Little Ivy Cakes

ENGLISH BREAKFAST CUPCAKE
paired with LEMON BUTTERCREAM


I printed out this Earl Grey tea cupcake recipe from Patent and the Pantry a waaaaaay long time ago. Then, I proceeded to put it in my "recipes to try" notebook and let it sit there for a very long time. I have so many notebooks of printed recipes that there is a chance not all of them will ever be made in my kitchen. Sad but true. Yet, this recipe got lucky and was plucked from the masses. I made the recipe with English Breakfast though because I don't really like Earl Grey and I happen to love English breakfast tea instead-with cream and 1 lump of sugar. :)

How were they? Well, I was expecting the cupcakes to taste a little more like a spot of tea . I think I will re-try the recipe with steeped tea instead of the loose herbs. The loose herbs also made the cupcake texture a little grainier with an earthy feeling. I shared them with my co-workers and although they liked the cupcake because it was moist etc, etc, they raved about the lemon frosting the most. I would say I could tweak these to make them a little better.

(Do you see the tea specks?)

Here is the recipe re-printed with my changes...

ENGLISH BREAKFAST CUPCAKES

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup whipped honey( I am trying to cut down on sugar)
2 eggs, room temp
1 1/2 cup flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 bags English Breakfast dry tea leaves
1 bag French vanilla dry tea leaves
1/2 milk

-Preheat oven to 350F
-Whisk, whisk, whisk the flour, tea, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside
-Cream, cream ,cream the butter, sugar, and honey
-Then add in the eggs one at a time
-Add 1/2 the dry ingredient mixture
-Add milk
-Add the rest of the flour mixture, scape bowl good and mix well
-Spoon into cupcake papers and bake (for minis, 15 minutes)

Lemon Buttercream
1 stick unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbs lemon juice

-Beat butter until fluffified
-Add in Sugar 1 cup at a time
-Add lemon juice
-Beat on high for 3 minutes until really creamy and fluffy.

I usually like to pipe the frosting on with a swirl or star tip to make it pretty and "profesh" looking but, I tried something new this time -and just frosted with a small spoon. It was fun.
Do you think they looked more homemade then if I used a star tip? Not that looking homemade is a bad thing, I just wonder.

(Garnished with Celestial Seasonings-Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea herbs & Raw Sugar)
THE END!