Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Irish Tea Cake & a Giveaway!

Tea is quite British and so in keeping with our Irish theme, here is a delicious and easy tea cake. My husband described it as a sugar cookie cake - meaning he really liked it. It's delicious served warm or at room temperature. Tea is traditional but it would also make a wonderful accompaniment to coffee. You could top it with seasonal berries for the summer or fresh whipped cream but I really enjoyed it with just the powdered sugar!


IRISH TEA CAKE
(Recipe adapted very slightly from allrecipes.com)
Print this recipe

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch round pan.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. It's a very thick batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar right before serving.



We are also having a giveaway! Heather makes beautiful tea cozies (which are available in her wonderful etsy store) and so today we are giving away this gorgeous small tea cozy. It's perfect for keeping your tea  warm! Heather recommends Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast Tea for enjoying at tea time.



To enter:
- Leave a comment telling us your favorite tea or hot drink - one per person, please.
- For additional entries:
   1) Follow us on twitter - @CooksNextDoor
   2) Blog about this giveaway.
   3) Facebook about this giveaway.
   4) Join our facebook group.
- That makes a total of five entry opportunities. If you already follow us on twitter or are in our fb group, just leave us a comment letting us know and we will add the extra entries!
- This drawing will be open until Thursday night.

Enter away! Enjoy!
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21 comments:

  1. AnnMarch 9, 2010 at 3:30 AM

    coffee(Green Mountain). hands down favorite hot drink. Favorite tea would be Bigelow Plantation Mint, we took tons of it to KZ during J's adoption so it always takes me back. :)

    Blogged about this, am a part of the FB group & FB'ed about this too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. elizabethMarch 9, 2010 at 3:44 AM

    James and I love drinking and talking over tea together in the evening. Our favorite is good earth!

    I am a fb friend as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. CarrieMarch 9, 2010 at 4:12 AM

    Chai tea is my favorite. Spicy and invigorating. Yum! Thank you for the entry. I am going to Facebook now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. knittingzimmermanMarch 9, 2010 at 5:35 AM

    I love Irish Breakfast tea - of course. But my newest caffeine free favorite is Celestial Seasonings' Red Bush Madagascar Vanilla

    I'm running over to Twitter and Facebook!

    ReplyDelete
  5. liz nelsonMarch 9, 2010 at 6:41 AM

    i have to say coffee is my favorite hot drink. or an americano if i'm getting something special.:) although, whenever i'm at heather's the tea is always amazing.:)

    i am also part of your fb group.

    ReplyDelete
  6. HeatherMarch 9, 2010 at 7:42 AM

    I would have to say hot Chamomile tea just before bed. Always relaxing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. GinnyMarch 9, 2010 at 9:30 AM

    My favorite is a black coffee in the morning (with a bagel or scone) and before bed, a good black tea (Tazo's "Awake" or Bigelow's "Constant Comment") with a piece of chocolate. But then I also really like Tazo's "Green Ginger" throughout the day. And then there are some really good loose tea.....

    ReplyDelete
  8. SarahMarch 9, 2010 at 9:46 AM

    I love white chocolate chai. Delicious!

    (I follow on twitter and I joined the FB group).

    ReplyDelete
  9. KatieMarch 9, 2010 at 9:53 AM

    I love English breakfast (with milk and sugar) or Earl Grey (with milk and sugar) in the morning. Tea+Toast+the Word is always a good way to start the day. Otherwise, I love all herbal and black teas (preferably decaffeinated) throughout the day.

    ReplyDelete
  10. KatieMarch 9, 2010 at 9:55 AM

    and I just joined your FB group:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. SarahMarch 9, 2010 at 10:12 AM

    I love almost all tea (except for the popular Earl Gray and Constant Comment!), but my favorites are probably chai, green with mint, and any black breakfast tea with milk and sugar.

    Also, I just joined your FB group.

    Thanks for such a great blog! I enjoy it immensely. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Catherine @ A Spirited MindMarch 9, 2010 at 10:41 AM

    I love Earl Grey tea, but also just about every other type. I've recently given up coffee.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Catherine @ A Spirited MindMarch 9, 2010 at 10:41 AM

    And I'm following you on twitter

    ReplyDelete
  14. Catherine @ A Spirited MindMarch 9, 2010 at 10:42 AM

    and I'm a facebook friend

    ReplyDelete
  15. MargaretMarch 9, 2010 at 11:06 AM

    I learned to drink tea when I was just a kid in England. Now I drink lots of tea, but my favorite is Chai masala. But Lady Jane Grey is a close second.

    ReplyDelete
  16. MargaretMarch 9, 2010 at 11:06 AM

    Follow you on twitter already.

    ReplyDelete
  17. AshleyMarch 9, 2010 at 1:05 PM

    My favorite do-it-yourself hot beverage is black coffee. If I'm going to splurge, I head over to Starbuck for a soy chai tea latte.

    I'm in your FB group.

    ReplyDelete
  18. JayneMarch 9, 2010 at 3:03 PM

    I enjoy Lipton Spiced Chai Tea :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. JenniferMarch 10, 2010 at 4:43 AM

    I'm an English Breakfast Tea girl myself, but I also love Lipton's herbal peach tea. I can't wait to try this recipe!

    I am part of the FB group, follow you on Twitter, mentioned the giveway on FB and blogged about the giveway.

    ReplyDelete
  20. JenniferMarch 10, 2010 at 4:46 AM

    OK, I am trying to comment for the 3rd time :)

    I am an English Breakfast Tea girl myself but I also love Lipton's herbal peach tea. I am probably the only tea drinker in the world who doesn't like chamomille!

    I follow you on twitter, am in the FB group, FB'd about this, and posted about it on my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Melissa NMarch 11, 2010 at 9:58 AM

    Me and my husband like Earl Grey and Tazo tea - I know, completly different! *lol*

    ReplyDelete

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