Chamomile Almond Cake Food

CHAMOMILE-AND-ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 320 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on the bottom of the pan.
• In a food processor, grind the tea, whole almonds, sugar and a large pinch of salt into a paste. If the mixture is dry, add 1 egg white to form a paste. Otherwise, add the white at the end of the processing.
• Transfer the almond paste to a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 1 yolk and 1 egg and beat on medium-low for 1 minute. Add another egg and beat for another minute. Add the last egg and the lemon zest and beat on medium for 5 minutes.
• Using as few strokes as possible, fold in the cornstarch and baking powder with a rubber spatula until mostly combined. Pour in the melted butter, a little at a time, folding just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until the top is just set, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 3 minutes. Grease a cake plate with cooking-oil spray. Turn the cake out onto the plate. Cool fully, then cover with foil until ready to serve. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

CHAMOMILE HONEY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper.
• Heat the almond milk in a small saucepan. When it comes to a simmer, add the chamomile and let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain and press leaves to extract as much infused liquid as possible. You will need 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (75g) of almond milk. Measure out the infused liquid and add more almond milk as needed. Set aside to cool.
• Sift the flours, almond meal, baking powder, and salt together. In another bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and honey together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and then add the chamomile infused almond milk. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients in two additions.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth out the top of the batter and sprinkle the top edge with the sliced almonds. Bake for 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool inside the pan for 15 minutes.
• While the cake is cooling, make the chamomile syrup. Bring the honey, sugar, water, and chamomile tea to a boil. Reduce until the liquid becomes slightly thick. Strain and discard the chamomile.
• Remove the cake from the pan and remove the parchment paper. Place on a wire rack and spoon or brush the syrup onto the top of the warm cake. Use as much or as little syrup as desired.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHAMOMILE TEA CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY ICING

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon chamomile to a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot melted butter over the chamomile and stir. Set aside to steep and cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Use the same saucepan (without washing it out) to bring the milk to a simmer over medium-high heat, keeping watch so it doesn't boil over. Remove from the heat, and stir the remaining 1 tablespoon chamomile into the hot milk. Set aside to steep and cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with the nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper so the long sides of the pan have a couple of inches of overhang to make lifting the finished cake out easier.
• Add the sugar and salt to the bowl with the butter, and whisk until smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, vigorously whisking to combine after each addition. Zest the lemon into the bowl; add the baking powder and vanilla, and whisk until incorporated. Add the flour and stream in the milk mixture while whisking continuously until no streaks of flour remain.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a skewer or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are OK, but you should see no wet batter), 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes.
• While the cake cools, make the icing: Into a medium bowl, squeeze 2 tablespoons juice from the zested lemon, then add the confectioners' sugar. Place the dehydrated strawberries in a fine-mesh sieve set over the bowl and, using your fingers, crush the brittle berries and press the red-pink powder through the sieve and into the sugar. (The more you do this, the redder your icing will be.) Whisk until smooth.
• If needed, run a knife along the edges of the cake to release it from the pan. Holding the 2 sides of overhanging parchment, lift the cake out and place it on a plate, cake stand or cutting board. Discard the parchment. Pour the icing over the cake, using a spoon to push the icing to the edges of the cake to encourage the icing to drip down the sides dramatically. Cool the cake completely and let the icing set.

CHAMOMILE & ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 320 F. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on the bottom of the pan. 2. In a food processor, grind the tea, whole almonds, sugar and a large pinch of salt into a paste. If the mixture is dry, add 1 egg white to form a paste. Otherwise, add the white at the end of the processing. 3. Transfer the almond paste to a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 1 yolk and 1 egg and beat on medium-low for 1 minute. Add another egg and beat for another minute. Add the last egg and the lemon zest and beat on medium for 5 minutes. 4. Using as few strokes as possible, fold in the cornstarch and baking powder with a rubber spatula until mostly combined. Pour in the melted butter, a little at a time, folding just until combined. Do not overmix. 5. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until the top is just set, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 3 minutes. Grease a cake plate with cooking oil spray. Turn the cake out onto the plate. Cool fully, then cover with foil until ready to serve. Dust with confectioner's sugar.