For Ali’s cake, we tripled the recipe and used tiered 3″, 8″, and 10″ springform pans lined in parchment paper. We sliced each cake round in half, which gave us a total of six layers. The cake is frosted sparingly—the fashionable term you’ll see for this method is a “naked” cake. Ours turned out to be more of a semi-naked cake. Successfully executing this kind of half-dressed styling takes research and patience, though we found several YouTube videos that do an excellent job explaining the technique. You’ll need a pastry bag, a sturdy icing spatula, and bench scraper to achieve the look.

To make the occasion truly festive, serve with a glittery flute of our Mia Mousseux Brut Rosé!

Ingredients

For the Milk Infusion

• 1 1/2 сups whole milk
• 2-3 bags double bergamot Earl Grey tea

For the Cake

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp loose Double Bergamot Earl Grey tea finely ground
• 3/4 tbsp salt
• 3/4 cup butter room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 cup Earl Grey–infused milk, cooled

For the Buttercream Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
• 2 tbsp milk

For the Earl Grey Syrup (optional)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 bags Double Bergamot Earl Grey tea
• 2 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°

   Bring milk and tea bags to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and steep for ten minutes. 

2. Grease and flour two 9″ cake rounds (for a single cake) and line with parchment paper.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, tea, and salt until combined. Set aside.

4. With a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, around 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed and add the eggs one at a time, and mix until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla bean paste. Alternate adding flour mixture and Earl Grey-infused milk, and mix until just incorporated. 

5. Evenly distribute the mixture between the two cake rounds and bake each round for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the rounds on a wire rack to cool, then turn them out onto wire rack. Allowing cakes to cool completely before icing them is key. 

6. For the optional simple syrup, place sugar, water, and tea bags into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer 5 minutes, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes, then discard the tea bags and cool it completely. 

7. For the frosting, cream the butter with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Incorporate the vanilla bean paste. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated. Add the milk and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes. 

8. To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of buttercream frosting and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layer. Use an icing spatula to and smooth frost the outside of the cake. Use a bench scraper to remove excess the frosting. To make the occasion truly festive, serve with a glittery flute of our Mia Mousseux Brut Rosé!