Orange Tea Cake

I don't know about you, but I have been praying for a high-tea kind of morning! I've been missing the tiny tea cakes, the crumbly scones, the tastiest quiches, the selection of delicious teas. Boy! I'm just feeling fancy thinking about it.

It was actually quite recent, my first high-tea experience. Winter of 2019, December to be exact. All three of my sisters, my mother, my grandmother and I spent the morning at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, IL. The dining room was filled with guests enjoying their early morning breakfast. If you haven't been to The Drake or let alone Chicago, let me tell you that the architecture is very distinct to Chicago's general historical theme. You are instantly transported to the 1920's.

In this recipe, I put together a moist and fluffy tea cake packed with such beautiful orange flavor. So easy, you can do this early morning before your at home tea time and enjoy it with your loved ones. I promise you this is proabably the tastiest breakfast cake i've had in a while.

Orange Tea Cake

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup olive oil

1 cup orange juice

3 oranges, zested

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Additions

2 teaspoon orange blossom water, optional

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, optional

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease Bundt pans of choice with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside.

3. Using a hand mixer and on medium speed, combine eggs and sugar and whip until fluffy. About 3 minutes.

4. On low speed, mix in the orange zest, vanilla extract, orange juice and olive oil. (For the optional additions, add in the orange blossom and vanilla bean paste before adding the olive oil.) Mix until fully combined, about 2 minutes.

5. Divide the dry ingredients in half. On low speed, add half the amount of the dry ingredient and mix just until combined. Repeat step 5 once more. Be sure not to over mix.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

7. Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack. Dust powdered sugar on the top and enjoy!