Wednesday 4 March 2015

Jasmine Tea Sponge Cake Recipe

  Spring, believe it or not, is right around the corner. It's been some time since I made a creative sort of cake, so I decided, in an attempt to hurry spring along and fuel my obsession with green tea, I would make one with tea! Tea can be used in baking, and if it's brewed in milk or melted butter, the taste is enhanced enough to be noticed in the cake even amongst other ingredients. So, grabbing my absolute favourite tea, jasmine green tea, I got to work! The tea I used was Jasmine Petals and Pearls from Twinings, it smells gorgeous, and has added camomile flowers and rose petals, making it all a little more special than the standard jasmine pearls, which are still amazing. Of course, you can use any tea for this recipe! The floral nature of the cake (depending on the tea you use) makes it a great cake recipe for Mother's Day!



Ingredients:
1/2 cup low-fat milk
4 tbsp unsalted butter (if salted, omit the salt below)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Rose or Jasmine Green tea (loose, or empty a teabag)
optional Tea strainer (if bits of tea aren't desired in the cake itself).
Make it healthier:
Swap butter with coconut oil, or half and half
Swap all-purpose flour for wholemeal - no, it won't taste like bread - or coconut flour
Swap ordinary sugar for unrefined sugar, such as Billingtons, or coconut sugar


Method:
1. Grease or line two 8 inch cake pans and preheat the oven to 280 C/350 F/gas mark 4.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and butter and warm over a low heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and add the tea. The tea leaves won't need to be removed, but if you'd rather not have tea leaves in the cake you can always use a tea strainer. Brewing the tea in milk or butter always enhances the flavour in baking. Set the pan to one side.

3. Whisk the eggs until they're combined, then add the salt, the sugar and the vanilla, mixing all the time, and combine until it's light and fluffy - about 3-5 minutes with an electric whisk.

4. Gently add the warm milky tea into the mixture, mixing by hand, then add the flour and baking powder gradually, folding it in.

5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, then let the cakes cool.

   I filled and covered the cake in double cream to keep it simple, and I made small jasmine flowers from sugarpaste and clustered them in one area on top - I think it looks great! This cake can be made with any tea, however - all you have to do is just change the tea! Brewing the tea in milk or melted butter, or a combination of the two as shown here, really brings out the flavour so it doesn't get cancelled out by the rest of the ingredients.







7 comments:

  1. Your recipe is just what I'm looking for! How long did you bake the cakes? I understand that every oven is different, but I'd like some guidelines as to when I should start checking the cake to see if it's done. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After 25 to 30 minutes - if it seems done, inside a toothpick, skewer or butter knife to see if it comes out clean.

      Delete
  2. Please add in the directions when to add the baking powder. It is listed in the ingredients but not the directions. Can't wait to see how my cake turns out! (but I forgot the baking powder so...)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops! My apologies, I've amended that - generally the baking powder always goes in right along with the flour.

      Delete
  3. Made this cake yesterday. Oh my it's delicious. I also infused the top icing and the centre cream with Jasmine Tea syrup. Yummy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! So glad you liked it - and infusing the centre cream, what a great idea! :D

      Delete
  4. I'm trying this cake using wild raspberry hibiscus tea. Then I'm topping it with cream cheese frosting and garnishing with rose petals and violas. It is for my daughter's 21st birthday! Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete

I do read every single comment, and I will try to respond where I can. If you have an important question about my blog or my shop, however, then you might be better off contacting me directly by email. Thanks so much for reading my blog!