A delectable Caramel Meringue Buttercream and Salted Caramel Sauce flavors these tender and delicious Paris Tea Cakes. Paris Tea Cakes pictured with Matcha Macarons and Keemun Éclairs.
Paris Tea Cakes
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons finely ground Harney & Sons Paris tea leaves*
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- Caramel Meringue Buttercream (recipe follows)
- Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a rimmed 15×10-inch baking sheet with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper, and spray pan again.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, tea leaves, baking powder, and salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with crème fraîche, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.
- Transfer batter to prepared baking sheet. Using an offset spatula, smooth surface of batter.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Turn out cake onto a piece of parchment paper. Using a 2½-inch round cutter, cut 24 rounds from cake, discarding scraps.
- Place Caramel Meringue Buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a closed-star tip (Wilton #35). Pipe rosettes on 12 cake rounds. Top each with a remaining plain cake round. Pipe another rosette on top.
Notes
Harney & Sons' Paris Tea is a black tea flavored with blackcurrant and vanilla. We used a mortar and pestle to grind tea leaves.
Caramel Meringue Buttercream
Serves: approximately 3½ cups
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened and cubed
Instructions
- Bring a medium saucepan filled halfway with water to a simmer.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together by hand egg whites, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Place mixer bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Cook, whisking occasionally, until a candy thermometer registers 155° to 160°.
- Carefully return bowl to stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture at high speed until stiff peaks form. Reduce mixer to low speed, and beat until bowl is cool to the touch, approximately 8 minutes. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating at medium speed until smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Add Salted Caramel Sauce, beating until smooth, approximately 3 minutes. (If buttercream breaks, beat 2 to 3 minutes more, and the emulsion will come back together.) Use immediately.
Notes
Buttercream can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before using.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Serves: approximately ½ cup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, stir together cream and salt. Bring to a simmer over very low heat until salt dissolves. Remove from heat.
- In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and 2 tablespoons water, being careful to not splash onto sides of pan. (Mixture should be the consistency of wet sand.) Cook over high heat. Brush down sides of pan using a pastry brush, stirring mixture to help dissolve sugar. (Do not stir once it starts to boil.) Cook until mixture is a light amber color. Remove from heat. Gradually add warm cream mixture. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking to combine. Add vanilla, stirring well. Let cool completely.
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