Earl Grey Sponge Cake With Hibiscus Frosting Recipes

EARL GREY SPONGE CAKE WITH HIBISCUS FROSTING RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring 2.5 cups of water to a boil, and brew the 8 bags of tea for 5 minutes. And set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour two 8-inch-wide and 3-inch-deep cake pans and set aside.
• In a bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and set aside.
• In another bowl combine wet ingredients: the yogurt, 1 1/3 sugar, oil, 1 cup of earl grey tea (it can still be warm), and vanilla extract.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and mix until fully combined. Be careful not to over mix.
• Split the cake mixture evenly between the two prepared cake pans and bake in the pre-heated oven for 25- 30 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, and then cool on a cooling rack. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap, and keep in the freezer until ready to ready to frost or for at least an hour.
• Simply warm 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of the brewed earl grey tea over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Allow the syrup to completely cool before using.
• Heat the hibiscus petals in about ½ a cup of water for 5 minutes. Allow the hibiscus petals to steep in the water until it is completely cooled. Once the hibiscus tea is cooled, drain the petals and set aside.
• In a mixer, beat together on low speed, the butter and half of the powdered sugar.
• Add in 3 tablespoons of the concentrated hibiscus tea / zobo.
• Add in the remaining sugar and keep beating on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated.
• Increase the speed of the mixer, and beat the frosting until it is light and fluffy. If you need to lighten the texture of the frosting, add more of the hibiscus tea/ zobo, a tablespoon at a time.
• Place one of the 8 inch cakes on a cake board and drizzle on the earl grey syrup to ensure that the cake is moist.
• Spread some of the frosting on top of the cake and place the second layer on top of that.
• Soak the second layer with more earl grey syrup and then smooth on more frosting to the top and sides of the cake.
• Optional: I stuck some roses (food safe roses) on top of the cake and decorated the sides with some coconut chips.

EARL GREY BLACKBERRY CAKE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease 3 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans with nonstick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Make the cake: In a small pot over medium heat, combine the milk and 2 tablespoons of Earl Grey tea. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat, cover, and set aside to steep for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour.
• Strain the steeped milk through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and discard the tea leaves. Let cool to room temperature.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the honey and beat to combine. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating to incorporate before adding the next. The mixture will look curdled at this point, but will come together. Sift in half of the flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat just until combined. Add the steeped milk and beat to incorporate. Sift in the remaining flour and beat until just combined. Add the vanilla bean seeds and remaining tablespoon of Earl Grey tea and beat to incorporate. The batter will be relatively thick.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula.
• Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool for 5-10 minutes, until safe to handle. Turn the cakes out of the pans and let cool completely on the wire rack, 25-30 minutes.
• Make the frosting: In a small food processor, blend the blackberries into a smooth puree, about 30 seconds. Strain the blackberry puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula to push the mixture through. Discard the seeds and set the puree aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Sift in the powdered sugar, 1 cup (120 G) at a time, and beat to incorporate. Mix in the blackberry puree.
• Assemble the cake: Place the cardboard round on the cake turntable. Spread a dab of frosting in the middle and center 1 of the cakes on the round. Using an offset spatula, spread about 1 cup (115 G) of frosting evenly over the top of the cake. Spread evenly into a layer about ½-inch (1 ¼ cm) thick. Arrange half of the halved blackberries, cut sides down, on top of the frosting, pressing down gently into the frosting. Place another cake layer on top and repeat frosting with another cup of frosting and filling with the remaining halved blackberries.
• Top with the remaining cake layer. Dollop 1-1½ cups (115 G) of frosting on top. Using the offset spatula, spread the frosting in an even layer across the top, starting from the center and working toward the outer edge. Cover the sides of the cake with more frosting, working from top to bottom down the sides. Remove and reserve any excess frosting. Holding a bench scraper against the side of the cake, slowly spin the turntable to help spread the frosting into a thin "naked" layer. Remove excess frosting from the bench scraper as necessary. Use the offset spatula to add more frosting to the sides to cover up any particularly bare spots and to smooth out the top and edges of the cake. Refrigerate cake for 20 minutes, until the frosting is set.
• Pile the whole and halved blackberries in the center of the cake and decorate with the edible flowers. Sprinkle lightly with loose Earl Grey tea leaves.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!