Tea and sympathy: The cake | Berkeleyside

A delicious cup of Earl Grey tea, combining bergamot and flower petals, was the inspiration for this cake. Photo: Moriah VanVleet

Before I heard that ?tea and sympathy? was a play, a restaurant and a song, I only knew it as a soothing cocktail: hot tea with a splash of Grand Marnier. A warm mug of tea is my go-to drink for relaxation and comfort, and I?ve always loved the idea that sympathy can be added to it with a splash of orange liqueur. When I recently discovered a local and remarkably delicious Earl Grey tea ? fragrant with vibrant bergamot and speckled with beautiful, tiny flower petals ? I found myself drinking it daily and, naturally, I couldn?t help but think of turning it into a dessert.

I decided to pair it with orange liqueur and create my very own version of tea and sympathy: the cake. Here is the recipe.? (If you?re short on time, don?t miss the simplified version at the end of this post.)

Whipping in the tea. Photo: Moriah VanVleet

Tea & Sympathy Cake (Serves 8-10)

For the cake:

1 cup flour
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
? teaspoon salt
? cup vegetable oil
? cup honey, at room temperature or a little warmer
Scant ? cup sugar
1 large egg
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
? cup strongly brewed high quality Earl Grey tea
2+ teaspoons high quality dried Earl Grey tea leaves

Preparation: Line the bottom of an 8? round baking pan with parchment, or grease and lightly flour pan. Brew the tea far enough ahead of time to let it cool to at least warm room temperature. Be sure to brew it with more than ? cup water, as you will lose some liquid due to soaking into the tea leaves/bags (brew, then cool, then measure out ? cup). Use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to finely crush the dry tea leaves. Be sure to use more than 2 teaspoons of tea leaves, as they will shrink as you crush and sift them (crush, then sift, then measure out 2 teaspoons). Zest the orange; set aside.? Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat the oil, honey, sugar, and egg together until smooth and pale. Sift or sieve over the honey mixture: flour, baking powder and salt.? Mix until smooth and even. Add the orange zest and tea leaves, stirring until evenly distributed. The batter will be thin and will seem shallow when poured into the pan; this is intentional, as the creamy topping will make it very rich. Bake 25 minutes or until the edges have browned, reveal bubbles, and center bounces back when pushed gently.? Let cool in pan at least 20 minutes before removing.

Cream custard with Grand Marnier. Photo: Moriah VanVleet

For the cream custard topping:

3 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier + more for brushing
1 cup heavy whipping cream
? teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whisk together two tablespoons sugar, egg yolks and?liqueur in a heat-proof bowl.? Set bowl over a pot of simmering water (not touching water) and whisk constantly, cooking for about 8-10 minutes, until mixture has thickened enough to coat the whisk, and a trail stays in the mixture when whisk is dragged through it. Set bowl on counter and keep whisking until bowl has cooled at least to warm room temperature.? Cover and chill.? Meanwhile, beat together the remaining sugar, cream, and vanilla until stiff; chill. When the custard is cool, fold it together with the whipped cream until even in consistency.

When the cake has cooled, brush cake lightly with a tablespoon or two of Grand Marnier.? Slice it into 8-10 pieces, or use a cookie cutter to cut circles from it (I used a 2.25? cookie cutter and was able to make 8 circles with some cake left over). Top each serving with a few generous spoonfuls of the custard, and enjoy.

Moist, rich and fragrant, this cake is equally wonderful as a breakfast, a snack, or a dessert. You might serve it in decorative teacups for dainty presentation, or try topping each piece with a fresh berry or an edible flower. Whatever you do, don?t be ashamed to mindfully devour every bite ? after all, everyone deserves a little sympathy.

Eat for breakfast, as a snack, or a dessert.?Photo: Moriah VanVleet

* To make a quicker version of this cake, omit both the crushed tea leaves and the orange zest. Instead of making the custard, simply brush the baked cake with a few tablespoons of strongly brewed tea mixed with a bit of Grand Marnier, then dust with powdered sugar. The flavor will be milder than the original version but still delicious.

Moriah VanVleet is the voice behind?Butter Sugar Flowers?where this post first appeared.

This story is published on Berkeleyside and on?Berkeleyside NOSH, our new food section covering Oakland and Berkeley.?Bookmark?Berkeleyside?NOSH?and?follow Berkeleyside NOSH?on Twitter, and on?Facebook.

Source: http://www.berkeleyside.com/2012/12/03/tea-and-sympathy-the-cake/

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