Peony and Rose white tea infused teacake with tea soaked strawberry and rhubarb, topped with coconut crumble.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to bake this lovely cake for the Silva Spoon Tea & Coffee Emporium in Cotton Tree, Sunshine Coast QLD. 

Peony and Rose white tea infused teacake with tea soaked strawberry and rhubarb, topped with coconut crumble.

Crumble mixture

¼ cup Natural oats

¼ cup Plain flour

¼ cup Dried coconut flakes

¼ cup Dried coconut shredded

1 tablespoon raw caster sugar

1 tablespoon Brown sugar

3 drops Rose essence

1 teaspoon Lemon zest

Strawberry and rhubarb topping

½ cup chopped rhubarb

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 cup infused peony and rose white tea

1 tablespoon raw caster sugar

Strawberry sauce

2 cups chopped strawberries

1½ infused Peony and rose white tea

40g raw caster sugar

20ml lemon juice

Cake mixture

450g self-raising flour
150g plain flour
300g butter, cubed
310ml milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
6 eggs
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup chopped rhubarb
1 cup infused peony and rose white tea

Pre heat the oven to 190.c and have everything at room temperature.

Place milk and tea into a pot and slowly heat for 15min, do not let the milk boil. Let the tea infused milk cool to room temperature.

While the milk is heating chop up the strawberries half and rhubarb into small pieces, for the cake, soaked fruit topping and sauce. Submerge the fruit into 500ml of infused tea. Soak for 15-20minutes.

 

For the cake mixture, sift both flours and baking powder together, up to six times.  Line the bottom of a spring form baking tin with baking paper, and butter the sides. Take out the cakes portion of the soaked strawberries and rhubarb and skater over the bottom of the tin.

In a stand mixer/electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium, increase to high and cream butter until its slightly pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Now with the mixer on low pour in the cooled tea infused milk and flour, this works best if you alternate between the two until all combined. Pour the cake mixture in to tin on top of the tea infused strawberries and rhubarb. Bake for 40-55 minutes until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, place all the ingredients for the tea soaked strawberries and rhubarb topping in a small pot and simmer slowly over a low heat until just softened, and fruit are just starting to loose shape. Take off the heat and cool.

For the strawberry sauce, place the strawberries and some tea in a food processor, blitz until a smooth paste. Place the strawberry mixture into a small pot with the rest of the strawberry sauce ingredients and simmer over a high heat until thickened. Set aside to cool.

Place all the ingredients for the coconut crumble into a bowl and using your fingertips rub together until just mixed. Spread over a baking try and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. 

Cool the cake in the tin for 15-20 minutes so it holds a nice shape. Turn the cake upside down onto a plate and release the spring part first, then remove the base. Continue to cool.

To assemble; place the tea soaked stewed strawberry and rhubarb on top of the cake, then drizzle over the strawberry sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of the coconut crumble around the edge. Serve slightly heated with a dollop of rose cream.

  

Coconut & White Chocolate Layer Cake

Coconut & White Chocolate layer cake

Cake Mixture

400g White chocolate

200g Butter

4 Eggs

2 ½ cups Coconut Milk

1 cup Raw caster sugar

1 ½ cups Plain flour

1 cup Self raising flour

10g Baking powder

1 cup Raw shredded coconut

Pinch of salt

Frosting Mixture

200g White chocolate

½ cup Coconut cream

2 cups Icing sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Pre heat the oven to 190 degrees. Butter and flour three 6” spring form pans, or two 8” pans. For the cake; place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl. Continue to stir the chocolate until melted, set chocolate aside to cool to room temperature. Sift flours, baking powder and salt, twice. In an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on high after each addition. With the speed on low, add small portions of coconut milk and flour mixture, until smooth. Increase speed to medium; slowly pour in chocolate and shredded coconut. Divide mixture into pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10 minutes; turn out on to cake rack to cool completely.  

For the frosting, place vanilla bean paste, white chocolate and coconut cream in a heatproof bowl; place over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl. Stir continuously until combined and all chocolate pieces have melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Place in a stand mixer and beat on high, slowly add in icing sugar. At this stage you can make it as runny or thick as you like, keeping in mind; it will set and hold shape if you make it thicker.

To assemble cake; sandwich layers together with the frosting mixture, place 2-3cm on the very top and ice the side as desired. 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 4 days. Best eaten at cool-room temperature, never serve straight out of the fridge.

Lemon Meringue Tarts

Lemon Meringue Tarts

Pastry Mixture

250g Plain flour

50g Icing sugar

250g Butter

2 Egg yolks

1 Tablespoon chilled water

Lemon Mixture

160g Raw caster sugar

75g Corn flour

150ml Lemon juice

300ml Water

60g Lemon rind

3 Egg yolks

60g butter

Meringue Mixture

4 Egg whites

250ml water

250g Raw sugar

5g Cream of tartar

To make the pastry, place the flour, icing sugar and butter in food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Transfer flour mixture into a bowl; add iced water and egg yolks, mix until just come together. Sprinkle flour on a clean work surface and kneed until smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Sprinkle a little more flour onto a clean work surface and use a rolling pin to roll out to a 1.5cm-thick rectangle. Butter a muffin tray and then flour. Cut out each pie base with a suitable sized cup that will fit your muffin tray. Gently press the pastry into each muffin hole. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place a small square of baking paper over each pastry base, and use pastry weights. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.

To make the lemon filling, place the sugar and cornflour in a medium saucepan. Slowly pour the lemon juice and water while stirring continuously until mixture is smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove from heat cool slightly. Add the lemon rind. While whisking add the egg yolks and butter. Continue whisking until the butter is melted and the mixture is well combined.

Place sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Brush down the sides of pan with a clean, wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals. Increase the heat and cook until the sugar mixture reaches 115C (10-15 minutes)

Start whisking egg whites with cream of tartar in the clean, grease-free bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

Meanwhile, bring sugar syrup to 121C (when a drip is dropped into a glass of water is hard to touch) Increase the mixer speed to high and with motor running, gradually pour sugar syrup into meringue. Beat at medium speed until cooled to room temperature and meringue is thick and glossy (15-20 minutes).

To assemble, have the pastry shells laid out, place lemon filling into a piping bag; cut the tip of the bag and slowly pipe a small amount in each pastry shell. Now spoon the meringue into a piping bag; cut the tip off and slowly pipe. Gently hold the bag up right and pipe until the meringue reaches the pastry side and then quickly bring it up and you will be left with a nice neat peak. (It is optional to use a piping nozzle of any shape or size to pipe your meringue)  

Keep in an airtight container up to 4 days. Best served at cool room temperature.