345. Earl Grey Cake

Earl Grey is undeniably British, and yet it is such a favorite flavor among Arabs.
It is not uncommon to find and Earl Grey Cake presented to you should you pass by for tea in an Iraqi or Lebanese household.
But in all honesty, you could make this cake using any regular tea.

Powdering or grinding the tea leaves distributes the flavor evenly, makes it easier to masticate and swallow (rather than having several annoying whole tea leaves in every mouthful), and gives this beautiful speckled appearance to each and every slice.
The marmalade icing is completely optional, and truthfully the cake would do just as well without, but it did lend another layer of flavor to the cake. If we were playing around with the ideal English breakfast, this cake would cover the tea and milk, as well as the bread and marmalade.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup tea leaves, powdered
1 cup milk

For the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 heaped Tbsp marmalade
2 Tbsp water

Method:

Preheat oven to 380°F.

Process the sugar and the oil in the food processor for 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, process for 2 to 3 more minutes.
Add the flour, baking powder, and powdered tea leaves, process until just combined.
Add the cup of milk, and process until homogeneous, less than a minute.

Pour the batter in a buttered and floured cake tin.
Bake for 60 to 65 minutes.
If you choose to add the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, marmalade, and water until a thick paste.
Pour over the cake while it has cooled slightly

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