Earl Grey Tea Cake Recipes

EARL GREY TEA CAKE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE ZEST

Steps:

• Prepare the frosting: In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup/120 milliliters heavy cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the tea, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and chill the remaining cream until completely cold, at least 1 hour.
• Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, tea, baking powder and salt.
• In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the flour mixture on low, until just combined, then beat in the milk. (Don't overmix.) Add the chocolate and fold it in using a spatula. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake just until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then tip the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.
• To finish the frosting, add the remaining 1/4 cup/60 milliliters cream and the confectioners' sugar to the tea cream. With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream mixture until medium-stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and beat just until stiff peaks form. (Do not overmix.) Top the cake with the frosting to serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; let come to room temperature before serving.

EARL GREY TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a small saucepan, and then steep 2 of the Earl Grey tea bags in the hot milk for half an hour.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease or line a 9x5 loaf pan.
• If your honey is semi-solid, melt together with the butter. Using an electric mixer cream together butter, honey and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
• Add flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Remove the teabags from the milk making sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Add infused milk, lemon zest and tea powder from 2 bags and mix until well incorporated.
• Fill batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil towards the end of baking time.
• Combine all ingredients for the syrup and set aside. Let the loaf cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on a wire rack. Poke holes into the top and brush syrup on while still warm.
• Store any leftover syrup in a glass jar in the fridge. A couple teaspoons of syrup make a great addition to a cup of brewed tea.
• Let the loaf cool to room temperature before slicing into it.

TEA CAKES WITH EARL GREY ICING

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 24-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Whisk until smooth, then remove the bowl; keep the water simmering in the saucepan. In another bowl, whisk the sugar, flour and salt; mix into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla until smooth.
• Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until the cakes spring back when touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool on a rack.
• Meanwhile, make the icing: Whisk the sugar, egg whites, lemon juice and salt by hand in the bowl of a stand mixer. Empty the tea bags and add the loose tea to the bowl, then set the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot and the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag, snip the corner and pipe the icing onto the cupcakes.

EARL GREY TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Stir 2 Tbsp. of the tea leaves into cream. Cover; refrigerate 24 hours.
• For tea syrup, in a small saucepan bring 1 cup water to boiling. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. tea leaves; steep 5 minutes. Strain and return tea to the saucepan. Return mixture to boiling; add granulated sugar, stirring to dissolve. Continue boiling mixture 5 minutes or until slightly thickened and syrupy. Remove saucepan from heat.
• Meanwhile, grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Spread cake batter in prepared pans. Bake as directed. Cool cake layers in pans 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and place on wire racks. Brush 1 Tbsp. tea syrup over top of each warm cake layer. Cool cakes.
• Strain infused cream into a chilled bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. of the remaining tea syrup. Beat with a mixer on medium until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). In a medium bowl toss raspberries with the remaining tea syrup.
• To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the whipped cream. Using a slotted spoon, place 2 cups of the raspberries in an even layer over cream. Top berries with a spoonful of cream and second cake layer. Top cake with the remaining whipped cream and raspberries. Refrigerate cake up to 4 hours. If you like, dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Serves 8.