Tender white cupcakes are topped with an earl gray infused buttercream for the perfect tea time dessert! The cupcakes are light and fluffy, not dense.

White Velvet Cupcake with Earl Grey Buttercream - With Cup of Earl Grey Tea

What’s unusual about these cupcakes is they don’t follow the usual creaming method.  For this reason, I was originally very skeptical of them because they break the baking rules.

Buttercream Whipping in Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment

But they’re sooooo good.  They’re fluffy and light and…velvety =)  Their light texture and delicately delicious flavor called for a really tasty buttercream, and while I was browsing the aisles of the grocery store, I thought EARL GREY!!!

Buttercream with Whisk Attachment with Mixture Dripping Down

And holy smokes…white velvet cupcakes with earl grey buttercream…it’s just divine.

White Cupcakes with Earl Grey Frosting Piped On Top

White Velvet Cupcakes with Earl Grey Buttercream

Servings: 14 -16 cupcakes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Tender white cupcakes are topped with an earl gray infused buttercream for the perfect tea time dessert! The cupcakes are light and fluffy, not dense.
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Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

  • 3 extra large egg whites at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 7 oz cake flour, by weight sifted (if you don't have a scale, sift your flour in 2 cups, and level it off)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2.25 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter between 65 and 75 degrees F

For the buttercream:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 4 egg yolks at room temperature
  • .75 cups butter diced into small cubes
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1 bag earl grey tea cut it open and dump the tea in the buttercream

Instructions 

  • To make the cupcakes: Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites, 3 tbsp of the milk, and the vanilla until combined.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the rest of the milk (about 7 tbsp) and mix on low until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 90 seconds, until nice and smooth. Scrape down the bowl, make sure to scrape down below where sticky batter may settle.
  • With the mixer on medium-low speed, slowly add half the egg mixture, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom wells of the bowl. Repeat with the other half of the egg mixture. Scrape the bowl again to make sure all the batter is homogenous. Fill a cupcake pan with your liners, and fill them up 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes and let them cool on the rack completely.
  • For the buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on high speed for 8 minutes until they are very pale. In the meantime, combine the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, and let the sugar syrup simmer toward the soft ball stage (238 degrees on an instant read thermometer). When both the egg yolks and the sugar syrup are ready, pour the sugar syrup into the mixing bowl (the mixer should still be on high speed), aiming as best as you can to pour between the wire whisk and the side of the bowl. Now, touch the bottom of the bowl. Very hot, right? Beat the egg yolk sugar mixture until the bowl feels neither hot nor cold (about 5 minutes).
  • Turn the mixer down to medium and add the earl grey tea. If you taste the buttercream and it doesn’t taste Early Grey-y enough, don’t worry, the earl grey needs time to infuse into the buttercream. Add the butter, a couple cubes at a time to the bowl, over the course of 10 minutes. Wait until each installment of butter is absorbed until you add the next batch. Pipe or spread your buttercream on your cupcakes, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 165mg, Sugar: 29g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Fifteen Spatulas