Layer Cake with Apricot White Tea Frosting

This is more of a frosting recipe than a cake recipe. To be perfectly honest I was in a hurry and used a yellow cake mix from the store. I realize that this is grounds for having my foodie insignia torn from my white chef’s coat but there you have it. I am guilty as charged.

Before you send me to the tar and feathering room, though, take a look at this recipe for the frosting. You can do it two ways, one is sweet and the other is less sweet but more creamy like traditional buttercream.

I made this frosting with an infusion of the Tazo Vanilla, Apricot and White Tea. It has a mild tea flavor, with delicate notes of apricot held together with faint nuances of vanilla. Erin loves tea so this seemed to be the perfect flavor for her cake. You could do an apricot filling for this but I think it would overpower the other flavors. The flavor does develop over the course of a couple of hours so make it at least two hours ahead of time or make the frosting the day before.

The Confectioner’s based frosting is best if you are going to be decorating the cake and the traditional buttercream is best if you want something less sweet and more European. Either way it is delicious.

For the Confectioner’s Frosting (sweet)

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 bags Vanilla Apricot and White tea

Bring the cream to a simmer. Add the teabags and set aside for at least 5 minutes, 10 is better.

Beat the butter until creamy. Add the vanilla.

Add the confectioners until you have a stiff frosting. You may need more.

Squeeze out the tea bags and strain the heavy cream to remove and stray leaves.

Add the cream to the frosting with the machine running. Whip until you get a soft, creamy consistency.

Frosts 3 layer cake

For Buttercream (creamy)

1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup boiling water
2 Vanilla Apricot White Tea tea bags
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place tea bags in boiling water and set aside.

Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
On medium speed, gradually beat in the tea, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside until you are ready to frost your cake. Refrigerate for longer storage.

Enough to frost 3 layers. You may need to double this for filling, depending on how thick you like it.

images:marye audet