Earl Grey Pumpkin Snack Cake! This moist and light, tea-infused pumpkin cake is frosted in an an Earl Grey cream cheese frosting and makes a mouthwatering afternoon snack for yourself or for company.
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It's rare to find a pumpkin recipe that doesn't contain pumpkin spice, but this simple Earl Grey Pumpkin Snack Cake uses fragrant, aromatic tea instead with the most delicious results!
This recipe comes together quickly and is perfect for serving to last minute company, bringing to a potluck or making weekly during the fall for an afternoon snack. Served with a cup of coffee or tea, it's a true treat!
Looking for more ways to use pumpkin in your fall baking? Try my Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins, Pumpkin Spice Beer Bread, or Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Yeast Bread!
This recipe is naturally vegetarian and can be made gluten-free. (See Variations & Substitutions area below.)
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What is Earl Grey tea?
Earl Grey tea, which happens to be my personal favorite, is a black tea that is flavored with bergamot oil. Bergamot is a Sicilian citrus fruit that is a cross between an orange and a lemon, with a hint of grapefruit and lime flavor as well.
Ingredients
- Milk or water. You may use either to brew the tea bags.
- Earl Grey tea. A good quality tea can really make the difference in flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Pumpkin puree. Make sure to purchase puree and not pumpkin pie filling!
- Vegetable oil. Any neutral oil or even coconut oil may be used.
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Make Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan or glass baking dish with parchment paper (or spray with non-stick cooking spray). Set it aside.
Heat water or milk to steaming (I heat it in a glass measuring cup in the microwave), and steep tea bags in it for about while you continue to prep the other ingredients. When the tea is finished steeping, carefully press on the tea bags to to extract. Discard the tea bags and set the liquid aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and tea mixture until thoroughly combined.
Add the wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until just combined. (Do not over-mix.)
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake the cake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the cake from the oven and set it aside to cool completely before frosting.
For Earl Grey Cream Cheese Frosting
Steep 1 tea bag in water or milk for about 10 minutes. Gently press out the remaining liquid and discard the bag.
In a medium bowl using a hand mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese until mostly smooth. Add vanilla extract.
Slowly beat in powdered sugar until incorporated.
Add about 1 tablespoon of tea-steeped milk. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Tip: If the consistency is too loose, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add some more liquid.
Frost the cooled cake with the cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish, if desired.
Recipe FAQ's
No! This cake is mildly sweet, similar to pumpkin bread, and can be served plain, dusted with powdered sugar or with frosting.
Yes. Once the cake is frosted, it should be kept in the refrigerator since the frosting contains cream cheese. If you choose to keep the cake unfrosted, it may be stored at room temperature.
Pumpkin snack cake should be stored covered and refrigerated and will keep for 4-5 days. I like to remove it from the refrigerator for 10 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
Variations & Substitutions
Try these pumpkin snack cake variations:
- Use chai instead of earl grey for an aromatic, spiced version.
- Sprinkle toasted pecans, walnuts or pepitas on top for some crunch.
- Omit the tea and add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice for a more traditional pumpkin snack cake.
Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite, gluten-free one-to-one flour replacement in place of regular flour.
- Vegan: Most of the recipes I share can be easily "veganized" by using plant-based substitutes for things like cream cheese and milk. However, since this cake contains eggs and I am not familiar with the best egg substitutes, I cannot guarantee that the texture of a vegan version would turn out the same. I have a feeling that a product like "JustEgg" would work fine; I encourage you to give it a try and report back!
Earl Grey Pumpkin Snack Cake
Ingredients
For Cake
- ¼ cup water or milk
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ pumpkin puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil
For Earl Grey Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup milk or water
- 1 Earl Grey tea bag
- 4 tablespoons butter softened to room temp
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened to room temp
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment (or spray with non-stick cooking spray). Set aside.
- Heat water or milk to steaming and steep tea bags in it for about 5 minutes. When finished steeping, squeeze out the tea bags carefully with the back of a spoon to get maximum flavor from each bag. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a small bowl, beat together eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and steeped tea until thoroughly combined.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until just combined. (Do not over-mix.)
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Set aside to cool completely before frosting.
For Earl Grey Cream Cheese Frosting
- Heat milk or water to steaming; steep tea bag in milk for about 5 minutes. When finished steeping, squeeze out the tea bag carefully with the back of a spoon to get maximum flavor. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl using a hand mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese until mostly smooth. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until incorporated.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of tea-steeped milk. Add vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. (If the consistency is too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add some more liquid.}
- Frost cooled cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish, if desired. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Use chai instead of earl grey for an aromatic, spiced version.
- Sprinkle toasted pecans, walnuts or pepitas on top for some crunch.
- Omit the tea and add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice for a more traditional pumpkin snack cake.
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite, gluten-free one-to-one flour replacement in place of regular flour.
- Vegan: Most of the recipes I share can be easily "veganized" by using plant-based substitutes for things like cream cheese and milk. However, since this cake contains eggs and I am not familiar with the best egg substitutes, I cannot guarantee that the texture of a vegan version would turn out the same. I have a feeling that a product like "JustEgg" would work fine; I encourage you to give it a try and report back!
_sugarmountain says
Ooo the pumpkin/earl grey combo sounds awesome, Dianna! It's so refreshing to see pumpkin paired with something different than just nutmeg and cinnamon. I love working tea into my baked goods and this looks right up my alley! 😀
Chineka @ Savor The Baking says
What could be better than earl grey tea in a cake? I can't think of a better combination. Great post.
Mary Murillo says
My daughter and I made this yesterday afternoon since was closed due to the hurricane. We served it as an after dinner dessert. It was so good and even the young kids loved it! Just a note that you do write it in your post above, but if you skip down to recipe, it doesn't state to add the tea mixture to the wet ingredients (step 4). I was able to figure it out of course, but if you are like me and print the recipe, that part is missing. Also, I lacked an 8x8 pan, so I winged it with a 9 inch pie pan and it was perfect for serving as slices.
thekitchenprep says
I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it, Mary! Going into the recipe card right now to update -- thanks for the heads up!