Now, most of you out there will know my love for tea and cake. I love, love, love afternoon tea especially when I can share the experience with my friends. This cake combines the two.
I was recently sent some rose and bergamot tea from Steenbergs that I wanted to use in a different way and not just make a pot to drink. This cake uses the tea as an aromatic. Mix this with other scrumptious flavours and you get a dense fruit cake that is perfect for afternoon tea with friends. Of course it goes without saying that a delicious pot of tea is a must to have alongside!
Aromatic Tea Loaf
2017-04-10 13:30:50
Prep Time
24 hr
Cook Time
1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
- 275ml hot, strong Rose and Bergamot tea. Use Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea as an alternative.
- 125g each of dried apricots and dates, roughly chopped
- 150g sultanas
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 25g dark brown sugar
- 10 green cardamom pods
- 75g ground almonds
- 200g self raising flour
- 1/2tsp rosewater
- 2 medium eggs, beaten
- - For the icing
- 150g icing sugar
- 1 1/4tbsp cold water (you may need more)
- Pink food colouring
- 10 almonds
- 5 or 6 dried apricots, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Put dried fruit and dark brown sugar into a medium bowl and cover with the hot tea. Leave to soak for at least an hour. Overnight preferably.
- Preheat oven to 150C/gas mark 2. Line a 2lb/900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Bash the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar. Pick out the seeds and discard the husks. Grind the seeds to a powder.
- In a large bowl add the ground seeds, ground almonds, flour and caster sugar.
- Add the soaked fruit mixture, the rosewater and the eggs and mix well to combine.
- Scrape mixture into prepared tin and bake for 1hr 20mins to 1hr 30mins until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 5 mins and then turn out on a wire rack and cool completely.
- Transfer cooled cake to a board or serving plate.
- Stir icing sugar, water and food colour to make a pink thick icing.
- Pour over the top of the cake and let it drip down the side.
- Decorate with chopped Almond and apricots.
- Allow icing to set before serving in slices.
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