Go Back
Boba Milk Tea Cake hero shot

Boba Milk Tea Cake

Viral boba milk tea cake (波霸奶茶蛋糕) layers black tea sponge with brown sugar boba cream and chewy pearls. Get the recipe!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 28 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Asian
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 bags strong black tea like Assam or English Breakfast
  • 1.75 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1.25 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dried black tapioca pearls
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar for syrup
  • 1/4 cup water for syrup
  • 2 cups cold heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Method
 

  1. **Steep.** Heat milk until steaming. Add tea bags and steep 10 minutes. Squeeze and discard bags. Cool to room temp.
  2. **Heat.** Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans.
  3. **Mix dry.** Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
  4. **Cream.** Beat butter and granulated sugar 3 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Alternate adding dry ingredients with the cooled tea milk in 3 stages.
  5. **Bake.** Divide between pans and bake 25 to 28 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool fully.
  6. **Boba.** Boil pearls per package directions. In a saucepan combine brown sugar and water, simmer 3 minutes. Add cooked pearls and simmer 5 minutes. Cool.
  7. **Assemble.** Whip cold cream with powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Layer cake, cream with pearls scattered in, second cake, then top with cream and remaining pearls. Drizzle with leftover brown sugar syrup.

Notes

Use dried black tapioca pearls and follow the package boiling instructions exactly. Steep milk with 4 strong black tea bags for 10 minutes for the boldest flavor. Cook pearls in brown sugar syrup for 5 minutes after boiling for the candied flavor.