In addition to its incredible Korean food, South Korea is a culinary hub for all kinds of cuisines. There's no doubt that I've had some of the tastiest pastas, pastries and fried chicken (plus many more) on my trips to Korea. My last trip was no different when I discovered the Earl Grey Chiffon Cake.

Maybe I'm being a little hyperbolic, but it was basically love at first bite. The infusion of the Earl Grey tea into the soft and airy sponge set the stage for a perfect bittersweet balance. Oh, did I mention it was covered in fluffy whipped cream? If you don't believe me(or even if you do), try out the recipe below and see for yourself. 

Earl Grey Chiffon Cake

  • Prep Time:30 mins
  • Cook Time:20 mins
  • Total Time:50 mins
  • Servings:8
  • Medium

    Ingredients

  • 3 Earl Grey tea bags
  • 7 Tbsp hot water
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup cake flour
  • 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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Stephanie Lee
  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 340° and gather all ingredients.

    egg
    Stephanie Lee
  • Step 2

    Steep a Earl Grey tea bag in the hot water until it cools. Separate three eggs and put yolks in a medium bowl. Set aside 1 tablespoon of sugar and add 1/3 of the remaining sugar in the bowl and mix.

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    Stephanie Lee
  • Step 3

    Measure out 2 teaspoons of tea leaves from a tea bag. Add the tea leaves, sifted flour, 4 tablespoons of steeped tea, and oil into the bowl and mix well.

    #SpoonTip: If you don't have cake flour, measure out 1 cup of all purpose flour and take out 2 tablespoons. Then, add 2 tablespoons of corn starch.

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    Stephanie Lee
  • Step 4

    To make the merengue, the use a electric mixer to stir the egg whites until it's foamy. Add 1/3 of the remaining sugar and continue mixing. Add the remaining sugar gradually with the mixer on high until stiff peaks form.

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    Stephanie Lee
  • Step 5

    Fold in half the egg whites into the batter until fully incorporated then, fold in the rest.

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    Stephanie Lee
  • Step 6

    Pour the batter into a 10-inch Angel Food Cake pan. Drop the pan lightly a few times to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes until the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake upside down on a bottle as shown below.

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    Stephanie Lee
  • Step 7

    Meanwhile, make the whipped cream in a cold bowl by mixing heavy cream, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of the separated sugar. Liberally spread the whipped cream on top of the cooled cake, sprinkle some loose tea leaves for decoration and get ready to experience Earl Grey tea in its best form.

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    Stephanie Lee