Black Tea Cake

I can guide you in the preparation of a delicious Black Tea Cake. Here is the recipe with a small Italian twist:

Ingredients

• 200 g of sugar
• 200 g of soft butter
• 4 eggs
• 240 g of 00 flour
• 16 g of baking powder for sweets
• 1 sachet of black tea (or 2 tablespoons of loose black tea)
• 100 ml of milk
• Grated zest of 1 lemon (for a fresh and Italian touch)
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. In a small pot, warm the milk without bringing it to a boil and add the black tea. Allow to infuse for about 5 minutes, then strain to remove the tea leaves (if you used loose tea) and let the milk cool down.
3. In a bowl, cream the soft butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition.
5. Mix in the grated lemon zest to flavour the batter.
6. Sift the flour with the baking powder and pinch of salt, and add them to the mixture alternating with the cooled tea milk.
7. Stir until you have a smooth and lump-free batter.
8. Pour the batter into a previously buttered and floured cake pan.
9. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
10. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before unmoulding.

Curiosity

Black tea is a surprising ingredient in baking, adding a delicate aromatic note and a slight coloring to the batter. In Italy, it’s uncommon to find it in desserts, but this recipe is a perfect example of how we can integrate international flavors into our cuisine, maintaining balance with local ingredients such as lemon zest, for a citrusy note.

I wish you a lot of fun in preparing this cake and I hope you enjoy the final result!