I’ve really come to love the taste of green tea in baking. You have to be careful with the amount of green tea when it comes to baking. Too much of a good thing and you’ve crossed over into weird taste territory. Starbucks has a green tea frappe with blackberry drizzle and this was my inspiration for these mini tea cakes. Something special happens whenever you pair a tannic flavor like tea with fruit. Think blackberry cabernet sorbet for instance. Another example is balsamic and strawberry. Tannic flavor and fruit are good dance partners; just remember to let one be the lead and the other to follow; just like any good dance partner, one needs to be more assertive and the other the compliment. I can see serving these tea cakes as dessert for a light luncheon or garden party. They are best eaten the day they are made as the icing tends to melt in after the first day. Enjoy~ Suzie.

Green Petite Fours with Blackberry Icing

recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

(Macy’s carries Martha’s  tea cake pan). psst… you can also buy the same exact pan at Williams Sonoma, which I noticed has the same exact shapes.

yield: 30 tea cakes

Blackberry Icing

1 Tbsp + 2 tsp.  Blackberry preserves

2 Tbsp. water

1 Cup confectioners sugar

1. In a small bowl combine the preserves and water until smooth. Add sugar and whisk to combine. Add more sugar or water as necessary to reach a fluid consistency but thick enough to coat the back of a teaspoon. If the icing runs off the spoon too quickly it is too thin; add more sugar as needed.

Green Tea Cakes

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 eggs; room temp

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 Cup sugar

3/4 tsp. vanilla

3/4 Cup cake flour, sifted

1  1/2 tsp. matcha green tea powder

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Coat tea cake pan with nonstick spray. Melt butter and set aside to cool.

2. In a small bowl whisk together flour, and green tea; set aside.

3. Beat eggs, salt, and sugar with a mixer on medium speed, until pale yellow and very thick about 8 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Fold in flour mixture rapidly but gently. Fold in butter without allowing butter to settle to the bottom of the bowl. Quickly spoon mixture into the pan, until batter is just below the rim.

4. Bake until cakes spring back when touched lightly; about 11-13 minutes. Invert pan onto wire rack and flip out so cakes are facing up. Spoon glaze on cakes while still warm. Let cool and serve.