This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.
A sweet and tender tea cake is welcome anytime of day, making Meyer lemon Earl Grey tea cake the most cozy and delicious breakfast or afternoon treat! Infused with aromatic Meyer lemon zest and fragrant Earl Grey tea, the flavors pair beautifully in this scrumptious loaf cake.
Baked until golden and drizzled with sweet Meyer lemon glaze, this effortless cake comes together quickly and is perfect with a cup of Earl Grey tea tea.
The Best Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Tea Cake
Baking pan – Use a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with nonstick spray. Light-colored metal pans conduct heat evenly, and I recommend them for all loaf cake and quick bread recipes.
Earl Grey infusion – To really infuse this loaf cake with flavor, start by combining milk and loose leaf Earl Grey tea in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until warm. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes, then strain through a mesh strainer, pressing firmly on the tea to release as much flavor as possible.
Lemon sugar – For a bright burst of citrus in the cake, combine sugar and Meyer lemon zest in a food processor and pulse for one minute, until the zest is finely ground.
Make cake – Beat butter and Meyer-lemon sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, beating just to combine. Add milk mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with an offset spatula.
Bake cake – Bake for 50 minutes, until edges are golden, cake springs back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully remove cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Lemon glaze – Whisk together melted butter, salt, Meyer lemon zest, juice, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and and let set before serving.
Favorite Meyer lemon desserts:
Did you try this Meyer Lemon Tea Cake? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
Print
Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Tea Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf, 12 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Simple and delicious Meyer lemon Earl Grey tea cake drizzled with lemon glaze! This cakes makes a perfect treat with a cup of tea.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp loose leaf Earl Grey tea
- 1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon zest
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp fresh Meyer lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Combine milk and Earl Grey tea in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes; strain through a mesh strainer, pressing firmly on the tea. Stir in yogurt.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Place sugar and Meyer lemon zest in a food processor and pulse for one minute.
- Beat butter and Meyer lemon-sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, beating just to combine. Add milk mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture.
- Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula and tap pan sharply. Bake for 50 minutes, until edges are golden, cake springs back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully remove cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
- For the glaze, whisk together melted butter, salt, Meyer lemon zest, juice, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and and let set before serving.
- Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Meyer lemons: If you can’t find Meyer lemon, I recommend using tangerines or oranges instead. Meyer lemons are much sweeter and more fragrant than other lemons, so swapping in a different kind of sweet citrus is the best substitute.
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use and love!
The only modification I made was to add a bit of orange zest to the glaze as I only had two small meyer lemons and not enough zest for the full recipe.
Tasted the batter and knew it was a winner. I cut two slices from the warm loaf and drizzled with glaze as we couldn’t wait. Oh my gosh… out of this world!
So happy to hear that, thank you Carmen! 🙂
Just love this loaf with a taste of earl grey tea. I make it every year when I buy Meyer lemons. A must make!
So happy to hear that, and Happy New Year! 🙂
This was a hit with my dessert-hating parents! It was gone in 24hrs!! Moist and delicious. I wanted to make it again but i only have almond milk. Will that change the outcome?
So happy to hear that, thank you Ara! I think almond milk will work as well – gently heat the almond milk over medium-low heat (so that it won’t scorch) to infuse with the tea.
I had no Meyers lemons so used oranges and added some almond extract as well. It could not have been more delicious! Never would have thought that earl grey and citrus would go so well together but here we are with a new go-to recipe. Thank you!!
So happy to hear that! Thank you Marina! 🙂
I’ve never made cake with tea in it, but earl grey is my favorite so I couldn’t wait to try it. I loved the flavors of this cake! It was so moist and delicious!
Hi Allie, so glad this cake was such a hit! 🙂
Can I use sour cream or regular yogurt instead of the Greek yogurt? Thank you
Hi Irin, yes you can use either one!
This looks amazing but in my part of the world, we don’t get Meyer lemons. If I were to use normal lemons, would that be okay?
Hi Shaila, if you can’t find Meyer lemons, I would use tangerines or oranges instead. Meyer lemons are much sweeter and more fragrant than other lemons, so swapping in a different kind of sweet citrus would work the best. Hope that helps!
Just made the Meyer lemon earl grey loaf. So delicious with the subtle flavour of earl grey and the tang of the lemon. Will definitely be making it again.
Thanks so much, Dawne! 🙂