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Earl Grey Banana Bread

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This Earl Grey tea cake is spiked with the delicate floral notes of Earl Grey Tea and made with bananas for a moist and lovely treat that is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or any tea party! It’s a lovely quick bread that you will want to enjoy again and again!

This Earl Grey tea cake is spiked with the delicate floral notes of Earl Grey Tea and made with bananas for a moist and lovely treat that is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or any tea party! It's a lovely quick bread that you will want to enjoy again and again!
overhead view of slice of earl grey tea cake
slice of tea cake on plate next to mug and loaf

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slice of earl grey banana on plate with butter and tea mug beside

I have an Earl Grey problem – it’s definitely my favorite tea and I love to use it in recipes all the time. From cupcakes to gingerbread cake, sourdough bread, lemon bars, cookies, and even granola, I tend to use this tea in all.the.things! This quick bread is no exception and I love how the flavor becomes subtle and floral and just lovely.

overhead view of earl grey tea cake

Earl Grey Banana Bread 

I am massively in love with this bread! It was probably the moistest banana bread I have ever eaten. Plus the addition of the earl grey tea (affiliate link) was superb! If you aren’t a big fan of bergamot oil (which can be harsh and super in your face), you shouldn’t worry because here it is almost flowery, dainty and very subtle. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I slathered a few slices with butter, but I think that I preferred it better without anything on it. It would also be amazing with frosting or a glaze, too.

Whether you call this a banana bread with earl grey tea, or a tea cake that happens to have bananas in it, this is a lovely choice to make for any occasion. 

earl grey banana bread overhead on plate with loaf and tea beside

How to make Recipe

This recipe has a few more steps than your traditional banana bread, but each one ensures that you have a great recipe that tastes amazing. For the full directions, make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below, but here is an overview of how to make it.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a loaf pan.
  2. In a small saucepan, bring the water to boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the tea bags and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags. 
  3. To the warm tea (in the saucepan), add the brown sugar, white sugar, and the butter. Return the pan to the heat and simmer on medium low  heat, until the butter and sugars have melted and a thick syrup has formed (about 5 minutes).
  4. Remove the pan from the heat, and pour the syrup into a heat proof bowl to cool. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream and baking soda. Allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
  6. Slowly stir the cooled tea syrup into the sour cream.
  7. Sift in the flour and fold gently to combine.
  8. Fold in the mashed bananas.
  9. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
  10. Sprinkle the tpp with the turbinado or raw sugar.
  11. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (covering with foil halfway through) or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
  12. Cool on a wire rack, in the pan, for 15 minutes.
  13. Carefully remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool the rest of the way before slicing.
  14. Enjoy!
collage showing images of steps of recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn this bread into muffins?

Yes! Divide the batter into 12 prepared muffin pans and bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Can I use other kinds of tea?

Yes! You can use whatever flavor of tea that you want, but definitely choose a stronger flavor of a tea that will stand out in the bread.

Can I put frosting on this?

Yes! You can make this into more of an actual cake by placing a simple buttercream frosting on top, or with glazing it with a simple powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk glaze.

earl grey banana tea cake on plates with mug of tea beside

Other quick bread recipes:

Other banana recipes:

earl grey tea cake loaf with mug of tea beside

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overhead view of slice of earl grey tea cake

Earl Grey Tea Cake Recipe

This Earl Grey tea cake is spiked with the delicate floral notes of Earl Grey Tea and made with bananas for a moist and lovely treat that is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or any tea party! It's a lovely quick bread that you will want to enjoy again and again!
4.75 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 1 loaf
Calories: 302kcal
Author: Jenni – The Gingered Whisk

Ingredients

  • ½ cup water
  • 5 Earl Grey tea bags or 5 Tablespoons loose leaf tea
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 3 very ripe bananas mashed
  • 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F
  • Grease a loaf pan and set aside
  • In a small saucepan, bring the water to boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the tea bags and allow to steep for 5 minutes.
  • Discard the tea bags without squeezing them.
  • To the warm tea (in the saucepan), add the brown sugar, white sugar, and the butter.
  • Return the pan to the heat and simmer on medium low heat, until the butter and sugars have melted and a thick syrup has formed (about 5 minutes).
  • Remove the pan from the heat, and pour the syrup into a heat proof bowl to cool. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream and baking soda. Allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
  • Slowly stir the cooled tea syrup into the sour cream.
  • Whisk in the eggs.
  • Sift in the flour and fold gently to combine.
  • Fold in the mashed bananas.
  • Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
  • Sprinkle the tpp with the turbinado or raw sugar.
  • Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (covering with foil halfway through) or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
  • Cool on a wire rack, in the pan, for 15 minutes.
  • Carefully remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool the rest of the way before slicing.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Store wrapped in parchment paper and foil for up to 4 days.
You an make this more "cake like" by adding a simple glaze of 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and enough water to get the desired consistency (start with 1 Tablespoon and mix and go from there).

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g
four thick slices of Earl Grey Banana Bread stacked on each other
two slices of earl grey banana bread with butter spread on them beside butter knife
Earl Grey Banana Bread slices with butter spread beside butter knife

10 Comments

  1. This looks really delicious! It is definitely going on my "to bake" list!

  2. Amy (Savory Moments) says:

    This bread looks so good. I keep meaning to make a baked good with Earl Grey. Also, I have an award waiting for you on my blog!

  3. Nicole, RD says:

    This bread sounds wonderful. Earl Grey…I'll take it in any form 🙂 Carbs preferred 🙂

  4. I never would have thought of this combination myself, but it sounds amazing! I have got to try baking with earl grey sometime

  5. I can't wait to make this!!! I have a soft spot for both banana bread and Earl Grey tea, and honestly I can't think of a better combination right now!

  6. One bit of feedback. I got confused at the instructions as it isn’t very clear that you’re meant to add the tea, sugar and better to the saucepan. I made the tea, melted the sugar and better separately. Then realised right at the end that they were all meant to go together. A little bit more clarity would have been good. Also, yogurt or sour cream? It says Greek yogurt in the ingredients and sour cream in the recipe… I have no clue how this will turn out. I hope it all just melts together. 40 mins to go before I take it out of the oven.

  7. Hi, you mentioned eggs in your ingredient list but didn’t include eggs in the recipe. Should we add eggs?

    1. Hi Jessica! Yes, there are eggs! You mix them in after you add the sour cream to the batter.

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