Afternoon tea just wouldnt be the same without a slice of this Vegan Earl Grey Lavender Loaf Cake. A flavourful and perfectly moist earl grey loaf cake, topped with a glossy lavender icing just hits the spot. It’s easy to make, vegan and free from eggs & dairy!
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Vegan Earl Grey Lavender Loaf Cake
This earl grey lavender loaf cake will be your go-to when looking for a simple yet delicious cake! The batter is made in one bowl, infused with earl grey tea for a fragrant bite, paired beautifully with a simple lavender icing which adds even more flavour and a gorgeous colour to the top of the loaf. Earl grey and lavender pair perfectly together, the earl grey in the loaf has a light spiced, malty flavour while the lavender adds a aromatic yet floral flavour to the glaze. This cake is easy to make, perfect for sharing and unbelievably vegan, you’ll love it!
Looking for more loaf cakes? Check out my: Vegan Espresso Banana Bread and Vegan Orange Loaf cake.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple to make – Batter is made in one bowl, pored into the loaf tin and baked! Thats it!
- Vegan – This recipe is vegan friendly and doesn’t use any animal derived ingredients.
- Tastes incredible – It’s moist, light and filled with floral flavour from cake to glaze, each bite tingles the taste buds.
- Not too sweet – The flavour is perfectly balanced, allowing the flavours of the lavender and tea to shine.
- Texture – A soft crumb with a with a buttery texture, without eggs or dairy.
- Visual – Looks as tasty as it tastes, especially with the purple coloured glaze and dried lavender on top, yum!
What is Earl Grey Tea?
Earl Grey Tea is a classic black tea, flavoured from bergamot oil (a citrus fruit which gives the tea it’s signature flavour and aroma). I had actually never baked with earl grey before and wow, have i missed out! It has a subtle yet slightly malty flavour which is distinctive, and quite moreish! This loaf cake uses the Sainsburys ‘Taste the Difference Earl Grey Fine Tea, which are infused with citrussy bergamot. To infuse the batter with the earl grey, I heat the milk then submerge 2 of the earl grey tea bags to allow them to infuse the milk and create a flavoured milk for adding into the batter. For even more flavour and to give the cake a speckled effect, i cut open 2 fresh tea bags and added in the dried earl grey tea! So good!
Ingredient notes
- Lavender : Make sure the lavender you use is food safe / edible. I have linked the lavender I use for baking here. It has the most incredible flavour and is perfect for adding into bakes.
- Dairy-free milk : My go-to for making vegan cakes and loaf cakes is unsweetened soyA milk. You can also use sweetened to make the loaf even tastier.
- Earl grey tea : Use a high quality earl grey tea. my favourite is the ‘Taste the Difference Earl Grey Fine Tea’ from Sainsburys. Not only is it delicious, non bitter and had a delicious nutty flavour, its also Fairtrade and perfect for baking with.
- Purple colour : In order to get a gorgeous lilac colour to the icing, i use a tiny drop of vegan friendly food gel, linked here. Only use a high pigmented gel, as apposed to liquid food colour which can make the icing super runny! A vivid food gel will pigment without changing the consistency.
Earl grey lavender loaf tips and tricks
- Earl grey milk- In order to get a delicious earl grey flavour in the loaf, heat up the dairy-free milk and add in the earl grey tea bags. Allow them to steep in the hot milk to release all of the earl grey tea flavour.
- Keep the lavender subtle- Lavender can be very overpowering, so only use a little bit of lavender for the glaze. Taste and adjust to your own preference. Around 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of lavender is enough for the glaze of 1 loaf cake.
- Use cold butter- Slice cold vegan butter into strips for placing in the batter before baking. This helps achieve the classic loaf ‘crack’ down the middle.
- Line the loaf tin- Line your loaf tin with grease proof paper, and allow the paper to hang either side of the tin. This makes it easier for lifting out.
- Baking time- We bake the loaf for a-little longer than a usual cake, as the cake is deeper and needs time to rise. This loaf bakes for 45-50 minutes, which will result in a high and perfectly moist cake with a tender crumb.
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Vegan Earl Grey Lavender Loaf Cake
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Rich, buttery, moist and loaded with aramaic flavours, this vegan earl grey and lavender loaf cake delivers a tender crumb with the most delicious flavour!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the loaf
- 220ml of dairy-free milk
- 4 earl grey tea bags (see step 2 & 3)
- 250g of plain / all purpose flour
- 150g of caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 80ml of sunflower oil
- Dairy-free block butter (See step 6 for details)
Ingredients for the icing
- 180g of icing / powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons of dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon of dried lavender (ground or blender into a powder)
- Purple food gel
Instructions
Method (loaf)
- Preheat oven to 180°C fan, and line a 2lb loaf tin with grease proof paper or a loaf liner. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add in the milk and heat on the hob until simmering. Add in 2 earl grey tea bags and allow the tea to infuse the milk.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add in the flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut open 2 tea bags and add in the dried earl grey.
- Add the oil and infused earl grey milk . Mix to combine. Don’t over-mix the batter!
- Pour the batter into the lined tin and level off with the back of a spoon.
- Cut some butter into a strip and lay in the middle of the batter, don’t press it down (refer to video for reference). This helps to create the classic ‘crack’ down the middle of the loaf.
- Place the loaf into the middle of the pre-heated oven and bake for 45 – 50minutes. After 40 minutes, check on the loaf to make sure it’s not burning. To check to see if the loaf is fully baked, insert a skewer down the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the loaf is ready to take out the oven. If the skewer has some batter on it, the loaf isn’t cooked and needs a little bit more time.
- Remove the baked loaf from the oven, place the tin on a wire rack and allow the loaf to cool in the tin. This will take a few hours.
Method (icing)
- In a small bowl, add in the icing sugar and ground lavender (use a blender to blend into a powder). Add the milk and drop of purple food gel. Mix to combine and until smooth. You want the consistency to be thick, but runny and easy to drizzle, similar to tooth paste. You may need to add more icing sugar to thicken.
- Drizzle the lavender icing over the top of the loaf and allow it to drip over the sides of the cake. Allow to stand at room temperature to crust over for around 40 minutes (the icing will be dry to the touch when set).
- Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the loaf into slices, tuck in and enjoy!
Notes
Leftovers and storage: Store the cake in a air tight / sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or cover it with plastic wrap, it keeps the cake moist.
If storing in the fridge, allow it to come to room temperature before enjoying the give the butter in the loaf time to soften. Enjoy within 3 days of making.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
