Spiced Orange Blossom Tea Cakes Recipes

ALMOND TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Grease mini muffin tins and set aside.
• Sift 2 ounce of the sugar, ground almonds and cake flour in a bowl. Add 1 egg white to form a paste. In another bowl whip the 3 egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar. Continue to whip until the meringue is strong but not dry. Fold the meringue into the almond paste mixture and add the heavy cream at the end. Mix well.
• Fill the prepared muffin tins half full. Bake promptly in the pre-heated oven until golden, approximately 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the molds. Cool the tea cakes about 5 minutes before unmolding them on a wire rack. Dust with confection sugar before serving. Store the cakes in an airtight container.

ORANGE SPICED CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• For the crumb topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in an even layer onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring once, until lightly golden brown and just fragrant, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack and let cool slightly before coarsely chopping.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat until it begins to turn light golden brown. Whisk in both of the sugars and cook until smooth. Take the pot off the heat and add the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg and mix until clumps begin to form. Refrigerate the crumb mixture for 15 minutes.
• For the cake: Heavily butter a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the melted butter, milk, canola oil, orange zest, vanilla and eggs. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing out the surface. Scatter the crumbs in large clumps over the cake; the crumb layer should be quite deep.
• Bake until the crumbs are golden and firm and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 55 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• For the glaze: Whisk together the sugar, butter, juice, zest and vanilla.
• Once the cake is cool, drizzle the glaze over it and cut into 9 pieces. Serve on a platter.

TANGERINE TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Arrange 50 mini muffin paper cups on a sheet pan. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine the almond paste, jam and tangerine rind until smooth. Mix in the eggs 1 at a time, adding the single yolk last. Add the flour and mix on low speed. Add the melted butter and mix until blended. Fill a pastry bag with the batter and pipe into the cups filling each 3/4 full. Place 1/4 of a tangerine section, with the cut side facing up on each teacake then sprinkle them all liberally with powdered sugar. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until firm and lightly browned, about 20 minute. Cool and serve at room temperature in their papers.