Earl Grey Chocolate Tea Cake with Earl Grey Mascarpone Cream
The weather has been so confusing lately. One day it’s all bright and sunny, the next day it’s somber and rainy. It almost feels like we’re back in the fall again instead of spring. Regardless, some of my plants are still growing strong. Some of my seedlings turned purplish because of the sudden change in the temperature, but somehow, they bounced back again.
I’m often amazed at how plants can be so resilient and here are some lessons I learn from gardening and growing seedlings every spring:
#1. Resilience helps you go through bitter times
Plants are often more resilient than you think. Yes, some plants are a bit more sensitive to changes (in humidity, temperature, etc) than others, but from my experience, if you give them some time and provide them with enough nutrients while they recuperate, for example, from transplanting, they always turn out fine.
There are times in my life when I felt like I was at a low point. But if I reflect on my journey, I somehow always bounce back again, sometimes even more alive than before. What I learned in the past few years is that sometimes it’s ok to ask for help because maybe that’s what we need all along. With enough support and time to heal, we can often go through even the toughest times.
#2. Sometimes we need to grow strong roots now to bloom tomorrow
I plant a few biennial plants in my garden like pomponette, violas, angelica, etc. The first year, they always focus on establishing their roots and becoming stronger. Only the year after do they start blooming and producing. I think society today is addicted to fast living. Many of us are trapped in a life of wanting more of everything and faster. Sometimes we forget to enjoy the “now” and the simple things in our daily life that can bring joy. One thing I realized, especially in the past few years, is that it’s worth slowing down and focusing on our growth and our foundation first, whether it’s repairing our mental health, evaluating our financial choices, or even life choices.
#3. There’s time for everything
Not every plant is destined to grow in every season or every growing condition. Some plants thrive during the hottest time of the year (I’m looking at you, dahlia!), but others thrive during a grey, cold, and wet season like aster or radicchio. But one thing for sure is that when it’s not the time and place for them to grow, they just won’t do well and that’s ok. I think there’s a parallel between plants and us. When a place or situation doesn’t serve you well, then maybe it really is not for you and it’s a sign from the universe that you need to leave and move on. And when you do so, it doesn’t mean that you fail. I believe everything that happens in our lives is interconnected and intended to lead us to a better path that is truly meant for us.
Just like baking, gardening brings me so much joy. Every year, I always look forward to the spring when I can finally start sowing my summer plants and transplanting my biennial plants.
I think the cake recipe for today, Earl Grey chocolate tea cake with Earl Grey mascarpone cream, is a reminder of both spring and fall. It’s floral and light but at the same time also warming and comforting.
I infused the cream with loose Earl Grey tea leaves overnight. This helps to relax the protein in the cream and extract the flavor from the tea so you will end up with delicious and fragrant cream. Patience is key here and this is also something I learn from baking. From measuring, mixing, and waiting, I think baking also helps me learn about being mindful of the moment and patient—two things I realized I didn’t have much.
I’ve tried yoga, meditation, and journalling, and somehow, I find it difficult to keep up. I find my peace in baking. I sometimes bake late at night before I sleep because I find it meditative. Somehow time moves so differently, and I feel like I’m in my own world when I do that. I guess writing blogs or newsletters like this one is also kind of journalling—only it’s food-centered, which keeps me motivated. 😬
The making of the cake is pretty straightforward. You want to mix the wet and dry ingredients separately and then put them together so they can combine well. I added the Earl Grey tea leaves to the wet mixture instead of the dry mixture because I found that it was distributed more evenly.
I actually picked up gardening and baking during the pandemic out of boredom and a personal loss. However, they turned out to be two of the greatest teachers in my life.
I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and a little bit of my journal. I’ll see you in the next newsletter and happy baking!
Serves 8
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Chilling & infusion time (for cream): At least 8 hours
Level of difficulty: 1/3
Keep for 3 days refrigerated
Ingredients:
175g (1⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
3 eggs
175g (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tsp loose Earl Grey tea leaves
175g (¾ cup) butter, melted and cool to room temperature
v120g (¾ cup) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Earl Grey mascarpone cream:
4 tsp loose Earl Grey tea leaves
250g heavy cream
250g mascarpone, whisked lightly (This is done to prevent clumps)
4 tbs icing sugar
¼ tsp salt
Steps:
The night before, make the Earl Grey mascarpone cream. Earl Grey tea into a pot alongside the cream. Bring it to a gentle simmer and turn off the heat. Let it cool and refrigerate it overnight.
The next day let’s make the cake. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 356°F. Grease a round, 23cm/ 9-inch baking pan. You can also line the bottom of the tin with parchment paper.
In a bowl, add flour and baking powder, and whisk until well combined.
Add egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and Earl Grey tea in a separate, bigger bowl and whisk together. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix gently. It’s ok if some streaks of flour are visible.
Whisk in the melted butter and when it’s combined, fold in chopped chocolate in the cake batter.
Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Let the cake cool down.
When the cake has completely cooled down, make the mascarpone cream. Strain the Earl Grey-infused cream and discard the tea leaves. Add the Earl Grey-infused cream, mascarpone, icing sugar, and salt into a bowl of a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment. Whisk for a few minutes until you reach a stiff peak.
Top the cake with the Earl Grey mascarpone cream and serve.