Lavender Tea Cakes Recipe – A Floral & Buttery Delight
Spring is here, the red buds and dogwoods are blooming, everything is looking greener, and I just want to soak in all the sunshine and flowers. One of my favorite things to do to celebrate my favorite seasons (spring and fall) is to invite my mom, sister-in-law, and niece over for a ladies' tea party.
Well, we were working on the new Food & Wine Pairing Experience menu for spring, and I knew I wanted to incorporate flowers. But I thought incorporating a tea aspect would be lovely as well. So I threw out the idea of a lavender tea cake, and Amanda, who makes all the food for the experience, came up with this recipe! She baked them in a mini Bundt pan and they came out so cute and perfect for sharing, but you could also use any mini baking sheet.
These mini Bundt cakes are fragrant, sweet, moist, soft, and buttery, and make me think of a spring tea party with all my favorite ladies. You can make them at home and serve them with tea if you would like, OR, you can pair them with wine like we will be doing for the Food & Wine Pairing Experience. We are going to be pairing them with Tjaila, our sweet white dessert wine. The cake tones down the sweet honey notes of the wine just a little bit and allows more of the fruity apricot notes to shine.
Follow the recipe below to make them yourself and pick up a bottle of Tjaila for pairing at the Grand Room or Restaurant!
Ingredients
For the Tea Cakes:
½ cup milk
3 lavender tea bags (we used the Buddha Teas brand)
1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender (ensure your lavender is food-grade)
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
For the Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water (or as needed to achieve desired consistency)
Drop of lavender food gel (optional but gives it color)
Instructions
Lavender Cream
Heat the milk in a saucepan until warm but not boiling.
Add the tea bags and stir in the dried culinary lavender.
Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 10-30 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the flavors.
Discard the tea bags and strain out the lavender using a fine-mesh sieve.
Chill the infused milk until it is COMPLETELY cold or at room temperature.
Tea Cakes
Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for a smooth batter.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a mini Bundt pan with baking spray, using a pastry brush to distribute it evenly into the molds.
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
On low speed, gradually mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
Slowly pour in the prepared lavender cream, mixing until smooth. Avoid overmixing.
Scoop the batter into the prepared mini Bundt pan molds using a small ice cream scoop or spoons, smoothing the tops.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool for a few minutes in the pan, then turn them out onto a cooling rack.
Simple Icing
Whisk together powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth.
Adjust the consistency by adding more water for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker icing.
Add the lavender food gel and mix. Start with less and add more until you reach your desired color.
Dip the tops of the tea cakes into the icing, twisting gently to coat, or drizzle over the top and let it drip down the sides.
Carrie Miller is Kiepersol's
Social Media & Community Specialist.