This gluten-free Earl Grey tea cake is tender bundt cake that's infused with Earl Grey tea leaves to make a special and interesting dessert. Try a slice with, yes, a cup of tea!
Inspired by a New York Times recipe, this cake is a simple blend of three gluten-free flours mixed with whole milk plain yogurt and maple sugar. I decided on maple sugar here because I do love maple sugar (and syrup!), and reduced the sugar called for in the original recipe. Whole milk plain yogurt brings moisture to the gluten-free flours, and helps create a tender crumb. This cake baked up unbelievably light and fluffy.
This is a lovely gluten-free tea cake. The sweetness of the oat flour is a nice backdrop to the distinctive Earl Grey tea leaves dispersed throughout, the almond flour bolsters the crumb, and a little sweet white rice flour lend enough starch to bring it together. I loved this cake infused with a mandarin orange glaze sweetened just slightly with honey, but I’ve also included instructions for making a honey cream cheese frosting.
If you're looking for more cakes perfect with a cup of tea, I love this gluten-free cinnamon sugar cake or a super cozy gluten-free spiced applesauce cake.
What You'll Need To Make Gluten-Free Earl Grey Tea Cake
- Oat flour: Oat flour is a wonderful, versatile naturally gluten-free whole grain flour that performs wonderfully in baking, especially muffins.
- Almond flour: Choose almond flour rather than almond meal for this recipe
- Sweet white rice flour: A great binder in gluten-free baking, sweet white rice flour brings texture and structure
- Eggs: Use large eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Yogurt: Use whole fat plain yogurt
- Maple sugar or granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Fine sea salt
- Earl Gray tea: Earl Gray tea brings a lovely flavor to this cake
How to Make Gluten-Free Earl Grey Tea Cake
- Whisk together the flours. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, almond flour, sweet white rice flour, baking powder, salt, and tea leaves.
- Cream the butter. Cream the butter and the beat in the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients in two increments, alternating with the yogurt. Mix well to combine.
- Prepare pan and rest batter. Grease a bundt pan or 8-inch cake round with butter (line the cake pan with parchment if using). Pour in the batter and let rest for 10-15 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Bake cake. Place cake in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
Hint: Bring ingredients to room temperature before using to ensure smoother incorporation into the batter.
Substitutions
- Oat flour - if you can't eat oats, substitute an equivalent amount of sorghum flour.
- Almond flour - swap tiger nut flour or another nut flour of choice.
- Sweet white rice flour - try tapioca flour.
- To make dairy-free - use melted coconut oil in place of the butter. Use non-dairy-yogurt in place of the yogurt.
- Sweetener - you can use granulated sugar in place of the maple sugar.
Storage
Cake may be kept, tightly covered in the fridge, for 3 days. To serve, bring to room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
Recipe
Gluten-Free Earl Grey Tea Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup maple sugar or sugar
- ¾ cup/90 g almond flour
- ¾ cup/90 g gluten-free oat flour
- ½ cup/75 g sweet white rice flour
- 1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey tea about 3-4 teabags
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 eggs large, at room temperature
- ½ cup yogurt plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
Instructions
For Cake
- Grease with butter a medium bundt tin or an 8-inch cake round (and line with parchment).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, tea, baking powder and salt.
- In large bowl, beat the butter and maple sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the flour mixture on low, until just combined, then beat in the yogurt. If you can, let batter rest, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350° F. Spoon the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake just until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes then tip the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.
Two Frosting Options
- Juice of one orange or mandarin orange in a small saucepan, heat over medium heat, stir in one tablespoon of honey until dissolved. Let cool slightly then pour over cooled cake.
- OR: Place ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature in a medium bowl with ⅓ package cream cheese, cream together with an electric mixer until combined and fluffy. Add two teaspoons honey or more to taste, beat well to combine. Spread over top of cooled cake.
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