Earl Grey Cauliflower Cake with Lavender Blueberry Frosting

This recipe was a pretty exciting one for me to create. Not only does it highlight my love of hidden vegetable desserts, but it also is tea-flavored! Tea is one of my absolute favorite things in all of the world.

This floral cake is the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of spring. For me it served as a nice light addition to today’s Easter feast!

Earl grey tea has that yummy bergamot flavor that is citrus-y sweet with a mild hint of spice. Making this cake gives you the chance to actually eat bergamot flavor, which is impossible to do via the bergamot fruit itself since it is inedible (fun fact). I personally am a huge fan of using cream of earl grey loose leaf tea in this recipe, but any earl grey you have will work just fine.

Finishing the cake off with a lavender blueberry frosting gives it that delightfully purple look with no food coloring required, and adds to the soothing, floral flavors. Lavender and earl gray come together in this creation for the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon cup of tea (or whatever daily occasion you use as an excuse to eat cake).

These photos feature a fun new gift I got from my friend for my birthday last week – a beautiful cake stand and funky plate! Appreciate the cake stand in all its glory and keep an eye out for it, as it’ll be an up and coming star in my food photoshoots.

This recipe is not gluten-free and it is not vegan and it is not dairy-free (wow I really let you down it seems!) Once I experiment a bit more with it I’ll try to come up with a version that satisfies all dietary preferences. I feel confident that it would work with your favorite 1-1 gluten-free flour but again, I have yet to try this myself.

For now be happy that it tastes like cake yet theres about half a head of cauliflower in there!

If you have never cooked with lavender before, be sure to get some culinary grade lavender when making the frosting.

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Earl Grey Cauliflower Cake with Lavender Blueberry Frosting

A super moist, tea-infused cake with a soothing lavender blueberry frosting.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 12

Author Fiona Saluk

Ingredients

• CAKE
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 - 1 cup steamed pureed cauliflower
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp earl grey tea about four bags if you don't have loose leaf
• 1 tbsp earl grey tea grounds
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• FROSTING
• 1/2 cup butter room temp
• 2 tbsp almond milk or milk of your choice
• 1/2-1 tbsp lavender
• 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup powdered sugar or more for sweeter taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F, grease and line two 8" round pans
2. Boil the cauliflower until soft and throw in your food processor. You should get just under 1 cup of puree.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the buttermilk and earl grey leaves. Reduce to a simmer, stir occasionally for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let infuse for about 15 minutes. Strain tea leaves out using a fine mesh colander or sieve.
4. Combine the sugar, vanilla and oil until well incorporated in a medium sized bowl.
5. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, ground tea leaves, and baking powder until combined.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, to sugar mixture.
7. Add in 1/2 flour mixture, 1/2 buttermilk mixture, alternating until all is added.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pans and bake for 30-35 mins, depending on your oven.
9. While cake is in the oven, heat a small saucepan on low heat with blueberries, lavender, water, and cornstarch, stirring often for about 10 minutes until blueberries start to pop.
10. Pour through a sieve over a medium bowl to strain out the lavender and blueberry skins
11. Add butter, powdered sugar, and milk to this bowl and beat until combined and fluffy.
12. Frost the cake once cooled and enjoy!