Saturday 21 January 2012

Peppermint Tea Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting



I was racking my brains for a "healthy" ingredient to go with chocolate for this months We Should Cocoa set by Chele from Chocolate Teapot.

I was browsing around the different blogs I follow and found Nom! The Indulgent Baking Blog and What Kate Baked talking about types of tea.

Tea is healthy! Thanks for the inspiration girls!

So I went with a peppermint tea cake with a chocolate cream cheese icing.


Peppermint tea is not only healthy, it's almost medicinal and will help you meet the love of your life! Okay maybe I'm exaggerating but it is good for your tummy, does help with stress and gives you minty fresh breathe for all that potential smooching!

Peppermint tea cake - This recipe is adapted for a 9" cake from the Hummingbird Bakery Book - Cakes days Earl Grey cupcake recipe.


4 peppermint tea bags
4tbsp boiled water
105g softened, butter
320g plain flour
340g caster sugar
small tsp salt
1 tbsp and 1/2 tsp baking powder
270ml milk
3 medium eggs


1. Preheat the oven to 190C and put a shelf in the middle of your oven. Line and grease your 9" cake tin.
2. Leave the tea bags to soak in the boiled water for 30mins.
3. Cream together butter and sugar with an electric whisk.
4. Whisk in the eggs.
5. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Put your whisk on a low speed or stir until just combined.
6. Squeeze every last drop of water out of the tea bags and combine with the milk.
7. Pour in a quarter of the milk mixture  in to the batter and combine. Stir in the rest of the milk until the batter is smooth. Don't over mix.
8. Pour in to your greased baking tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 mins. Until when pierced with a skewer it comes out clean. Try not to open the oven too early as your cake might sink.
9. Leave the cake to cool and slather with chocolate cream cheese icing or cut the cake in half and sandwich with  icing.


Chocolate cream cheese icing


This recipe has real melted chocolate in it and can be found here, over at the cupcake project.




Decorating


I used my new mini whisk and a heart stencil to make this cute heart (remember peppermint tea helps you find love!). I sifted cocoa powder over the stencil and voila! Cheap and easy way to decorate but looks quite striking I think.


Happy weekend x

6 comments:

  1. Your cake looks very striking indeed and I hope it help you to find love ;-) Really like the idea of using peppermint tea and am now itching to give it a try. Were you pleased with the taste?

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  2. I'd never thought of using peppermint tea in baking. Nice looking cake. Maybe I should reserve this idea for Valentine's day.

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  3. so pretty!! i really like the sound of the peppermint and chocolate together, would love to try this!

    mariposacakes.blogspot.com

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  4. Choclette - Thanks. I was pleased with the taste. It is pepperminty but with a sort of earthy background, rather than a fresh mint kick.

    Phil - You can use any tea really, it opens a world or possibilities!

    Emma Jane - It was a good combo especially with the cream cheese, it was too sweet. Thanks.

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  5. Thank you ever so much for the little mention! And what a great looking cake- I too was wondering how much of a pepperminty kick there was. But what a wonderful combination of mint and chocolate. And I love the picture with one slice taken out!

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  6. Ooooo an interesting idea...very brave of you to experiment! Did you just substitute the Earl Grey for peppermint...and could you taste the peppermint? :-)

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