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This Earl Grey Tea and Honey Pound Cake with Walnuts pairs the citrusy flavor of bergamot with the sweetness of honey and the crunch of walnuts.
Not long ago, a friend was gushing to me about a fabulous afternoon tea she had at a local hotel. Not one to miss out, I had to check it out for myself. It was indeed a lovely tea, but I couldn’t help but think that in terms of the food, I’ve had better…and could probably make a few tastier treats myself at home.
We’ve all faced that dilemma, right? Going out to eat is a fun change of scenery and it’s nice to not have to cook or clean up, but usually in terms of food quality, it can’t hold a candle to homemade.
So when I recently remembered afternoon tea, instead of heading out I decided to make a simple version at home. Some kind of cake was definitely in order and this flavorful take on pound cake fit the bill quite nicely.
Here I paired the citrusy flavor of bergamot from Earl Grey tea with honey and walnuts. I called it a pound cake because texture-wise it reminds me of pound cake, but it technically isn’t because it doesn’t have a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar (but if you’re looking for a pound cake recipe based on the traditional proportions, check out my recipe for Vanilla-Almond Pound Cake with Easy Strawberry-Rose Sauce).
Because I like to sweeten my tea with honey, in this recipe I used Tate+Lyle® Honey Granules to sweeten this Earl Grey tea-flavored cake. If you’re not familiar with the product, Tate+Lyle® Honey Granules is a blend of pure cane sugar and honey; it’s a deliciously sweet and easy way to add honey flavor to your recipes. Honey Granules can be used in many different types of baked good recipes as a substitute for some or all of the granulated sugar called for in the recipe, and will add a touch of exquisite honey flavor. Also, Honey Granules can often be substituted for fluid honey by using this conversion: 1 cup liquid honey = 1 cup Tate+Lyle® Honey Granules + 1/4 cup additional liquid (such as water).
With a fresh twist on clotted cream in mind, I made a quick little sweet cream cheese topping for dolloping on this cake. A cup of tea and a slice of this cake makes the perfect afternoon treat.
- 2 cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Earl Grey Tea bags (preferably organic), cut open
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (145 g) Tate+Lyle Honey Granules
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk (low-fat is fine)
- 1 cup (115 g) walnuts, chopped
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, slightly softened (low-fat is fine)
- 1 tablespoon Tate+Lyle Honey Granules, dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water
- Butter, for the pan
- Flour, for the pan
- Preheat the oven to 350F; butter and flour a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
- Whisk together the flour, tea leaves (from the opened tea bags), baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside.
- In another large bowl, beat together the butter and honey granules, and then beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and then fold in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
- For the cream cheese topping, beat together the cream cheese and dissolved honey granules until smooth.
- Serve the bread with the cream cheese topping for dolloping on top.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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Can you sub w/real honey?
Kero, I haven’t tried this recipe using regular honey, but I would think that it would work. You’d need to take out some of the liquid that’s in the recipe (I’d probably reduce the amount of milk), and you may or may not want to use a full cup of regular honey (depending on how sweet you like it). You may also need to slightly adjust baking temperature and baking time. I hope this helps! Let me know how it goes if you decide to experiment with it.
So gorgeous, Faith! And the flavors are spot on!
This cake is beyond gorgeous! I love the idea of using those honey granules in the cake. I have yet to see them in the store but I can guarantee you when I see them I’ll be picking up a pack.
We love to go to Afternoon Tea but it is really hard to find a good one. You are so right about doing it at home, that’s what we do for Mother’s Day. High tea at home. Your pound cake would be a fantastic addition. I have to find these honey granules.
OH! I’ve not seen those granules, but I feel they MUST be in my kitchen!! Will certainly make an effort to find them. Love the tea cake, I find myself craving something a little sweet in the afternoons… it just gets me through till dinner and provides a little moment of peace. Perfection!
This looks AMAZING, I am going to have to save this one!
I love the idea of tea-infused pound cake! And I love Earl Grey tea – in fact, pm me your address and I’ll send you my favorite. It’s made by Townshends and has a lovely vanilla essence along with the bergamot.
This looks just wonderful, Faith! And I love that little dollop of richness for the top.
Where can I purchase Tate+Lyle Honey Granules?
Elizabeth, Here is the store locator where you can search for a store near you that carries this product. I hope it’s available in your area! :)
Wonderful flavours! I love Earl Grey tea and honey.
Cheers,
Rosa