Bergamot Earl Grey Loaf

Did you guys watch the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle? I remember watching Prince William & Kate Middleton’s wedding while my husband and I were on a trip to Banff.

This time, I had to shoo the kids to bed early so I could wake up at 4am to catch the nuptials. So with all things royal of late, I needed to make my favourite tea loaf.

Inspired by the fragrant bergamot oil that I picked up during my trip to Edmonton’s Duchess Bake Shop, I thought about bergamot and it’s natural pairing with earl grey tea — which is one of my ALL-TIME favourite teas (besides matcha).

I wanted to create an intense citrus and tea flavour into a loaf, so thus, the Bergamot Earl Grey Loaf was born. I love the scent of bergamot — it smells so bright, citrusy and uplifting. One whiff of it, and you can’t help but smile!

WHAT IS BERGAMOT?

Bergamot is a fragrant fruit that belongs to the citrus family. It’s roughly the size of an orange but is either yellow or green in colour.

Did you know that bergamot fruit is not edible? The oils from the rinds are cold-extracted and used.

Bergamot oil is actually very good for your digestion and can control your blood pressure, among a host of other great uses for it.

Note: Use a culinary/food-safe bergamot oil for baking. Don’t use an essential oil.

HOW TO MAKE THIS BERGAMOT EARL GREY LOAF

The technique is similar to making a chiffon cake, where the egg whites and egg yolks are separately beaten. It lends to creating such a lighter and airier loaf, which I prefer. It’s a little more work, but trust me, it’s well worth the time.

• We’ll infuse the milk with the earl grey tea and leave it to steep for a few minutes. 
• Then, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks for this cake.
• In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, flour, sugar, oil, bergamot oil, and the tea-infused milk.
• Next, we’ll beat the egg whites until stiff peaks, and then fold it into the flour mixture. 
• Transfer the a batter to a loaf pan and bake at 350F for about 1 hour. 

You can omit the almond flour and just use all-purpose flour — I like the slight nutty texture that almond gives to the loaf. 

GREAT AS A BREAKFAST LOAF 

Tender, light, and full of earl grey flavour (the proof is in the tea leaf speckles), this Bergamot Earl Grey Loaf is delicious for breakfast, or absolutely perfect for an afternoon tea. 

MY OTHER EARL GREY RECIPES

If you’re the ultimate Earl grey tea aficionado, you may also enjoy these recipes:

• Earl Grey Milk Jam
• Earl Grey Cream Tart
• Earl Grey/London Fog Ice Cream
• Blackberry Earl Grey Cream Roll Cake

Let me know if you make this — I’d love to see your creations! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or let me know in the comments below.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Bergamot Earl Grey Loaf

A recipe for a light and fragrant cake loaf infused with earl grey tea and bergamot oil.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bergamot, earl grey, loaf

Servings: 12

Calories: 193kcal

Author: Michelle | Sift & Simmer

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 3 egg yolks
• ⅓ C hot milk
• 1 bag earl grey tea
• ⅓ C avocado oil
• ¾ C granulated sugar
• ½ tsp culinary bergamot oil
• zest of 1 orange optional, but will be more flavourful
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• ½ C almond flour or you can replace with ½ C all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place the milk into a microwave-safe mug. Heat on high for 30-40 seconds until steaming hot. Place an earl grey tea bag in the hot milk and let it steep for 2 minutes.
• Line an 8" by 4" loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Separate egg whites from the egg yolks and place the egg whites into an clean stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment. Be sure that the mixer bowl is free from any grease.
• Place the egg yolks into a large glass bowl. Add oil, sugar, bergamot oil, and orange zest. Use a whisk and beat together until combined.
• Gradually add the steeped tea (in milk) to the egg yolks, while whisking constantly as to not scramble the eggs.
• Add the flour mixture to the egg yolks and mix until combined.
• Beat the egg whites using the stand mixer whisk attachment on low speed. Once bubbles form, add the cream of tartar and gradually increase the speed. When you can see trails forming, gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold the egg whites into the flour mixture. Use about ½ C at first to loosen up the mixture. Then fold in the rest of the egg whites, until no white streaks remain.
• Place the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
• Drop the pan a few times to release any trapped air bubbles.
• Bake at 350°F for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.
• Serve with tea and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, covered.

Nutrition

Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you try this recipe?Mention @siftandsimmer or tag #siftandsimmer!

Recipe inspired from Jenny Can Cook