The V day is upon us, yes! So it seems like more and more these commercial holidays are being shoved in our faces, and it seems like more and more my interest in them lessens andlessens.. I know I sounds like a total humbug, however I like keeping things at a minimum in cases like these.. V day is for couples, who quietly wish, or not wish, to celebrate that day of love together.. maybe not the entire day.. part of the day, a morning, an evening, a dinner.. together.. and make something special out of it.. yeah..
- Earl Grey & Lavender Tea Cakes…with blueberries!
So all things hearts are fine and lovely.. I DO like them and find that shape endearing… chocolates, candy.. even cakes iin this form and pretty… especially cookies.. but.. I kind of wanted to move away from that this time… including a few little chocolates I happened to have lying around…
- Earl Grey & Lavender Tea Cakes…with blueberries!
You can make loaf cakes if you like… or do as I did and do 1 loaf and a few smaller cakes.. you could do cupcakes.. a bundt cake, which would mean changing baking times… but I kind of like the traditional loaf ones and these smaller ones are cool too especially if you’re giving them away..
- Earl Grey & Lavender Tea Cakes…with blueberries!
Earl Grey tea has something so soothing about it.. I love working and baking with tea as everyone knows… slight obsession yes.. and the addition of dried lavender just adds more perfume and aroma to this cake.. you can’t really taste the flavours as much as smell their beautiful aromas… now, the extra layer of blueberries and lemon zest (classic combo!) really just lifts the whole thing.. I also threw in some cinnamon for that extra tea-y flavour and kick!
- Earl Grey & Lavender Tea Cakes…with blueberries!
FInish this off with an easy lemon glaze and some pretty tea leaves, and this leaves you with something simple and romantic… no chocolates.. just simplicity… lets leave the extra sweetness to the real lovers… this cake hardly has any sugar actually… it’s pretty cool how you really don’t need it in this recipe…
- Earl Grey & Lavender Tea Cakes…with blueberries!
- 1 Earl Grey Tea bag
- 6 tbsp (80 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (105 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup (60 ml) yogurt
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1½ cups + 1 tbsp (200 g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tspn dried lavender flowers
- 1 cup (125 g) blueberries, fresh (if using frozen then DO NOT thaw)
- For the Glaze:
- ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
- lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 180 C
- Grease your loaf tine or mini cake pans.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder + soda, salt, cinnamon and lavender flowers. Soak the tea bag in ½ cup of boiling water for 10 minutes whilst you melt the butter in a medium pot and remove from the heat. Beat the sugar and eggs into the butter. Beat until fluffy and light, about 2-3 minutes, followed by the yoghurt and lemon zest. Remove the tea bag from the water, pour the brewed tea into the bowl and stir together. Cut open the tea bag and stir the tea leaves into the pot as well. Add the flour mixture.until just combined. Stir in the blueberries.
- Pour the batter into a greased and floured large loaf pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack.
- Make the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thick, pourable mixture (add the lemon juice slowly, stirring between additions). Pour over the warm loaf and leave to cool and set.
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