I have so many English friends. Some are ex-pats and others claim family status. One thread connects them all; they love orange and chocolate together.

When I came across the original recipe, on the NYT Cooking app, I knew my friends would love it. I made some adjustments, that I think really enhance to flavors. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Print Recipe

3 from 5 votes

Earl Grey Tea Cake with Dark Chocolate and Orange

I adapted this recipe from a NYT Cooking recipe. I added a little more orange and melted the chocolate for a richer chocolate flavor.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Endings

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients

Frosting

• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tea bag Earl Grey Tea
• 1/4 cup Confectioners Sugar
• 1/2 cup Marscapone Cheese, MUST be at room temperature You can use cream cheese too.

Cake

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tea bags Earl Grey Tea
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 cup Granulated White Sugar
• 2 tsp. Fresh Grated Orange Zest
• 1/4 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
• 2 large Eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk, room temperature
• 1/4 cup Chopped Dark Chocolate, melted and cooled

Instructions

Frosting

• In a small saucepan, bring 1/4 cup of heavy cream to just a simmer. You want to have just some fine bubbles on the sides.

  Submerge your tea bag in cream, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for up to an hour, at room temperature. Remove tea bag, then cool in fridge until cold.

  I usually make my cake while cream is chilling. Here are the next steps for frosting:
• Once cream is chilled, add remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream and confectioners sugar to chilled "tea" cream. With handheld electric mixer beat cream to slightly stiff peaks.

  In a separate small bowl, use same beaters to beat marscapone to creamy and pliable.

  Add the marscapone to the cream mixture and beat until stiff peaks. Be careful not to over beat. Hold in fridge until ready to use. Let stand on counter for 10 minutes if using after refrigeration.

Cake

• Preheat ove to 350°

  Butter an 8" cake pan and line with parchment paper. Butter the paper too.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, tea, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

  In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Don't under do this. It should take about 3 minutes.

  Add in orange zest. Beat to combine.

  Add in eggs, one at a time.

  Beat in half the flour mixture then the orange juice. Add in remaining flour then milk. Be careful to only beat until just combined. Too much beating will give you a tough cake.

  Fold in melted chocolate. You can fully incorporate but I like it a little marbled.
• Place batter in prepared pan and smooth top.

  Bake 30-35 minutes until a few moist crumbs come out on a tester. Please make time adjustments for your oven.

  Cool in pan for 15 minutes then turn out and cool completely on rack.

  Top cake with frosting or frost whole cake. It's up to you.