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Classic Earl Grey Tea Bread
The secret here is grinding loose tea leaves directly into the sugar, releasing their essential oils for a deeply aromatic batter. Sour cream keeps the crumb incredibly moist and rich, while a simple lemon glaze perfectly complements the bergamot notes of the tea. It's a tender, fragrant loaf cake that pairs beautifully with your afternoon cup or stands out as a sophisticated brunch treat. You'll love how the citrus and floral flavors meld together in this elegant bake.
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons decaffeinated Earl Grey tea leaves
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and dust it lightly with flour.
- 2Place the tea leaves and granulated sugar in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, then process until finely ground. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- 3Beat the softened butter and the tea-infused sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, then reduce the mixer speed to low. Adding eggs individually prevents the batter from separating.
- 4Add the flour mixture and the sour cream in alternating batches, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Overmixing at this stage leads to a tough loaf.
- 5Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- 6Turn the bread out of the pan and leave it on the wire rack to cool completely. Glazing a warm loaf will cause the icing to melt and run off.
- 7Whisk the confectioners' sugar, grated lemon peel, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread and let it sit until the icing sets.
Notes
- Storage: Wrap the finished bread tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Ingredient tip: Use high-quality loose leaf Earl Grey tea for the strongest bergamot flavor. If using tea bags, cut them open and measure out 1.5 tablespoons.
- Prep: Make sure your butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature so the batter emulsifies smoothly.