake

  1. Melt butter and milk in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring gently until hot and steamy. Remove from heat and add teabags, stir and allow to steep for 60 minutes. When ready to use, remove teabags, squeezing to extract extra flavour.
  2. Preheat oven to 175°C (155°C fan-forced) and set aside a 6 cup bundt pan.
  3. Beat together eggs and sugars until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, then add the tea mixture and beat on low speed until combined, followed by vanilla, lemon zest and sifted dry ingredients until batter is smooth.
  4. Heavily grease bundt pan with a cooking spray, ensuring all crevices of the pan are well greased, then dust with sifted flour. Invert pan over the sink and tap gently to remove excess flour.
  5. Pour batter into pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for 12-15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a plate with a lip, drizzle with warm earl grey syrup, then allow to cool completely.
  6. If the cake sticks to the pan, placing the pan cake-side-up in a tray filled with 3-4cm of boiling water for 2-3 minutes expands the cake pan and allows easier release. Take great care not to burn yourself and do not allow the water to come into direct contact with the cake. 

Earl Grey Syrup

  1. Simmer water, sugar and tea bags in a medium saucepan until the ingredients thicken into a syrup, then add vanilla
  2. Squeeze and remove tea bags, then pour the warm syrup over the warm cake, allowing the syrup to soak in as the cake cools.

Lemon Icing

  1. Mix icing sugar together with lemon juice. If icing is too thick, add a little more juice, and if it is too thin, add a little more sugar. 

To Serve

  1. Place bundt cake on serving plate and dust with sifted icing sugar. Drizzle lemon icing over cake and sprinkle with dried edible flowers.

 Enjoy!

Notes

Mini bundt cakes were also made for this collaboration for styling purposes, using a 6-hole, 4 cup capacity pan. If you wish to make mini bundts with a similar capacity pan, I would suggest making two-thirds of the total recipe, and baking them for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thepolkadotter on Instagram and hashtag it #polkadotbakes

French Earl Grey Bundt Cake | The Polka Dotter

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Filed Under: Cakes Tagged With: Bundt, Earl Grey, Lemon

Previous Post: « Strawberry Hibiscus & Coconut Cake
Next Post: Blood Orange Chocolate Cake »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adrienne

    August 21, 2018 at 9:26 pm

    Nice! I love Marimekko dresses! Had no idea they made other things.

    Reply
    • Salma

      August 21, 2018 at 9:33 pm

      Thanks so much Adrienne, glad to share it with you. They’ve got a beautiful range of homewares don’t they, as equally divine as their clothing range!

      Reply
  2. Linee Yeo

    May 22, 2019 at 12:11 am

    Just baked the cake and the whole family loves it! Can I double the recipe and bake in a 12-cup bundt pan?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Salma

      May 23, 2019 at 3:48 pm

      Hi Linee,
      I’m delighted to hear this cake was a winner and your family enjoyed it. Earl grey is always one of my favourite flavours and scents. I haven’t tried making a larger version of this recipe but I would anticipate the recipe should translate well, just make sure your bundt pan is one with a large hole in the centre (some are more dome-shaped). The central hole allows the cake to cook evenly rather than having a burnt exterior and gooey under-cooked interior. You may also find covering the cake lightly with foil about two-thirds of the way into the baking time, lowering the temperature by about 5 degrees and cooking the cake for an extra 10-20 minutes may help ensure an even bake for a larger cake. Happy baking!

      Reply
  3. Victoria

    July 22, 2019 at 1:05 pm

    Loved this cake. So delicious and looks incredible. Thanks for a beautiful recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Salma

      August 6, 2019 at 10:46 pm

      You are most welcome Victoria, so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
      Kindest, Salma

      Reply
  4. Zuzana Radu

    November 29, 2019 at 6:10 am

    Hello!
    I just made these and they turned out wonderfully delicious. Thank you for the recipe ❤️ Happy thanksgiving

    Reply
    • Salma

      January 8, 2020 at 8:44 pm

      Hi Zuzana,
      So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, it’s one of my favourites – I just adore earl grey! Thanks so much for leaving such positive feedback.

      Regards,
      Salma

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Salma, and I love creating beautiful images and sweet treats. If you’re looking for a little baking inspiration, you’ve come to the right place.

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Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and rememb Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
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Love this quiet scene at Pappa Sven. It was actually a test shot of the lighting, my first shot of the day. The lovely Libby had handed me a bud vase filled with a casual spray of flowers picked from one of Pappa Sven’s flower pots, and I had set out a few unfrosted coconut cupcakes on a her lovely cake stand, getting them ready to glam up with roasted strawberry icing.

I never usually care too much for my test shots, they are what they are, and I often prefer my last shots of a session, when the cakes are cut, the crumbs are scattered and the drizzles have dripped in their imperfectly perfect ways. And I’ve had a sneaky chance to indulge in whatever dessert I have prepared, all in the name of good photography and recipe testing.

But it’s true what they say, there’s a first time for everything, and this photo may actually be my favourite of the whole shoot, a genuine moment of calm in such a cosy space.

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Also I am absolutely elated and humbled that the tickets to this event are selling so quickly. Thank you to those of you who have already purchased a ticket, it truly means a lot to have you share this event with us 💕

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Join us for an intimate and heartwarming Pink Ribbon Afternoon Tea, hosted by Salma Sabdia (@thepolkadotter) in the cosy surrounds of Pappa Sven’s Apartment (@pappasvens).

We’re raising funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation (@nbcfaus), a cause that’s particularly close to our hearts, and we would love for you to share this special event with us.

Immerse yourself in our much loved ‘Pappa Sven’s Apartment’ and savour a selection of delectable pink-themed cakes, cookies and more, all specially crafted for this occasion. 

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Good spring morning 💕 aren’t these blooms abs Good spring morning 💕 aren’t these blooms absolutely stunning? 

Instagram usually has a strong dislike for my floral photography. I suspect they are too much of a departure from cakes and cookies, and it’s considered they may offend my dessert-loving audience 😂

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We have a VERY special event coming soon to one of Newcastle’s favourite spaces.

If a little sweet indulgence in a stylish Nordic setting is your idea of a good time, mark the afternoon of Saturday October 14th in your calendars, because you’ll be sharing it with us 😊 and best of all, you’ll be supporting a very worthy cause 💕

Tickets go on sale this week, and with a very intimate gathering planned, they will be limited. Keep an eye out on our socials do you don’t miss out 😊

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SAVE THE DATE! Hey Newcastle! We have been plann SAVE THE DATE! 

Hey Newcastle! We have been planning a VERY special event for you 💕

If a little sweet indulgence in a stylish Nordic setting is your idea of a good time, mark the afternoon of Saturday October 14th in your calendars, because you’ll be sharing it with us 😊 and best of all, you’ll be supporting a very worthy cause 💕

Stay tuned and keep an eye out on our socials, where we’ll be sharing all the details early next week!

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Blood orange season has arrived, gently floating i Blood orange season has arrived, gently floating in with the soft spring breezes. It’s always one of my favourite times of the year.

Last year’s signature blood orange cake was this delicately striped Blood Orange + Earl Grey Bundt Cake, a crowd favourite that you can find on the blog.

(Along with the other twelve blood orange recipes. Yes, I just checked and would you believe there are no less than specifically THIRTEEN blood orange recipes. And I still think there’s room for number fourteen 😂). 

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