Five Spice Tea Cake Food

TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix together on high speed until it looks pale yellow, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the mixing speed to medium. Add the vanilla extract and molasses Add the egg and mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated. The dough should be a smooth, consistent texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda and set to the side.
• Reduce the mixing speed to low and add the dry ingredients slowly. Mix until all of the dry ingredients are saturated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, folding in any unincorporated ingredients.
• After the dough is well mixed, remove the dough from the mixer and place on a piece of parchment paper. Roll the parchment to create a log approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter (about 12 inches long). Wrap the log in plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the chilled, firm log from the refrigerator. Remove the parchment and, using a sharp knife, slice the cookie dough in 1/4-inch circles. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The cookies will expand in the oven, so leave about 1 cookie width of space between them on the sheet (about 12 cookies per sheet). Work quickly, as these cookies should go into the oven while the dough is still cold.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies are ready when they are just beginning to brown and let off a fragrant brown butter smell. Allow the cookies to cool fully before serving.

FIVE-SPICE TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Butter a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with waxed or parchment paper.
• Sift together the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, five-spice mixture, and ginger.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the tea and applesauce.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar until very light and fluffy.
• With the mixer running at medium speed, drizzle in the oil and mix.
• Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the tea-applesauce mixture and mix.
• Repeat twice more, using up all of the ingredients.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until firm to the touch and split on the top, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 70 to 90 minutes.
• Set the pan on a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes, then turn out onto the rack, peel off the paper, and let cool.

TANGERINE-SOAKED TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter a 6-cup loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper, pressing it in firmly. Pour the bread crumbs into the pan and shake to coat the sides, then tip out any extra crumbs. In a small bowl, combine the tangerine zest, tangerine juice and lemon juice. Stir and set aside. Sift together the pre-sifted flour, baking soda and salt. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and mix well. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix well. With the mixer running at low speed, add alternating batches of dry ingredients and buttermilk until the batter is just mixed. Add the fruit juice and zest and mix. Pour into the prepared pan and set on a sheet pan. Bake on the sheet pan until the cake is firm in the center and a tester inserted into the center comes out dry and clean (a few crumbs are okay), 70 to 80 minutes.
• When the cake is done, let cool in the pan 15 minutes (it will still be warm). Run a knife around the sides of the pan. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan with sides (to catch the glaze) and turn the cake out onto the rack. Peel off the waxed paper. Using a turkey baster or pastry brush, spread the glaze all over the top and sides of the cake and let soak in. Repeat until all of the glaze is used up, including any glaze that has dripped through onto the sheet pan. Let cool at room temperature or, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator (well wrapped, the cake will last up to a week). Serve at room temperature, in thin slices.
• Glaze: In a bowl, stir the juices and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved.

SPICED TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix butter and sugar until light.
• Add eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon.
• Mix soda with buttermilk and add to mixture.
• Add flour small amount at a time.
• May be rolled into balls or dropped by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet.
• Bake in oven aproximately 10 minutes or until just brown.
• ENJOY!

ASIAN FIVE-SPICE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10- by 2-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper.
• Put chocolates in a large shallow bowl. Bring water, 1/2 cup sugar, and spice to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then pour through a fine sieve set over chocolates. Stir until smooth, then stir in butter until smooth.
• Beat eggs with remaining 3/4 cup sugar until increased in volume and pale and beaters leave a distinct trail (4 to 5 minutes in a standing mixer or 15 to 20 with a hand-held). Stir 1/4 of eggs into chocolate to lighten and fold in remainder gently but thoroughly (fold 1 to 2 minutes).
• Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Put pan in a water bath and bake in middle of oven 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering. Remove from water bath and cool 2 hours in pan on a rack.
• Unmold cake by running a thin knife around edge, then heating pan 5 to 10 seconds on burner set at moderately low. Invert cake plate over pan and flip cake onto plate. (If cake sticks, tap bottom of pan with a knife handle. If that doesn't work, heat pan again.) Peel off paper.
• Serve cake in thin slices.

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, ginger, baking powder, orange zest, baking powder, five-spice, and salt together.
• Mix applesauce and tea together in a separate bowl.
• Beat eggs with 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until very fluffy and light. Pour in oil gradually and beat on medium speed until combined. Alternate adding the flour and applesauce mixtures, mixing just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Place a wire rack over the cake pan and flip to release cake onto the rack. Let cool completely, at least 45 minutes.
• Cut parchment paper into any shapes you like to act as stencils. Brush lightly with water and stick them over the surface of the cake. Gently sprinkle turmeric around the shapes. Carefully lift up stencils.