Spiced Tea Cakes Recipes

TEACAKES

Steps:

• Warm the milk with the butter in a pan until the butter has melted, then add 100ml water to cool the mixture to room temp. Tip the flour, yeast, sugar, spice and 1 tsp salt into a bowl, making sure the yeast is on the other side of the bowl to the salt. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter in, mixing until it forms big flakes, then bring together with your hands. Tip on a surface and knead until smooth (about 5 mins). Put the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave until doubled in size, so about 1-1 ½ hours.
• Line a tray with baking paper. Tip the mixed dried fruits into the dough and knead them in, trying to disperse them evenly throughout the dough. Cut your dough into 6 even-sized balls, take each ball and, using the cup of your hand, and pressing down a little with your palm, roll the ball in a circular motion on the surface to create tension across the top of the bun and a neat round shape. Place onto a tray about 5cm away from each other and press down with your palm to flatten the dough down a little, creating the teacake shape. Cover loosely with an oiled sheet of cling film, for a further 45 mins, or until they have doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Brush the top of each bun liberally with the egg wash, then bake for 20 mins on the top shelf of the oven, until the buns are golden and well risen. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then slice in half, toast and slather with butter if you like.

FIVE-SPICE TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with waxed or parchment paper.
• Sift together the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, five-spice mixture, and ginger. In a medium bowl, mix the tea and applesauce. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar until very light and fluffy. With the mixer running at medium speed, drizzle in the oil and mix. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the tea-applesauce mixture and mix. Repeat twice more, using up all the ingredients. The batter will be somewhat thin. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until firm to the touch and split on the top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 70 to 90 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes, then turn the cake out onto the rack, peel off the paper, and let cool.

SPICED ORANGE BLOSSOM TEA CAKES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, orange blossom water, salt, baking soda, cloves and allspice. Add the softened butter, working it into the dry ingredients with your hands until fully incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla extract and gently knead the dough until it comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat a grill to 350 degrees F. (See Cook's Note)
• Roll out the dough to roughly 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured piece of parchment. Punch out six 3-inch rounds, re-rolling the dough once if necessary. Place the dough rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they are evenly spaced.
• Place the baking sheet over indirect heat on the grill. Bake the tea cakes until set but still pale, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow to cool. Additional garnishes can be added to the top of the tea cakes. I enjoy adding a sprinkle of allspice at the end.

APPLESAUCE SPICE TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Baking time: 55 minutes
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°. with a rack in the center of the oven. Coat the sides and center tube of the pan with the butter. Toss in the flour and shake the pan to coat the tube surface and sides. Knock out the excess flour. Set aside.
• 2. Place a mesh sieve over a medium mixing bowl and add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Shake the contents into the bowl and set aside.
• 3. Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Stir them briefly with a fork to break them up slightly, then add the dark brown sugar. With the mixer on high speed, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is very thick, about 6 minutes. Move the beaters around the bowl and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula several times while mixing. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the oil and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture alternately with the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Fold in the walnuts with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
• 4. Bake for 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the pan and let the cake cool completely.
• 5. The baked cake can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 1 week. It may also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled cake securely in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-strength recloseable jumbo-size plastic bag. Label the bag with a waterproof marker and freeze. Defrost the cake, in its wrapping, overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours.

CHAI SPICED TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time and mix well until a smooth consistency.
• Sift together flour and spices. Add one third of dry mixture to eggs and butter.
• Add vanilla essence to milk, and add half to cake batter.
• Alternate dry and liquid ingredients, beating well between each addition.
• Place batter in a greased log pan.
• Bake 40 - 50 minutes, until a knife or skewer can be inserted and removed clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool before glazing.
• For Glaze: SIft icing sugar and cinnamon. Add milk and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to make a runny paste. Spread icing mixture over cake. Allow to set and serve.

SPICED TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix butter and sugar until light.
• Add eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon.
• Mix soda with buttermilk and add to mixture.
• Add flour small amount at a time.
• May be rolled into balls or dropped by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet.
• Bake in oven aproximately 10 minutes or until just brown.
• ENJOY!

CHAI-SPICED TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or spray bottoms and sides of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. In 2-cup measuring cup, pour boiling water over tea bags. Let steep 3 to 4 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add 1/2 cup water to tea to make 1 cup.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, eggs and tea mixture with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
• In small bowl, mix sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg; sprinkle over batter in pans. Pull knife through batter in swirl design.
• Bake as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch rounds. Cool 15 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. On serving plates, place each cake, top side down; gently brush off excess crumbs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle. Place in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; cut off tiny corner of bag. Drizzle frosting over cakes. Store loosely covered.