Royal-Tea Cupcakes (04/28/11)

I wasn’t going to jump on this band-wagon, I swear!

In fact I have been avoiding the issue for months. And let’s face it, it’s easy to do when 90% of the TV watching is to the Disney Channel.

But the closer the day got, the more talk there was, and the more talk there was the more excited I became.  I can’t help it.  I am a sucker for weddings.  It doesn’t matter if it’s Buckingham Palace or a backyard BBQ – I love them all.  I love watching them all! I am hooked on Tori & Dean’s sTORIbook Weddings! And if I’m being honest here, some of them even make me cry. Okay, most of them. I’m a romantic, a hopeless one.  Whatever.

And having spent a good portion of my youth in England, I have a love for all things English.  It reminds me of home.

So combine the two and add a fairytale love story with a real Princess – COUNT ME IN!

It was pretty easy to find Royal Wedding related items. From  invites and inspiration, to food and photos, and everything in between!  You name it and there was a blog post related to it.  My favorites were these free Party Circles from my friend Kim over at  The TomKat Studio:

I turned them into cupcake toppers.

And what type of cupcakes are those you ask? Earl Grey Tea cupcakes with Earl Grey & Lemon Butter Cream Frosting.  I call them Royal-TEA Cupcakes! Get it? Royalty….Royal-Tea!

Anyway, you don’t have to be a tea drinker to enjoy these cupcakes.  They bake up super moist with a slightly crunchy top and have the subtle Earl Grey flavors of lemon and bergamot (orange).

I found the recipe in the Cupcakes from Primrose Bakery Cookbook. The Authors Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas own the Primrose Bakery in London. (Visit them online at www.primrosebakery.org.uk)

The Butter Cream recipe I came up with myself.  And if I may say so – it’s amazing! Earl Grey tea infused into the milk and the zest of a lemon create a frosting that isn’t too sweet (at least not by my standards) and has a great citrus undertone.

These would also make really great Mother’s Day cupcakes.

But for now they will be enjoyed tonight, or should I say tomorrow morning, as sit alone (my husband does not share my excitement) watching the most beautiful wedding – EVER.  I may even cry. Oh who are we kidding?  I will have 2 boxes of tissues ready!

Congratulation and Best Wishes to William and Kate – Prince and Princess of England!

I’m curious, will you be watching?

Sandy

Oh yeah, here are the recipes:

Earl Grey Cupcakes from Primrose Bakery (adapted to US measurements)

Makes about 12 regular cupcakes

1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk, at room temperature

4 Earl Grey teabags

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

2 large eggs, free-range or organic

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from the heat and add the teabags. Cover and leave to infuse for about 30 minutes, then discard the teabags.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the almond extract, if using, and the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition.

Sift the two flours together into a separate bowl. Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in one-third of the infused milk and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added.

Carefully spoon the mixture into the cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a wooden skewer in the center of one of the cupcakes – it should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave the cupcakes in the pan for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool.

 

Earl Grey with Lemon Butter Cream

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 cup milk

2 Earl Grey teabags

8 cups of confectioners sugar

zest of 1 lemon

Heat the milk in a saucepan just until boiling. Remove from heat. Add the teabags and cover for about 30 minutes, then squeeze out the teabags and discard them.

Beat together butter, lemon zest and 1 cup of confectioners sugar.

Add the milk and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until you reach your desired constancy.