Earl Grey Yuzu Loaf Cake

I like to think of this Earl Grey Yuzu Loaf Cake as a slightly more sophisticated take on a classic lemon loaf cake. It has the same satisfying tart kick, but a more complex and floral flavor profile. The best part: it's super easy to make with minimal equipment and prep time.

This post is sponsored by YUZUCO. All opinions are our own.

The easiest kind of cake to bake

This Yuzu Earl Grey Loaf Cake is the kind of simple, not-too-fussy cake that somehow still feels a little special. It’s bright and citrusy, lightly floral from the tea, and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon (but we’d happily eat a slice for breakfast, too!).

Yuzu is especially good here because its flavor is a little more complex and aromatic than regular lemon, which pairs beautifully with Earl Grey.

The combination tastes fresh and fragrant without being overpowering, and the sweet-tart glaze on top adds just enough extra citrus flavor.

It’s also a great recipe to make when you want something impressive without committing to a layer cake or complicated dessert.

Everything comes together in one loaf pan, it keeps well for several days, and it’s just as good for a casual weekend bake as it is for brunch, gifting, or serving to guests!

Key Ingredients Needed for Yuzu Earl Grey Loaf Cake

• Yuzu: the star ingredient. We are HUGE fans of YUZUCO products for anything yuzu, and we're not alone. So many professional chefs and bartenders use their yuzu juice because it truly tastes fantastic – no bitterness or weird aftertaste that you often get from bottles citrus juice. You *can* use lemon instead, but trust us. The yuzu is worth it! We used this 100% yuzu juice and also love to use their Super Juice in our Frozen Limoncello Cocktail.
  • Candied yuzu peel for garnish: also from YUZUCO! I honestly just like to snack on these. They're like nature's sour candy!

• Earl Grey tea: the second star ingredient! The tea we used was fairly pulverized already, so it worked great in this batter. If your tea leaves are larger, you may want to quickly pulse them in a food processor or spice grinder to better distribute the tea in the batter.

How to Bake this Earl Grey Yuzu Loaf Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F.  Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground tea leaves.
3. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter and beat on medium speed with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 

4. Add the eggs one at a time while continuing to mix, then add in the yogurt and yuzu juice, mixing until the batter is smooth.

5. Combine: Add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached. Start checking the bread around 50 minutes – if it's browning too quickly, you can cover the top with aluminum foil while it finishes baking.

7. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
8. Make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and yuzu juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, top with candied yuzu peel, and let the glaze set before slicing.

Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!

• Take it out of the oven when there are still some moist crumbs attached to your toothpick. If the toothpick comes out totally dry, it's overbaked. The cake will continue to set with residual heat as it cools, so although you shouldn't see any wet batter on the toothpick, moist crumbs are a great sign!

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We can't wait for you to make this loaf cake in your own home! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

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