​Ruby Rose Tea-Spiced Breakfast Cake

Feb 14th 2019

After water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. But there are many different ways to enjoy tea. Our first round of staff created tea recipes was a big hit and we've had many ask us to do it again. In response we recently had another staff potluck and here are the results, just in time for the rainy season (or winter as it's known outside of Portland).

This month we have TWO special Valentine's Day inspired recipes from our friend, Amanda Mayther. Amanda is part of our Mindfulness Series and will be teaching a wonderful class on Aphrodisiac Teas. This is one of the treats that will be a part of the class. Read on and enjoy!

Ruby Rose Tea-Spiced Breakfast Cake with Tea-Infused Honey

Developed by Amanda Mayther for The Jasmine Pearl

This protein-filled and not-too-sweet cake is naturally gluten-free, and with a few easy substitutions, can be made vegan. It is the perfect centerpiece to a Valentine’s tea tray for yourself and/or your sweetheart.

Both the Rose and Hibiscus petals that delicately flavor this cake are a good source of flavonoids that support the heart and circulatory system. Rose and hibiscus have been used in love potions, teas, foods, and perfumes for centuries and encourage the energetic heart (chakra) to open. Their sweet scent is calming and soothing, helping to ease tension.

Though this cake feels special and fancy, it's very easy to prepare. Recommended teas to pair with it are Cocoa Rouge, Yoga Blend, or Ginger Peach—to warm the body, mind and spirit, stir the passions, and boost the libido.

Total prep and cooking time: About 1 hour.
Servings: 6 individual servings.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 and ¼ cup blanched almond flour
  • ½ cup fine cornmeal
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or 1 cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup coconut sugar (regular cane sugar can be substituted)
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp honey or tea-infused honey for a stronger tea flavor
  • 5 eggs (can substitute your favorite vegan egg replacer)
  • 1 tsp Ruby Nectar tea from The Jasmine Pearl
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Rose tea from The Jasmine Pearl
  • Plain or vanilla greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt (unsweetened)
  • ½ cup fresh raspberries
  • Tea-infused honey to drizzle (recipe follows)
  • A pinch of dried rose petals (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

2. Grease six 4-inch pie pans or ramekins with butter or oil of choice. In a small bowl, whisk the almond flour with the cornmeal until just combined. If you cannot locate fine grind cornmeal, simply pulse regular cornmeal in a clean coffee grinder until it becomes finely ground. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with coconut sugar, salt, and honey on medium speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating fully before adding another. The mixture will become very loose.

4. Add the dry almond cornmeal mixture into the butter mixture and mix until just combined on medium speed, about 1 minute.

5. Sprinkle the teas into the batter, crumbling the petals slightly with your fingertips to release their scent and flavor. Mix briefly to incorporate.

6. Spoon batter into the prepared pans or ramekins. Place pans on a baking sheet to make getting them in and out of the oven easy. Place in center rack of oven and bake for 30 minutes.

7. Check if the cake is done by inserting a skewer or butter knife into the center of the cake to see if it comes out clean. If not, put back in the oven for 5 minute intervals until golden brown and the cake passes the skewer/butter knife test. Cake will be deep golden brown in color. Note that these cakes do not rise, they will be dense and moist and this is a very good thing. Cool the cakes.

8. Just before serving, top each cake with a generous dollop of yogurt, add a few raspberries, drizzle tea-infused honey over the top in thin ribbons, and add a light sprinkling of dried rose petals.

9. Serve with love and get a kiss as compensation if it is offered. This cake is best eaten with a spoon and shared with a loved one.

Tea-Infused Honey

This recipe makes a much more abundant batch than is needed for the breakfast cake. Keep some on hand for adding to your morning cup of tea or drizzling on, well, anything. The tea imparts a deliciously unique floral aroma and fragrance to any dessert. It stores well and is shelf stable.

There are two methods of preparation, one that can be done the night before and one that is great when you have more time.


INGREDIENTS:

INSTRUCTIONS for Fast Prep:

1. Add honey to a sterilized 2-cup (16-oz) canning jar.

2. Sprinkle tea into the honey, crushing the tea slightly with the tips of your fingers to release their aroma.

3. Mix well until tea is evenly distributed throughout the honey (a clean chopstick is a great tool for this).

4. Wipe edge of jar clean with a clean moist towel. Seal with a canning lid and canning ring.

5. Place jar in slow cooker and fill with water up to the level of the honey in the jar. Place slow cooker lid in place and set cooker to Low. Let honey infuse for 4 hours to overnight.

6. Take jar out of slow cooker and allow to cool.

7. For maximum drizzling success, place jar in warm water for 15 to 30 minutes before serving to allow it to drizzle in thin ribbons.

ALTERNATE PREPARATION METHOD:

Instead of preparing honey using a slow cooker, place it in a cool dark place for 2-6 weeks. This is a great method if you use raw honey and want to maintain its healthful properties.

AMANDA MAYTHER is a clinical herbalist, educator, and intuitive healer, who has been fascinated by and has explored different divination tools since childhood. She loves combining her clinical and intuitive skills to help her clients navigate their own physical, mental and emotional health and life challenges in their own unique way. She works with clientele in the Portland/Vancouver area. For more information about Amanda, please visit her website.

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