These vegan lemon Earl Grey cupcakes have a soft, even crumb with a clear lemon flavor and a subtle note of tea running through the cake. The Earl Grey adds aroma without overpowering the lemon, and the texture stays light rather than dense. The frosting is a simple lemon buttercream that balances the cake without making it too sweet. It’s a straightforward cupcake that bakes consistently and works well for both casual baking and serving to guests.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Balanced flavor: The Earl Grey is fragrant but gentle, and the lemon keeps the cupcakes tasting bright rather than rich.
- Soft, tender crumb: The cakes bake up light and even, without being dry or crumbly.
- Straightforward method: No complicated steps – just steep, mix, bake, and frost.
- Not overly sweet: These work just as well for afternoon tea as they do for dessert.
- Flexible: Easy to turn into filled cupcakes or a simple layer cake if needed.
- Good keeping quality: They stay soft for days when stored properly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredient list is simple, but each part plays a role in the final texture and flavor. You’ll find the full measurements in the recipe card below but here’s a quick shopping list of everything you’ll need:
- Oat milk
- Earl Grey tea leaves
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Neutral oil
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Vegan butter or margarine
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
Follow along with this step-by-step guide to make your Lemon Earl Grey Cupcakes. You’ll find all the exact times, temperatures, and measurements in the recipe card below.
Step One: Warm the oat milk gently and steep the ground Earl Grey tea, then set aside.
Step Two: Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Step Three: Whisk the sugar and oil until smooth, then add the steeped milk.
Step Four: Stir in the lemon juice and zest.
Step Five: Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
Step Six: Divide the batter into lined cupcake wells and bake until set. Cool completely before frosting.
Step Seven: For the frosting, beat the vegan butter with salt, lemon zest, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, then frost the cooled cupcakes.
Storage
Store the frosted cupcakes covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving so the texture softens again. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen individually and thawed as needed.
Expert Tips
Grind the tea leaves as finely as possible before steeping. A finer grind gives you good flavor without affecting the texture of the cake.
FAQ
They’re lightly citrusy with a soft tea aroma rather than a strong “tea” flavor. The lemon comes through first, and the Earl Grey sits in the background adding a subtle floral note. It’s more delicate than bold.
Yes – it’s a very natural pairing. Earl Grey already has citrus notes from bergamot, and the lemon just sharpens that slightly so the cupcakes don’t taste flat or overly sweet.
Grinding the tea finely and steeping it briefly in warm milk does most of the work. You don’t want to overdo it – too strong and it can taste bitter – but using fresh tea and grinding it well makes a noticeable difference.
Yes, blended oats are just as nutritious as whole oats. They provide fiber, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals. The blending process doesn’t remove any nutrients but does make the texture smoother, which some people find easier to digest.
Avoid overmixing once the flour goes in, and let the cupcakes cool properly before frosting. The oil-based batter already helps keep them tender, so there’s no need to add extra ingredients.
Once they’re completely cool. Frosting warm cupcakes will cause it to melt and soak in, which changes both the look and texture.
It’s best not to. Tea should be heated before eating, so stick to lemon zest or a simple garnish instead.
Serving Suggestions and More Recipes
These cupcakes are perfect with tea or coffee, especially in the afternoon. I often serve them plain with just the lemon frosting, but they also work nicely dressed up with extra zest or a simple filling.
If you loved these, you might also enjoy Vegan Coffee Cake With Cinnamon Streusel and Blackberries, Vegan Linzer Cookies, or Classic Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding for more baking ideas that feel special but not overdone.
If you make these lemon Earl Grey cupcakes, I’d love to hear how they turn out. Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @glowdiaries___ I always enjoy seeing how these recipes land in your kitchens.
Lemon Earl Grey Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup oat milk 180 g
- 4 teaspoons Earl Grey tea leaves finely ground (5 g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 8 g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 g
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 3 g
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 g
- 6 tablespoons neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, or sunflower (90 g)
- 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 75 g
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest 2 g
Frosting
- ½ cup vegan butter or margarine softened (115 g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar 240 g
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt 1 g
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest 6 g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175 C. Line ½ cup/120ml wells in a cupcake pan with liners.
Make the cake:
- Warm the oat milk over gentle heat in a sauce pan. Do not boil. Sprinkle the ground earl grey tea in and stir. Set aside to steep for 3 min minutes.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to evenly distribute everything.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and oil. Beat with a hand mixer on low speed (or a hand whisk) until smooth and well combined.
- Add the steeped oat milk. Beat until combined.
- Add the lemon juice and zest. Whisk well.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined and no lumps remain.
- Pour into prepared cupcake wells (about 1/3 cup/78ml per well) and shake to level.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the tin for at least 5 minutes before removing and allow to cool completely.
Make the frosting:
- Combine all the vegan butter, salt, lemon zest, and half the powdered sugar in a bowl.
- Beat with a hand mixer on low speed, slowly incorporating the rest of the powdered sugar.
- Increase the speed and beat until very fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
Assemble the cupcakes:
- Pipe or spread the frosting on. Garnish with fresh or candied lemon zest.
- Serve immediately or can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Individual cupcakes can be stored in the freezer (wrapped individually in plastic before being placed in an airtight container) for up to 1 month.
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