Earl Grey and Boba (Tapioca Pearls) Layer Cake
This cake is slightly complicated as it needs a lot of advanced preparations, to make both the boba and the earl grey cream. However, if you are here just because you simply love boba, then this boba recipe is perfect. Seriously. Dark boba can be bought at Asian food supplies store or sometimes even at regular groceries stores.
One more thing that is important to remember when making boba, is that it is at its best the same day it is being prepared. i.e., as long as it is warm and swims in its own syrup. Upon cooling down (especially if it is being used as decoration, for a cake that must be stored refrigerated), it hardens and becomes very hard to chew on. So please take this into consideration as well. The brown sugar syrup that is used for cooking the boba, is also being used to soak the sponge cake, so no ingredient goes to waste.
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Earl Grey and Boba (Tapioca Pearls) Layer Cake:
Recipe:
| Element | Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| Vanilla Genoise (Recipe) | – | 1cm thick x 4 Sheets |
| Filling, Decoration: Crunchy Milk/Dark Chocolate Pearls | Crunchy Milk/Dark Chocolate Pearls | QS. Sprinkle in between the layers and for decoration. |
| Earl Grey Cream: Insert: 240g Icing: 160g Piping: 50g (No. 108 piping tip) | Heavy Cream (38%) (1) | 120g |
| Earl Grey (tea leaves or tea bags) | 10g | |
| Milk Chocolate | 20g | |
| Heavy Cream (38%) (2) | 360g | |
| Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder | 1g | |
| White Granulated Sugar | 40g | |
| Cooked Boba (Tapioca Pearls) | Dark Boba (Storebought) | 100g |
| Water (1) | 400g | |
| Sticky Brown Sugar | 100g | |
| Water (2) | 100g |
Preparation:
Earl Grey Cream:
- In a small saucepan, cook Heavy Cream (1) with the Earl Grey on low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes to extract the tea’s flavors.
- Strain this mixture into a clean bowl and melt the chocolate in it.
- Sift in the cocoa powder and add Heavy Cream (2) and using immersion blender, mix thoroughly. Rest in the refrigerator 2-3 hours before using.
- Add the sugar just before whipping. Divide the cream according to the amounts specified in the table.
Cooked Boba:
- Boba preparation:
- In a saucepan, bring the water to a full rolling boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, add the boba.
- Cook the boba for 15 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally so the boba will not stick to the bottom. The water will get thickened by the starches.
- Close the lid after 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the boba rest for 15 more minutes.
- Drain the boba and wash with cold water until it’s no longer sticky to the touch. You can rub the boba to get rid of the starches. Keep it over the sifter to get rid of excess liquid.
- For the syrup:
In a saucepan, cook water (2) and sugar on low heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Keep cooking on low heat for 20 minutes. The mixture will bubble and rise to the top so stir occasionally to prevent spillage.
- Cooking the boba in the syrup:
Simmer the boba for 5 minutes in the syrup over low heat. Turn off the heat and cover the lid. Let the boba rest in the syrup for 30 minutes.
Cake assembly instructions:
- Spread 70g insert cream, and sprinkle the Crunchy Chocolate Pearls on top of it. Cover them with another cake sheet.
- Keep stacking all the sheets in similar manner. Use the remaining insert cream to crumb coat the entire cake.
- Ice and decorate as shown in the photo, or per your personal preference.
