Earl Grey Tea Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C.
• Place the dates, bicarbonate of soda and tea in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
• Using a hand-held blender, blend the date mixture until smooth. Set aside.
• Place the apple, flour and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine.
• Add the butter, vanilla, eggs and date mixture and mix well to combine.
• Spoon into a lightly-greased 2.5 litre capacity (10 cup) loaf tin and bake for 45 -55 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
• Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire tack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Put the fruit and zest in a bowl and cover with the hot tea. Leave to steep overnight.
• Heat the milk in a small pan until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and add the butter, swirling the pan to help the butter melt and cool the milk. Leave to cool to hand temperature. Tip the flour, mixed spice, sugar, yeast and ½ tsp salt into a large bowl. Pour in the warm milk mixture, the egg and 1 tbsp of the tea from the soaked fruit. Mix with a wooden spoon to combine, then tip onto your surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth and elastic, adding a little more flour if the mixture is too sticky. Place in a clean, oiled bowl and cover with cling film, then leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hrs until doubled in size.
• Flour 2 large flat baking trays, knock all the air out of your dough and add the soaked fruit (drain the fruit first if you have any liquid left in the bowl). Knead the fruit into the dough until well distributed - you may need to add a little extra flour if the fruit makes the dough too sticky. Break into 6 pieces and shape into balls. Place on the floured baking trays, well spaced apart, and squash each down lightly with the palm of your hand. Cover loosely with oiled cling film, then leave to prove for 30 mins-1 hr, until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Uncover the teacakes and bake for 25 mins, swapping the trays over halfway hrough cooking, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped on the base. Brush each one with a little apricot jam and return to the oven for a further 1-2 mins. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm from the oven or split and toasted, topped with lashings of butter. Will keep in a tin for up to 4 days.

Steps:

• Combine tea and raisins, stand for 10 minutes.
• Strain, reserve liquid.
• Combine butter and sugar in pan and melt over a medium heat.
• pour into large bowl and add 2 tblsp of reserved liquid.
• Cool then add eggs, combine well.
• Sift over flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
• Stir through drained raisins.
• Pour batter into well greased and floured 26 cm bundt tin.
• Bake 180 F for 40 minutes.
• Turn onto wire rack and cool.

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.