This Earl Grey buttercream frosting is silky smooth, perfect for cake decorating, and has the most amazing black tea bergamot flavor! The key is steeping the tea in the milk portion of the recipe to infuse it with all the Earl Grey flavor. I have used this to frost my London Fog cupcakes and London Fog layer cake, but it would also be amazing paired with vanilla, chocolate, or anything citrus.
Earl Grey Buttercream Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are all of the ingredients used in this buttercream recipe, the role each ingredient plays, and some suggestions for substitutes if you need them:
- Earl Grey Tea. This is the most important ingredient for flavoring the buttercream. You can either use loose leaf tea or cut open a tea bag and measure out one teaspoon of the finely ground tea inside.
- Whole Milk. The Earl Grey tea is steeped in the whole milk to infuse the liquid portion of this frosting with the perfect flavor. Since whole milk has a good amount of fat, it creates a nice silky smooth texture in the final frosting. You can alternatively use an equal amount of heavy whipping cream, or if you need a non-dairy option you can use any milk alternative of your choice.
- Unsalted Butter. This is the base of the buttercream and gives the frosting a rich buttery flavor and velvety smooth texture. If you only have salted butter or vegan butter sticks on hand, you can use those options instead and omit the salt at the end of the recipe.
- Powdered Sugar. Adds stability to the frosting while sweetening it.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. A little vanilla extract perfectly compliments the Earl Grey flavor.
- Pinch of Salt. To balance the sweetness.
How to Make Earl Grey Buttercream
If you’ve made any of my buttercream recipes before, this one is super similar. The only extra step is steeping the tea in the milk (step 1) before making the rest of the recipe.
Step 1. Make the Earl Grey Milk: Add the milk and the Earl Grey tea into a small saucepan set over medium heat. Stir occasionally while the mixture heats to a simmer, then remove it from the heat.
Pour the milk through a fine mesh sieve to strain out the tea leaves, then let the Earl Grey milk cool to room temperature before moving on.
Step 2. Cream the butter: Add the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and large bowl), then mix on medium-high speed until it’s creamy and pale, about 5 minutes.
Step 3. Add the powdered sugar: Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, mixing on low speed and scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition.
Step 4. Add the flavors: With the mixer still on low speed, add the Earl Grey Milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Continue mixing on low speed until everything is combined and uniform.
What to Pair with Earl Grey Buttercream
Here are some of my favorite cake and cupcake flavors to pair with this Earl Grey frosting. The London Fog cake and London Fog cupcakes have the most tea flavor throughout since the cake portions of those recipes also contain the Earl Grey milk. If you want a more surprising but complimentary cake flavor, go with anything vanilla, chocolate, or citrus.
- London Fog Cake
- London Fog Cupcakes
- Vanilla Cake
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Lemon Cake
For the layer cakes in the list above, keep in mind that this earl grey buttercream recipe makes enough to either fill + crumb coat or frost a triple layer cake. If you want to fill, crumb coat, and decorate the cake you’ll need to double the recipe.
I hope you love this Earl Grey buttercream as much as I do! Let me know what you pair it with in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me if you post a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Earl Grey Buttercream
Ingredients
Earl Grey Milk
- 1/4 Cups (60ml) whole milk
- 1 tsp Earl Grey tea loose leaf or from a tea bag
Earl Grey Buttercream
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 Tbsp (38ml) Earl Grey Milk, room temperature (recipe above)
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Instructions
Make the Earl Grey Milk
- Add the milk and Earl Grey tea into a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then turn the heat off and steep for 10 minutes. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the tea leaves from the milk and be sure to press all the liquid out from the leaves.
- After straining, measure out 2 1/2 Tbsp (38ml) of the Earl Grey milk and discard any left over. Let the Earl Grey milk cool to room temperature before using it in the recipe.
Make the Earl Grey Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (a hand mixer works fine too!), cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add the Earl Grey milk, vanilla, and salt. Continue mixing on low speed until fully combined and smooth, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
Notes
- The Earl Grey milk can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days ahead. Bring it back to room temperature when you’re ready to use it in the cake and buttercream recipes.
- The Earl Grey buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix in your stand mixer to bring it back to smooth buttercream consistency.
- Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
- Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe.
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