Earl Grey Sponge Cake

It is always one of my desires to make something with Earl Grey tea. Earl Grey chiffon cake is very popular but I have not find a good quality chiffon mould yet. Those from Japan are quite expensive. 

So, with my success to make a chocolate sponge cake earlier, I tried to make my own Earl Grey sponge cake by taking reference of other recipe in making the Earl Grey milk tea.

Well, I failed. The middle of the cake collapsed when I took it out from the oven the 2nd time after testing it to see if it is done. I guess it is because: 1) I forgot to take out the eggs earlier to leave at room temperature and it took quite a long time for me to create the egg mixture; 2) I didn't put baking papers at the base of the mould and so the oil leaked out during baking. 

Though with all these errors, the cake turned out to be delicious and smell very good! I will try again soon for a better one!

Ingredients
(8-inch cake mould)

1. Eggs in room temperature 5 pcs
2. Cane sugar 142g
3. Cake flour 100g
4. Vegetable oil 53g
5. Earl Grey teabag 6g (3 pcs)
6. Milk 120ml

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 180 Celsius.
2. Warm the milk in a pot in small heat. Turn off the heat and pour tea leaves into the warm milk and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour the milk tea in a mug and leave to cool. Save the tea leaves for use.
3. Beat the whole eggs with sugar into smooth egg mixture.
4. Mix in the sieved cake flour into the mixture gradually until fully mixed.
5. Add the oil and 3 tbsp of egg mixture with the milk tea, mix well and pour into the rest of egg mixture. At this stage, you must make sure the oil mix with the batter evenly. 
6. Add around 2 tbsp of tea leaves into the batter and mix well.
7. Pour the mixture into a lined cake mould and bake for around 30 minutes.