Earl Grey Tres Leches Cake

Let's take a classic and make it our own! This Earl Grey tres leches cake is soaked with an Earl Grey infused sweet milk mixture and topped with chocolate whipped cream for a unique treat that will have you swooning!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Earl grey tea: Adds a unique, aromatic flavor profile to the traditional tres leches cake. When infused into the milk, Earl Grey tea brings a delicate bergamot essence that elevates the cake's complexity.
• Eggs: Crucial for creating the cake's light, airy texture. The separation of egg whites and yolks allows for a delicate sponge cake that can effectively absorb the milk mixture. Beating the egg whites separately creates a meringue-like structure that gives the cake its signature soft, pillowy texture.
• Condensed milk: Provides sweetness and richness to the milk mixture. As one of the three milks in tres leches, sweetened condensed milk contributes a concentrated, creamy sweetness that helps create the cake's signature ultra-moist texture.
• Evaporated milk: Adds depth and richness to the milk mixture without excessive sweetness. It helps create the cake's characteristic soaked texture while contributing a subtle caramelized milk flavor.
• Cocoa powder: In this specific recipe, cocoa powder is used in the whipped cream topping to create a chocolate variation of the traditional tres leches cake. It adds a rich, chocolatey dimension to the whipped cream.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Infuse milk

Tres leches cake might sound intimidating but if you baked a sponge cake before, it's not unfamiliar territory. There are a couple of additional steps such as infusing the milk and soaking the cake but those steps are easy enough, right? Let's jump right in!

Let's start with the milk. To give this cake the special Earl Grey touch, we're going to infuse the sweet milk mixture with the tea. I know most recipes call for whole milk but I've used low-fat milk and the results were still great, so you do you!

Heat the milk in a saucepot until it simmers. You don't want the milk to come to a full boil or it can curdle. As soon as it starts to bubble up, remove it from the heat and steep the tea bags for 30 minutes. I used Tazo Earl Grey and used a total of 3 tea bags; however, if you're using loose tea leaves, that should equate to about 1 ½ tablespoons.

For optimal flavor extraction, gently press the tea bags against the side of the pot before removing them. Set aside ¼ cup of the infused milk and combine the rest with evaporated and sweetened condensed milk.

Step 2: Make cake

Now that the special milk mixture is ready, let's move on to the cake. First things first, let's prepare the baking pan. Now we don't want to grease the entire pan, just the bottom to prevent the cake from sticking. If you grease the sides of the pan, the cake won't rise properly so keep this in mind.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt and set it aside. Sifting the dry ingredients will get rid of any clumps of flour that will harder to incorporate into the cake.

In a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks with 6 tablespoons of sugar until pale yellow. Since we're making a small cake that only requires 3 large egg yolks, I like to use my hand user instead of a stand mixer. The stand mixer has a harder time mixing the ingredients since it's such a small amount.

After about 3-4 minutes, the egg yolks should look creamy and doubled in volume. At this point, add the vanilla and reserved ¼ cup of infused milk. Add the sifted dry ingredients into this mixture, mixing just until combined.

Next, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. To achieve the perfect consistency, start with room-temperature egg whites and ensure your bowl and whisk are completely clean and free from any grease. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar while continuing to whip until stiff peaks form. You'll know you've reached stiff peaks when the whites stand straight up when the whisk is lifted.

Carefully fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in three parts, being gentle to maintain the airiness.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake will rise beautifully and start to deflate as it cools but don't worry because we're cover up the wrinkles later!

Step 3: Soak overnight

Allow the cake to cool completely before pricking it all over with a fork and slowly pouring the milk mixture over it. For best results, pour the milk mixture in stages, allowing it to absorb between additions.

I like to tilt the cake pan while it's absorbing the liquid to ensure that the corners of the cake also gets some of the liquid.

Refrigerate the soaked cake for at least an hour or overnight. Keep in mind that the longer it sits, the more time it has to soak in all those wonderful Earl Grey flavors.

When ready to serve, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, then add powdered sugar and cocoa powder, continuing to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread this chocolate whipped cream over the cake and garnish with grated chocolate if desired.

For the best flavor and texture, serve the cake chilled, cutting it into squares just before serving.

Since this was my first time making a tres leches cake let alone an Earl Grey tres leches cake, it took a couple of times to nail the texture and flavor. However, once I did, holy moly! I fell in love.

I was always a little on the fence about a cake soaked in liquid but incorporating the lovely tea flavor, chocolate whipped cream, and adding the right amount of sweet milk completely changes the game. My husband walked into the kitchen and found me standing over the sink gobbling down a slice - a true sign that I loved every bite!

For another delicious Earl Grey treat, check out these chocolate beignets with Earl Grey!

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: The cake must sit for at least an hour but can be prepared the day before. In fact, the longer it sits, the more time it allows the cake to soak in the sweet milk mixture fully.
• Store: The cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

Print Recipe

Earl Grey Tres Leches Cake

Total Time2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: cake

Servings: 9

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Infused milk

• 1 cup milk (250 ml)
• 3 Earl Grey tea bags
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk

Cake

• ½ cup all-purpose flour (67 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 8 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided (100 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites

Chocolate whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream (250 ml)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (33 grams)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (10 grams)
• ¼ cup grated chocolate

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 8-inch square baking pan.
• Add milk to a saucepot and heat over medium heat. Once milk begins to simmer, remove from heat and add tea bags. Steep tea for 30 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing as much liquid from the tea. Set aside ¼ cup of the infused milk. Measure the remaining milk, you should have ½ cup remaining. If you don't have enough, add enough milk to measure ½ cup. Add evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk, whisking until well combined. Set aside.
• Make cake batter. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with 6 tablespoons sugar (75 grams) until mixture is pale yellow. Add vanilla and reserved ¼ cup infused milk, mixing until well combined. Add sifted flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
• Place egg whites in a large bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar (25 grams) while constantly beating the egg whites. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
• Add ⅓ of the whipped egg whites to the cake batter, stirring to combine. Fold in the remaining egg whites until combined. Carefully pour cake batter into prepared cake pan. Bake cake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
• Prick the cake with a fork evenly throughout. Slowly add the milk mixture, allowing the cake to soak in some of the liquid before adding the remaining. Cover the cake and chill in the refridgerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• When ready to serve, make the chocolate whipped cream. Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder and whip until stiff peaks form. Spread chocolate whipped cream on tres leches cake. Sprinkle grated chocolate on top if desired and serve.

Notes

I used Tazo Earl Grey and used a total of 3 tea bags; however, if you're using loose tea leaves, that should equate to about 1 ½ tablespoons.