Strongly steeped oolong tea replaces the coffee typically used in the batter of the layers of these moist chocolate cakes, which are prettily piped with Honey-Oolong Buttercream.
Oolong-Chocolate Cakes
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 1 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
- 1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2⁄3 cup whole milk
- 2⁄3 cup strongly steeped oolong tea*
- 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Honey-Oolong Buttercream (recipe follows)
- Garnish: cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 14 1⁄2x9 1⁄2-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray sides of pan with baking spray with flour.
- Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl. In the sieve, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; sift into bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, tea, oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, folding until fully combined. Pour batter onto prepared baking sheet, smoothing with an offset spatula, if needed, to level.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in baking sheet. Freeze cake until firm, approximately 1 hour but up to overnight.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray parchment with cooking spray. Invert frozen cake onto prepared baking sheet. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut 24 circles from cake. Invert cut cakes, flat side up.
- Transfer Honey-Oolong Buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large open-star tip (Ateco #824). Pipe a buttercream rosette onto each cake round. Carefully stack in pairs to make 12 (2-layer) cakes. Let cakes thaw, and serve immediately, or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a day before serving.
- Just before serving, garnish with cocoa powder, if desired.
Notes
*We used Evergreen Oolong from Mark T. Wendell Tea Company, available
at marktwendell.com or 978-635-9200. If this oolong is not available, any lightly oxidized semi-balled oolong with floral notes can be substituted. Steep 2 teaspoons tea leaves in 3⁄4 cup 190° water for 3 minutes; remove infused tea leaves and reserve 2⁄3 cup steeped tea.
at marktwendell.com or 978-635-9200. If this oolong is not available, any lightly oxidized semi-balled oolong with floral notes can be substituted. Steep 2 teaspoons tea leaves in 3⁄4 cup 190° water for 3 minutes; remove infused tea leaves and reserve 2⁄3 cup steeped tea.
Honey-Oolong Buttercream
Serves: 2½ cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed and softened
- 2 tablespoons loose-leaf oolong tea*
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine butter and tea leaves over medium heat. Once butter melts and begins to boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Strain butter through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding any solids. Refrigerate butter until firm, but still soft and spreadable, approximately 20 minutes.
- In the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together egg whites, sugar, and honey. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, whisking frequently, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°, approximately 2 minutes.
- Carefully return bowl to stand mixer. Using whisk attachment, beat at high speed until meringue has thickened and cooled to room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Beat in salt. Beat until buttercream comes together and thickens. (Buttercream may look curdled at first, but keep mixing and it will soon emulsify. This can take up to 10 minutes.) Use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. When ready to use, let come to room temperature, and beat with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at high speed until fluffy.
Notes
*We used Evergreen Oolong from Mark T. Wendell Tea Company, available at marktwendell.com or 978-635-9200. If this oolong is not available, any lightly oxidized semi-balled oolong with floral notes can be substituted.
