Earl Grey Cupcakes

Not including my Lemon Butter Cookies, this is the first recipe I am trying from Little Treats. You know, the book I told you about? Scroll down if you don't remember! Little Treats is divided into 5 chapters;

Indulgent Chocolate
Frivolous Cupcakes
Whoopie Pies & Crumbly Cookies
Decadent Cakes & Desserts
Scrumptious Sweets

These Earl Grey Cupcakes obviously fall into the 'Frivolous Cupcakes' chapter, which has super yummy-looking recipes such as mint surprise cupcakes, pavlova cupcakes, ice-cream and toffee cupcakes, under-the-sea cupcakes to name a few. You might wonder why I chose earl grey cupcakes, admittedly they don't sound very attractive.

Well I like tea. A lot. And I love how tea leaves look in a cake, almost like poppy seeds. The cake texture was absolutely perfect, the earl grey flavor was present yet not overpowering. The book recommends a lemon cream cheese frosting, but I'm not too fond of cream cheese on cakes so I made my own lemon buttercream frosting with it. Rating: 5- out of 5.



Earl Grey Cupcakes: Little Treats

Ingredients for the cakes:
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (175g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (5ml)
- 1 ¼ cups superfine sugar (275g)
- ½ cup butter, softened (100g)
- Zest from ½ orange, finely grated
- 3 eggs, beaten
- ¾ cup milk (175ml)

Ingredients for the candied orange zest:
- Zest from 2 oranges, cut into strips
- 1 cup superfine sugar (100g)
- ¾ cup water (175ml)

Ingredients for the lemon frosting:
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar (75g)
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened (75g)
- ¾ cup cream cheese, room temperature (175g, 6oz)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (5ml)

Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with large cupcake or muffin cases.
- To make the cakes, grind the contents of the tea bags in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar until fine, then sift into a bowl with the flour and baking powder, discarding any larger pieces left in the sieve.
- Put the sugar, butter and orange zest in another bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in the flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and finishing with the flour mixture. Do not overbeat.
- Divide mixture between the cake cases. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until golden and springy. Leave in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the candied orange zest. Bring the zest, sugar and water to the boil in a small saucepan, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the zest is translucent. Turn off the heat and leave to cool in the syrup.
- To make the lemon frosting, beat the confectioners' sugar and butter until smooth, then beat in the cream cheese. Finally, beat in the lemon zest and juice.
- Ice the cakes with the lemon frosting, then top with candied orange zest and a little of the syrup.