Indulge in these delectable tea-infused cakes to celebrate International Tea Day
Tea-infused cheesecake with a cup of delicious tea. Picture: iStock
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Every year on 21 May people across the globe celebrate International Tea Day, which aims to highlight the rich and long history of tea, and the deep cultural and economic significance that the beverage has had on many countries all around the world.
Whip out your baking utensils and recreate these delicious and fun tea-infused cakes to celebrate International Tea Day with a yummy twist.
Earl Grey tea cake with lemon curd buttercream
Earl Grey tea cake with lemon curd buttercream. Picture: Pinterest
In a small saucepan, heat milk to just under boiling. Remove from heat and add loose tea or Earl Grey tea bags. Let steep for 10 minutes. Strain milk if using loose tea, or discard tea bags if using those. Add vanilla extract and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 176°C. Grease three cake pans and line with parchment.
In medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and ground tea. Set aside.
Rub lemon zest into the sugar. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and lemon zest together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice and mix to combine.
Add eggs one at a time on low speed, fully incorporating each one and scraping down the bowl before you add the next.
Add the dry ingredients in thirds (three additions), alternating with the tea-infused milk (two additions). Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix at low speed just until everything is combined.
Let batter rest for ten minutes.
Fill the three prepared 6-inch cake pans no more than 2/3 way. Level the tops with an offset spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning out on a rack to cool completely.
For the Earl Grey tea simple syrup
In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar and bring to a low boil. Add tea and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain syrup and allow to cool completely.
For the lemon curd filling and buttercream
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Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until combined.
Set mixer bowl over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of gently simmering water, making sure bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, whisking constantly, until sugar is fully dissolved, or a thermometer registers 71°C. (Rub the mixture between two fingers to test for grittiness.)
Dry off bottom of the bowl and place back on the stand mixer. Whisk on high speed until the meringue is glossy and can hold stiff peaks, and the bowl is cooled, usually about 5 to 10 minutes, but could be longer.
Switch from the whisk to the paddle attachment.
Slowly add the cubed butter piece by piece, beating well on medium speed after each addition. When all the butter has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and raise the speed to medium-high. Beat until the buttercream is thick and fluffy.
When buttercream is fluffy and smooth, add the salt, vanilla, and 1/2 cup lemon curd, and beat on medium-high until incorporated and buttercream is smooth.
Buttercream can be made ahead of time and frozen. To use, bring back to room temperature, then beat until smooth again.
Assembly
Prepare a piping bag with a round tip.
Place one cake layer on a stand or serving plate. Brush all over with the Earl Grey tea syrup.
Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the top layer. Fill with lemon curd.
Place second layer on top and repeat with the syrup, buttercream and lemon curd.
When final layer is on top, lightly frost the outside of the entire cake with the buttercream to make a thin crumb coat. Chill for 30 minutes then frost and decorate as desired with rosettes, flowers, fruit, etc.
To start with, preheat oven to 180°c bake and line or grease two 20-22cm spring-form baking tins and set aside.
Using a free-standing mixer, add the butter and sugar and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each egg.
Using two bowls of flour the Flour, baking powder and salt to one bowl and mix. In the second bowl, add the buttermilk, honey, vanilla extract and mix.
Alternating between the dry and wet ingredients, add them to the free-standing mixer one at a time over several additions. Fold through to incorporate.
Pour batter evenly between the two prepared baking tins and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cakes are golden and a skewer comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling, infuse the milk by adding the milk and tea leaves to a small pot. Bring to a simmer and continue to stir for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool complexity in the pot. When cooled, strain and set aside.
Next, make cookie crumbs by coarsely crushing biscuits and adding to a medium-sized bowl. Add melted butter and brown sugar and mix through until crumbs start to clump. Pour out onto a lined baking tray and bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes or until crumbs are golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before breaking up the crumb.
To make the honey syrup, add honey and boiling water to a small bowl or ramekin. Mix through to combine and set aside.
To make the buttercream, beat butter in a free-standing mixer for 5 minutes, scraping sides down occasionally. Sift icing sugar and add to the butter in two stages, beating for another 3 minutes between additions. On a slower speed, add the earl grey infused milk, then turn mixer speed back up and beat for another few minutes. Now you’re ready to assemble!
Assembly
Place first cake layer on a cake board and using a pastry brush, brush top of cake with honey syrup. Cover with a layer of buttercream, followed by a layer of cookie crumbs (You can follow this with another light layer of buttercream if you like). Place the second cake layer on top and follow through with earlier steps of brushing with honey syrup, a layer of buttercream and finishing off with a final layer of cookie crumbs. Cut, serve and enjoy with a hot cup of tea.
Lemon and black tea cake with fresh blackberries. Picture: Pinterest
Ingredients
½ cup milk
2 teabags black tea
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup castor sugar
1 cup sweetened whipped cream, to top
½ cup lemon curd
8-10 blackberries, to top
Instructions
Pour the milk in a saucepan set over low heat and dip the tea bags into it. Let it heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Set it off heat and let the mixture cool.
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C. Line two round cake pans with parchment paper
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest and salt
In a separate bowl, beat vegetable oil and castor sugar at high speed. Bear in the lemon juice.
Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition.
Mix in the milk & black tea mixture
Using a spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix only until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake at 180*C for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once the cakes have cooled completely, gently layer them with a generous layer of whipped cream and lemon curd. Decorate with blackberries
