Victoria Sponge Cake

Queen Victoria was born on this day in 1819, and lived to be England's longest reigning sovereign.  She enjoyed a simple sponge cake with her afternoon tea; and thus this very easy, light, and buttery cake was created.

I'm a huge fan of afternoon tea, but am usually leaving work or running errands or doing something at 4 o'clock other than sitting down to a nice cup o' tea, some finger sandwiches, scones, and sweets. This is a shame - a little break in the afternoon is so restorative! I'd rather have a lovely afternoon tea followed by a small snack later on in the evening than to have a full dinner.

I've even been known to bring all the accoutrements - the cucumber sandwiches, some fruit, a few cookies - with me for lunch at the office, but that's just not the same.  There is beauty in the ritual and the tradition of having tea and treats at the appointed time, before transitioning into the evening's chores and duties.

Perfect with either hot or iced tea, easily transported without worrying about frosting, this sponge cake is ideal for virtually any occasion ... and for no occasion at all, but "just because" ....


Victoria Sponge Cake
(slightly adapted from a recipe in Angela Hynes' The Pleasures of Afternoon Tea)

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/2 cups self-rising flour*
1/2 cup Solo raspberry filling
powdered sugar, for dusting cake

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease two 8"-round cake pans; line bottoms of pans with foil and grease the foil.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the extracts.  Gently fold in the flour and divide the batter among the prepared pans.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until a tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.  Let rest for 10 minutes, then turn cakes out onto a rack to cool completely.  Remove the bottom layer of foil.

Place one cake layer (the least attractive one) upside down onto a serving platter; tuck strips of waxed paper underneath it, covering the edges of the platter, to keep the platter clear of dusted sugar.  Spread the raspberry filling over the cake, just to the edge, then top with the other layer right-side-up.  Dust with powdered sugar, then carefully remove the waxed paper.

Makes 8-12 servings.

* If you don't have self-rising flour, use 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder + 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

Earl Grey's Birthday Tea Cakes

Today, we're wishing a "Happy Birthday" to Charles Grey, 2nd Earl of Grey, who was born on March 13, 1764.  He was Prime Minister of Great Britain and Ireland in the early 1830s, but is most noted these days for being the man for whom Earl Grey tea was named.

This heavily scented tea is either adored or scorned - there doesn't seem to be any indifference to it.  Either you love the perfume of the bergamot orange oil that flavors Earl Grey or you loathe it.  Let me state the obvious: it is one of my favorite teas, or else I wouldn't be celebrating today!

And how did the tea earn its association with Earl Grey?

According to Wikipedia: "... the tea was specially blended ... for Lord Grey, to suit the water at Howick Hall, the family seat in Northumberland, using bergamot in particular to offset the preponderance of lime in the local water.  Lady Grey used it to entertain in London as a political hostess," and it was very well-liked.

In honor of today's occasion, it only seemed fitting to bake some small sweets appropriate for an afternoon tea, an indulgence that I love but don't get to enjoy often enough.  Small cakes struck my fancy, and somehow the tea needed to be incorporated.  It only made sense that the flavor would be more noticeable in the glaze rather than baked in.

These are very quick to make - stir together the batter, bake the mini cakes in just a short amount of time, and then whip up a 2-ingredient glaze once the cakes cool.  That's it!

A small treat and a cuppa tea ... what a perfectly charming way to toast the Earl of Grey.

Mini Jam Cakes with Earl Grey Tea Glaze

Cakes:
3/8 cup sugar
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/8 cup blueberry jelly (or other fruit jelly)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 16 mini muffin cups in a tin.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking soda and salt.  Combine soy milk, oil, egg, vinegar and jelly; the mixture won't fully blend, and there will be small dots of jam throughout.  Pour liquid into the dry ingredients and combine well.  Divide batter among the muffin cups.  Bake for 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean and the cakes are golden.  Let cool completely on a rack.

Glaze:
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons cold Earl Grey tea

Whisk confectioners' sugar and tea together.  One by one, take the tea cakes and dip the tops into the glaze; turn right-side up and place onto a rack to let glaze set.

Makes 16 tea cakes.

Frugal Floozie Friday -- Tea Haus

A friend and I ate at Tea Haus recently, to support a fundraiser for my friend Michele; she's in Washington, D.C., this weekend participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure 60-mile walk to raise funds for breast cancer research.

As Michele writes on her personal fundraising site, she is walking "in memory of my maternal grandmother and paternal great aunt. I will walk with, and also in honor of, my friend Buff. She has defeated cancer twice, and I sincerely hope she doesn't have to fight that battle again."

It was wonderful of Tea Haus to donate a portion of a day's proceeds to Michele's effort! And what an easy fundraiser to support - a good cause in conjunction with lovely things to eat and drink. There are over 200 teas to choose from, scones, cookies, soup ... you can enjoy a small snack or a full meal, whatever strikes your fancy.

A charming pick-me-up for a chilly fall day would be a cup of hot tea paired with a simple but delicious lavender shortbread cookie. At $2.60 + $1.95, the total for this cozy snack would be $4.55, which falls easily into the less-than-$5 per person Frugal Floozie Friday budget.

But my friend and I didn't just stop at that option! We also ordered the Scone Plate (pictured at the top) for $5.95. This was plenty of food for two people to share as an afternoon snack.

There was one very large blueberry scone, and a freshly-baked biscuit-like scone that was brought to our table separately - and thus missed its photo op - because we'd placed our order just as a new batch went into the oven. The scones were accompanied by lovely fresh lemon curd and clotted cream, as well as orange marmalade (a personal favorite!) and berry preserves. It was quite filling, especially since it was a mid-afternoon treat rather than a lunch or dinner.

If you're merely thirsty, the 20-ounce iced tea was very refreshing and very generous, too. At $3.55, it also falls within the Frugal Floozie Friday limits if you're only in need of a cool drink. I ordered Earl Grey, whose fragrance I just love! But there are so many options that it could almost make a person dizzy to contemplate it all.

Quiet and restorative, Tea Haus offers several truly wonderful frugal options for food and drinks. Make a point of stopping by, and also pay a visit to Michele's fundraising site and support her good cause, too!


Tea Haus
204-206 N. 4th Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-622-0460



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White Chocolate Cherry Scones

Virtually everyone I know either didn't care in the slightest about today's royal wedding, or lost interest due to the onslaught of inanity leading up to it. I, however, immersed myself in the IQ-lowering amusement all week!

I was raised on these events, since my mother is Canadian, starting with Princess Anne's first wedding in 1973 and following along to Charles and Diana, Andrew and Sarah/Fergie, Edward and Sophie, then Charles and Camilla.

I've been thrilled about William and Catherine since I first heard the announcement, and am the only person I know -- in the real world, at least -- foolish and devoted enough to be planning to watch the show live (Jeremy plans to watch a re-run with me later), albeit in my jammies rather than in a froofy hat and white gloves.

Since my invitation got lost in the mail -- and I had a brand new perfect dress to wear, too! -- I had to put on my own celebratory meal instead of partaking in the wedding fruitcake, the chocolate biscuit groom's cake, or any of the hors d'oeuvres. So I debated whether to do something original, or whether to go with the old tea time favorites ... and I decided upon tradition with a twist.

Instead of cucumber sandwiches, I chose egg salad. I selected some fruit -- pineapple and strawberries. I found a gorgeous English Double Gloucester cheese that had been layered with a beautiful Stilton ... sigh. And, of course, the requisite tea!

But the cornerstone of my treats had to be the essential scone. I could have made some plain ones, and served them with lemon curd or clotted cream ... or both. But I had some leftover white chocolate-covered dried cherries (a most appreciated gift when an observant friend had to clean out forbidden foods for Passover), and put them to good use in my baking.

The cherries added the perfect amount of sweetness and texture to these lovely scones, which are more cake-like rather than biscuit-y. Chocolate-covered cherries would also make an exceptional addition.

Mazal Tov to the happy couple!!! May they live happily ever after ... :)

White Chocolate Cherry Scones

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
3/4 cup quick-cook oats
1/2 cup butter, in small pieces
3/4 cup chopped white chocolate-covered dried cherries
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and oats. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, mix in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the chopped cherries, then stir in the buttermilk. Knead the dough just until it holds together, then press it into an 8" circle on the prepared baking sheet. Score the dough into 8 portions, then bake for 25 minutes until the scones are golden and the center is set. Let cool completely.

Cut the scones into individual portions. Stir together the confectioners' sugar and milk to make a glaze, then drizzle it over each scone. Let the glaze set, then serve.

Makes 8 scones.

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday: Thrift Shop Find

I found these the other day while Jeremy and I were doing the Thrift Shop Tour. They're about the size of an individually wrapped tea bag and they're shaped like tea pots, so I'm presuming they're meant to hold used tea bags.

I usually steep my tea and then toss the used bag into the trash; sometimes I'll place it on the saucer under my tea cup. So I'm not sure that I really needed these.

But I bought them at Share House, which supports a variety of good causes around Ann Arbor. And they're pretty. And they're unusual. They simply had to go home with me ....

Two for Tea ... Two Kinds of Sandwiches, That Is

Well, after obsessing about it for several days, on Thursday I finally enjoyed my lunchtime tea presentation ... whew! You know how you get a little bug up your bum about an idea, and you just fixate until it's realized??? That's how I was about the cucumber sandwiches. I heard them calling, and I heard the entire "finger sandwich and cookie" assortment begging for my attention.

So, when you have a craving you have to give in! Otherwise you're tormented. You'll devour all sorts of substitutes -- tossing aside regard for calories and budgets -- hoping to find a passable alternative ... and then you'll ultimately give in and indulge. You might as well have what you want from the beginning.

On Thursdays, my friends/co-workers Beth and Michele are usually the only other ones in the office besides me. Since most of the other folks work weekends, Thursday is a popular day off; Friday is necessary for Saturday and Sunday preparations, after all. We figure that if we're there manning (woman-ing???) the proverbial fort, we might as well enjoy ourselves. So we usually order lunch to be delivered.

But I'd been hearing the Siren song of afternoon tea; and I had cucumbers and egg salad and several varieties of breads ... as well as some fruit ... not to mention an assortment of leftover cookies that were waiting for me in the conference room when I got to work. I decided to bring my lunch on Thursday.

So I took some oat bread and spread it with a bit of butter; this would keep the bit of Ranch dressing I used for flavoring from seeping into the bread.

I spread the dressing over the bread, then lay very thin cucumber slices over the bread. I used a kitchen knife for the cutting rather than a mandoline, because I'm noted for my klutziness and I am convinced -- as is Jeremy -- that I would slice my fingertip off if I ever dared to use a mandoline. The knife worked just fine ... no need for fancy or expensive kitchen toys!

Then I closed up my sandwich, cut off the crusts, and cut it into cute little squares ('cause those New York City deli sandwiches -- despite being foot-high works of art! -- aren't what you want for an afternoon tea.).

Next on the menu -- since a proper afternoon tea offers trays with variety, not just a plain ol' (but beloved!) pb&j -- was an egg salad sandwich.

My egg salad is very simple: eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and some finely diced red onion. I got the idea for the recipe from the movie "Harvey," starring Jimmy Stewart. The scene is a bit difficult to explain, as it comes in one of the screwiest parts of the screwball comedy; but suffice it to say that Jimmy Stewart's niece in the movie, Myrtle Mae, offers to make an egg 'n' onion sandwich for the sanitarium worker she's flirting with despite his having come to the house to retrieve her mother who was wrongly committed and managed to escape. (Go watch the movie -- it's cute, it's sweet, it's fun!)

Anyway .... I like to use an egg slicer on the eggs, slicing them first horizontally and then turning the egg and slicing it cross-wise; this makes lovely little shreds of egg, rather than chopped and mashed egg. I then spread this onto pumpernickel bread, but you could use a caraway rye as well. (And while it may contain rye flour and thus technically be "rye" bread, a proper rye must have caraway seeds!!! I have spoken.)

Close the sandwiches, cut them into quarters, and you have more pretty little finger sandwiches waiting for you. Truly, it doesn't get much easier than this ....

So, I packed up my sandwiches, placed some strawberries and blueberries into a container, and meandered off to work. Beth ordered a rich macaroni and cheese for lunch, Michele ordered mozzarella sticks and a slice of carrot cake, and I joined in by ordering some raspberry iced tea to complete my array. Finger sandwiches? Yup. Fruit? Yup. Cookie ... oh, alright, since I already admitted it in Thursday's post, cookieS? Yup. And then finally, iced tea? Yay!!!

And it was an absolutely lovely lunch, if I may say so myself! Simple, easy, cool, light ... it was everything I needed and had been craving, even if we ate at 1 p.m. rather than the standard tea time of 4 ....