I am a tea lover
MiddleC is very well trained and puts the kettle on as soon as she stumbles into the kitchen in the morning so it's ready for when I stumble into the kitchen in the morning. I don't feel ready to start the day until I've had at least one cup of my favourite Dilmah Earl Grey...... or maybe two.
I have a fancy-pantsy De Longhi coffee machine that does everything a coffee machine should do and more, but it sits there on the bench while I dunk my little baggie into my mug of hot water and wait for the magic to happen.
I needed to make a cake for afternoon tea, for when littlej stumbles into the kitchen after a hard day at school. This one has dried fruit, fresh fruit, and Tea. Just what you need mid-afternoon to keep you going until dinner, with a bit of an extra kick from the tea.
Afternoon Tea Tea Cake
2/3 cup dried Dates
2/3 cup Sultanas
2 Apples
1 1/2 cup SR gluten free Flour
150g Butter or dairy free alternative
4 Eggs
3/4 cup strong Tea
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Bicarb Soda
First things first, boil the kettle and brew a good, strong cup of tea. I used Dilmah Earl Grey, my absoloute favourite tea in the world. So fragrant and refreshing, perfect for a pick-me-up any time of the day or evening
Put the dates, sultanas, hot tea and bicarb in a bowl and let steep for about 10 minutes. This will soften the fruit and help break down the fibres
Blitz in a food processor/blender/ or even easier use a stick blender to whizz it all up until nice and smooth
Add in the eggs, butter, vanilla and sugar and beat well
Grate the apples- I don't bother to peel them,
then add in to the mix with the flour and mix through until thouroughly combined
Pop into a greased loaf pan and bake at 160*C for about 50 minutes until nicley browned and cooked through all the way
I burnt mine juuuust a little, but nothing that a quick trim and flipping the cake over can't fix. My excuse is that I was trying out my new Convection/Grill/Microwave Oven and it was the first time I baked anything in it. I think I've figured it out now, and next time will know to pop it on the rack to allow for even cooking instead of opening the door all the time to fiddle with it :)
Serve your cake with, of course, another lovely cuppa for a lovely afternoon tea snack. A smear of butter is yummy, but not strictly necessary- I'll leave that to you and your wasteline to decide. I think I'll sit in the sun and read a good book while I nibble and sip my steamy cup of Earl Grey, then I'll be ready to take on the rest of the day.
So Dear Readers, are you a tea or coffee fan, and which blend is your favourite?
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