This black tea and vanilla loaf cake is the perfect simple yet impressive dessert where earthy tea notes blend perfectly with creamy vanilla. Cut it open to reveal a beautiful two-tone pattern!

This page may contain affiliate links. This means I may get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you.

This black tea and vanilla loaf cake is perfect for tea lovers. It has a tender, fragrant crumb and is perfect if you desserts that aren’t too sweet!

How to make a two-tone tea cake

Two-tone cakes require two different batters of different colors. In this recipe, we will make a black tea batter, and a vanilla batter.

However, to make things easier, we’ll make one base vanilla batter, split it in two, and add black tea powder to one half. Simple!

Ingredients for a black tea and vanilla cake

Butter – Unsalted butter adds richness and flavor to the cake. Because butter is solid at room temperature, it gives a firmer bite to the cake than if you use oil

Granulated sugar – Granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps retain moisture

Eggs – Eggs help bind everything together. It’s best to use room temperature eggs for the smoothest mix

Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract adds flavor

All purpose flour – All purpose flour is the base for this cake

Corn starch – Corn starch helps make the cake more tender and soft

Baking powder – Baking powder helps leaven the cake

Salt – Salt enhances the flavor of the cake and balances out the sugar

Black tea powder – Black tea powder adds flavor

What type of tea is best for baking cakes?

I prefer stoneground teas for making cakes because it leads to a more saturated flavor. You can add the powder directly to the batter without needing to steep it. I got my stoneground black tea from Postcard Teas in London.

Since stoneground black tea is not super common, you can substitute either matcha or hojicha and achieve similar results, but with a different tea flavor.

Steps for making a black tea and vanilla cake

First, you’ll cream together the softened butter and sugar until well combined.

Next, mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Then, add your dry ingredients, making sure not to over mix. Over mixing develops gluten in the flour, which can lead to a tougher cake.

Split the base batter in half, and mix in the tea powder into one half.

Layer the two batters in a baking tin, and bake until a knife comes out clean.

Tips for making a perfect loaf cake

Here are some of my tips to make a beautiful, tender loaf cake every time:

• Use room temperature ingredients. They will combine more easily so you don’t have chunks of butter in the batter
• If making by hand, sprinkle in the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing between each addition. This will help avoid lumps of flour
• Don’t over mix the batter after you add the dry ingredients. This develops gluten, which leads to a tougher, chewier cake
• Pipe a line of butter down the middle of the loaf before baking. This helps the loaf crack in the middle and expand more in the oven

Other loaf cake recipes to try

• Raspberry pistachio pound cake
• Gingerbread banana bread