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5 from 1 vote

Earl Grey Pumpkin Snack Cake

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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 9 servings
Author: The Kitchen Prep

Ingredients

For Cake

  • ¼ cup water or milk
  • 2 Earl Grey tea bags
  • 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
  • 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

This recipe was adapted from Dixie Crystals.
Variations
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!