{Earl Grey Tea Cakes}

A couple of posts ago I was talking about craving a proper high tea with cucumber sandwiches and cups and saucers and then waa laa what do you know but my girlfriend turns up on my doorstep with a huge wicker basket in hand and within it all the things I'd been dreaming of. We sipped on lady grey whilst nibbling cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches and then gobbled up mini cheesecakes as we chatted.  We laughed and we cried and it was ace.

I made these tea cakes for her birthday, combining two of her favourite things, earl grey tea and lemons and as always they were baked with sprinkling of love.

...the tea cakes
250g butter, softened
225g sugar
1 tsp rosewater
zest of 2 lemons
4 eggs
1 tbsp earl grey tea leaves
150g ground almonds
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

...the icing
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp rosewater
A few drops of boiled water

Preheat the oven to 160.  Line 15 muffin / cupcake tins with papers.

Beat sugar and butter until pale and creamy, scrape the sides as you go to ensure all the butter is being creamed.  Add lemon zest and rosewater, beat another minute then add the eggs one at a time beating for a minute after each one.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix, then add into the butter and stir until just incorporated.  Spoon mixture evenly among the cupcake papers and bake for 25 minutes, test with a skewer they should be a light golden brown.

Carefully lift them out of the tin and cool completely on a rack.

For the icing put everything into a bowl and then gradually add drops of the boiling water a little at a time to melt butter, keep stirring until smooth and glossy.

Dollop onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with a little lemon zest.