I’m not going to lie, this recipe has been sitting on my new recipe to create list for a while. Ever since my Earl Grey Sugar Cookies and Brown Butter Earl Grey Blondies became my most visited recipe, I knew I wanted to make an Earl Grey flavored coffee cake. But this one absolutely surprised me in the best way possible. I expected it to be good, but I didn’t expect it to become one of the best crumb cakes I’ve ever made. The brown butter gives the cake a deep toasted flavor that almost tastes caramelized, while the blueberries bake into little pockets of jammy brightness throughout the moist cake, almost like the best blueberry muffin you’ve ever had. The star ingredient, Earl Grey, is layered into every bite using a combination of Earl Grey infused milk and finely ground tea leaves in the batter, crumb topping, and glaze. It adds a soft floral citrus note that keeps the cake from feeling overly sweet. Other brown butter coffee cakes to try is my cinnamon coffee cake, almond raspberry coffee cake and pumpkin pecan coffee cake.
Brown butter is the backbone of this recipe. Cooking the butter until golden and nutty adds depth that regular melted butter simply can’t create. It gives the cake a warm bakery-style flavor that pairs beautifully with Earl Grey tea.
Steeping Earl Grey tea bags in warm milk gently infuses the cake with bergamot flavor without overpowering the blueberries. It adds a subtle tea-shop aroma throughout the cake batter and glaze.
Sour cream keeps this crumb cake incredibly soft and moist. It also balances the richness from the brown butter.
Fresh blueberries work best here because they hold their shape while baking. Tossing them with a tablespoon flour helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
The buttery streusel topping might honestly be my favorite part. The finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves mixed into the crumb topping create little pockets of fragrant flavor throughout the crisp crumble topping.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until steaming but not boiling. Alternatively, microwave the milk in a microwave-safe mug or bowl for 60 to 90 seconds until hot. Remove from the heat and steep the Earl Grey tea bags for at least 15 minutes. Gently squeeze the tea bags to release the remaining flavor, then let the Earl Grey milk cool completely before using.
In a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter for the cake batter. Continue cooking until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for about 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat with the butter used for the crumb topping.
In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt, vanilla extract, and finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves. Pour in the browned butter used for the crumb topping and mix with a fork or your hands until small and large coarse crumbs form. Place the streusel topping in the refrigerator while preparing the cake batter.
Rinse and dry the fresh blueberries thoroughly. Toss with 1 tablespoon flour in a separate bowl to prevent the blueberries from sinking in the batter while baking.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch springform pan or square cake pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter made for the cake batter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Add the sour cream and 1/4 cup of Earl Grey milk and whisk again until fully combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Gently pour in the blueberries and fold till evenly distributed.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the crumb topping generously over the entire surface of the cake. Don’t press it down. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
If the streusel topping begins browning too quickly, loosely tent the top with aluminum foil during the final portion of baking. Allow the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, the rest of the Earl Grey milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt until smooth.Drizzle the glaze over the cooled coffee cake before slicing.
This brown butter blueberry cake is best served slightly warm with coffee or tea. Like most baked goods, the Earl Grey flavors become even more fragrant the next morning.
A few serving ideas:
Yes, but do not thaw them first, use straight from the freezer. Toss frozen blueberries with flour before folding into the batter.
Earl Grey adds soft citrusy floral notes from bergamot. In this recipe, it tastes subtle and balanced rather than overly tea forward.
Absolutely. In fact, the flavor deepens by the next day as the Earl Grey settles into the cake.
This helps prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan while the cake bakes.
Yes, but the glaze adds extra Earl Grey flavor and balances the buttery streusel topping beautifully.
Yes, this coffee cake does contain a caffeine because Earl Grey tea is made with black tea. However, the caffeine content per slice is minimal since the 3 tea bags is distributed throughout the entire cake, crumb topping, and glaze.
For the best flavor, use an Earl Grey tea that is fragrant and balanced without tasting overly bitter. Twinings Earl Grey is a great classic option and easy to find, while Harney & Sons Earl Grey, my personal favorite gives a stronger bergamot flavor. Loose leaf Earl Grey can also work beautifully in the crumb topping for extra flavor throughout the cake.
Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
To keep the crumb topping crisp, avoid covering the cake while still warm.
You can also wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
You want golden, not burnt. Think toasted hazelnut, not coffee ash.
If preferred, brown 14 tablespoons (198g) butter in one saucepan. Divide the browned butter after cooking:
Allow the portion for the batter to cool before mixing.
Measuring flour properly makes a big difference in how your baked recipes turn out. For best results, use a kitchen scale and measure in grams. This ensures consistency and prevents adding too much flour, which can make this cake dry or dense.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale:
Too much flour is one of the most common reasons baked recipes can become dry and cakey
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