Spice Tea Cake with Raisins

This little Cake is fabulous to serve with afternoon tea.

The term Teacakes has many variations, for some especially in the south, it refers to cookies. In England it can be a sweet bun with dried fruit. In India or Australia a Teacake can be a sponge cake. For my Teacake, I used one of my favorite Teas to infuse flavor into this somewhat dense Cake. This Cake is not too terribly sweet. I was looking for the Tea to enhance the Batter and highlight the Spice notes.

Enjoy your favorite cup of Tea with this delicious Cake.

SPICE TEA CAKE WITH RAISINS

Ingredients:

• 8 Constant Comment Tea Bags
• 3/4 Cup Half and Half
• 1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 & 2/3 Cups Flour
• 2 & 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Cup Golden Raisins
• 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray a 9 inch round cake pan with non stick baking spray and set aside.

3. In a small saucepan, add the Half and Half. Over a medium heat, warm the Half and Half. DO NOT BOIL. Look for bubbles to just begin to form at the edges then remove from the heat. Now dunk the 8 Tea Bags into the warm Half and Half. Let the Teabags steep in the Half and Half for about 3-4 minutes. Then squeeze out the liquid, from the Tea Bags, back into the saucepan. Let the Tea infused Half and Half cool for about 15-20 minutes.

4. In a medium size bowl, stir together the Flour and Baking Soda with a fork and set aside.

5. In a large mixing bowl, cream 1/2 Cup of the Butter and Sugar using a handheld mixer. Then add in the Eggs one at a time mixing until well combined.

6. Now mix in a half cup of the infused Half and Half, reserving 1/4 cup for our glaze.

7. Stir in the Flour mixture, scraping the sides, until well combined.

8. Stir in the Raisins.

9. Now transfer the batter into the prepared pan.

10. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You are looking for the top to be golden brown as you see here.

11. Allow the Cake to cool in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack.

12. Time to make the glaze. In a Small saucepan melt the 2 Tablespoons of Butter over low heat.  Then whisk in the Powdered Sugar and the 1/4 Cup reserved infused Half and Half. Whisk until well combined and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

13. Give the glaze another good whisk then spoon it over the Cake allowing the Glaze to run down the sides.

14. Transfer your Cake to a cake plate if you are going to serve it right away or store in a covered cake box.

You can serve this Cake with a dollop of whipped Cream and of course a nice flavorful cup of Tea. I like my Tea, English style with a spot of milk in it.

Recipe by: Hot Dish Homemaker