this is a simple, fancy, not too sweet but oh so sweet tea cake that once you taste it you can't help but fantasize about earl grey or mango ceylon or oolong or.... and the list of teas this cake could go to the party with is long... and so so good. i found this tear out in my magic box or recipes from a sunday ny times mag, december 17, 2006.... it's a great one to have in your reperoire. a precious & lovely tea cake.
the ingredients are in the pic above & the rest is... oven on 320, toast those almonds in a pan for a bit & then place them in the cake pan. in a food processor grind the tea, blanched whole almonds* (i bruised the skin under my nail ... i guess that's the nail bed? peeling these almonds that i soaked over night.. let's just say it was a labor of love), sugar & a large pinch of salt. if this mixture seems dry... add 1 egg white to form a bit of a paste..other wise add the white at the end of processing. transfer paste to your mixer with a paddle attachment. add 1 yolk & 1 egg .. beat on medium-low for 1 minute. add another egg and beat for another minute. ass the last egg and the lemon zest and beat on medium for about 5 minutes. using just a few stroked fold in cornstarch & baking powder with a runner spatula until mostly combined. pour in melted butter a bit at a time, folding in gently. do not overmix! pur batter into cake pan, bake for about 40 minutes... let cool for about 3 minutes & turn in over on a plate you love...let it fully cool & dust with confectioners' sugar.
enjoyxxx& let me know what you think!
*you can soak almonds over night or for 4-6 hours as it will help get the peel off if you are going this hand peeling route.
