Apple & Earl Grey Teacake

1. Preheat oven to 165°C (145°C fan-forced) and grease 20cm (8”) bundt or round cake tin.
2. Wash, peel, core and dice apples into 2cm cube pieces.
3. Place earl grey tea leaves in large reusable teabag or muslin bag.
4. Melt butter and brown sugar gently on low heat in wide bottomed deep saucepan, then place teabag at base of saucepan. Add diced apple and coat with butter, then zest orange over apples and swirl vanilla seeds or paste through.
5. Allow to cook on low heat, stirring intermittently, until apples are soft but not completely cooked through.
6. Remove from heat and allow apples to steep in tea-infused butter for approximately 1 hour. Squeeze teabag to extract maximum flavour and discard tea leaves.
7. Beat eggs and caster sugar in free-standing mixer until thick and pale (approximately 3-4 minutes).
8. Fold in infused buttery apple mixture until well combined, then sifted flour, baking powder and salt.
9. Pour cake batter into prepared cake tin and bake for 40 mins, or until lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in cake tin, then turn out onto wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Earl Grey Icing

1. Cover tea leaves with boiling water and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes.
2. Add tea to icing sugar in medium bowl, one teaspoon at a time, until mixture starts to come together as a thick, sticky icing.
3. Squeeze lime juice into icing, if using, until icing is of a thick pouring consistency. If not using lime juice, add further tea to the same consistency, then pinch of salt.
4. If icing is too thick, add a little more lime juice or tea. If icing is too thin, add a little more icing sugar.
5. Use icing immediately, as it sets quite quickly.

To Serve

1. Place completely cooled cake on serving plate and drizzle with earl grey icing , then sprinkle with dried cornflowers and rose petals.

Enjoy!