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Do you like Sweet Tea?

I love sweet tea. However long ago my grandparents started making with sweet n low. Traditionally it is made with a simple syrup. While I can’t really drink tea that sweet anymore, I’ve often wondered what it would be like in cake form. Well here is my version.

Because it includes steeping tea, some of the steps take a little longer, but it is oh so worth it.

Enjoy!

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Sweet Tea Cake

All the flavor of Sweet Tea in a moist delicious vanilla cake.
Course: Endings
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, sweet tea, vanilla
Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
  • 1-1/2 cups Granulated White Sugar
  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 Family Sized Iced Tea Bags
  • 3 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 3 teaspoons Avocado Oil, coconut oil will work too

Sweet Tea Simple Syrup

  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 2 Family Sized Iced Tea Bags
  • 1/2 cup Sugar

Buttercream

  • 1/4 cup Whole Milk
  • 1 Family Sized Iced Tea Bags
  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
  • 1 pound Confectioners' Sugar, sifted
  • 3 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Preheat for at least 20 minutes and use an oven thermometer to insure proper heat.
    Grease, with butter, 2 8" and line with parchment paper.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
    In a stand-up a mixer beat eggs, on medium speed, untl frothy.
    With mixer still going, gradually add sugar and then beat on medium high speed until tripled volume.
  • Heat the milk, butter and teabags in a small saucepan, to melt the butter. Do not let it come to a boil, but a slight foam is okay.
    Remove from heat and let steep for a minute or two but not cool, completely.
  • On low speed, add flour mixture to egg mixture in three portions, until just combined. Do not overwork.
    Pour hot milk, vanilla and oil into another bowl. While vigorously whisking add about a cup of egg mixture into the hot milk. You are "tempering" the eggs so that you can mix the rest in without making scrambled eggs.
    Turn stand up mixer back on a low speed and gradually add remaining hot milk to egg/flour mixture.
    Be sure to scrape down sides and bottom and if needed, give one last run on the mixer.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans and give a couple of knocks on the counter to get rid of air bubbles.
    Bake, at 350°, for about 30 minutes. Tester should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
    While cakes is baking, make simple syrup. When cakes first comes out of oven, poke holes in cakes and brush simple syrup all over cakes. You can brush again before frosting to keep crumbs at bay.
    Let cake cool in pans for 15 minutes then turn out onto racks and let cool completely, before frosting.

Simple Syrup

  • Bring water to a boil. Add tea bags and remove from heat, to steep for 5 minutes.
    Remove tea bags and add sugar. Put back on medium heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
    Let cool.

Sweet Tea Buttercream

  • FEEL FREE TO DOUBLE THE RECIPE.
    Put tea bags in whole milk and set aside.
    In the bowl of a stand up mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, beat butter for a full minute until creamy.
    Add in vanilla, slowly, and combine well.
    Gradually start adding sifted confectioners' sugar, until all incorporated.
    Remove tea bags from milk.
    Slowly add milk just until desired consistency, You may not need to use it all.
  • Once cake is completely cool, frost generously and serve.

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