Let them eat (Earl Grey tea) cake

A rainy, cold and miserable day in New York = the perfect excuse to bake all day. Settled on making some fresh ricotta and baking an Earl Grey Tea cake… because all I want on a rainy day is a bottomless cup of tea and a piece of cake.

On my way to the supermarket I stopped into my local cafe where I laid eyes on this brilliant cap. The wearer was chuffed to bits when I told him I liked his cap.

Going to the supermarket has always been one of my favourite past times… in American it’s even better. Today my 5 minute trip to the supermarket ended up taking 2 hours because I kept getting distract by funny products, labels and branding.

Here are a few giggle-worthy numbers...

Back at home I got busy in the kitchen. First up was fresh ricotta, so I could let it sit and curdle whilst I baked the cake (I could already taste the warm cake with fresh ricotta…)

curds settings

ricotta straining

Earl Grey tea cake 

150g butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ cups flour, sifted
½ cup almond meal
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2/3 cup brewed Earl Grey tea, cooled
2 tablespoons Earl Grey tea leaves

Preheat oven to 180ºc. Line and grease a loaf tin.
Cream butter and sugar and until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with tea mixture, thoroughly combining after each addition.

Pour batter into tin and bake at 180ºc for 1 hour. Cool for five minutes and then turn pan upside down on a baking rack to cool.
Serve with a big pot of freshly brewed tea.

Earl Grey tea cake fresh out of the oven

Earl Grey Tea cake and fresh ricotta success! This is the best batch of ricotta I have made yet- got the vinegar to milk ratio perfect. To really treat myself I had a slice of the cake lathered in fresh ricotta. yum.