It is no secret that I love drinking tea and I love making and eating cake, and to me there is nothing nicer than washing down a yummy slice of cake, or indeed a cupcake (I am not cake fussy!!!), with a hot cup of tea. I think it is important to make the time to enjoy a tea (or coffee if you are that way inclined!), and I know how much I appreciate it because when I was a mum to a newborn, and then two little ones, it was very rare that I got to drink a hot cup in its entirety or indeed at all!
When I had an office job, back in the day, I always looked forward to having a cuppa but I really took a break to enjoy it, drinking it at my desk while I worked instead. Tetley tea has recently launched a Bring Back the Tea Break Campaign , to promote the humble tea break and get workers to recognise that taking one is important and it enables us a chance to relax and rejuvenate. Apparently as much as 44% of us Brits say they are too busy to take a regular tea break, and almost a quarter claim that they don’t think their employees would allow them one!
Well, when I can I make the time to have a tea break, I like to make one while I wait for my cakes to bake and then I make another when it is time for a taste test lol! Nothing beats a cup of tea in my opinion, and having even a 5 minute break to switch off from everything else to enjoy it, is worth every tea sipping minute!
I enjoyed a lovely cup of Tetley the other day while I was waiting for my Rhubarb & Ginger Crumble Loaf Cake to bake, and to be honest I would have had time to enjoy two cups as it took a while to cook!! My friend Jude kindly gave me some freshly picked fruit from her garden a few days earlier, and I decided to make some cakes with the fruit. Here is how I made it:
- 150g unsalted butter
- 150g caster sugar
- 250g self-raising flour
- 1 heaped tsp ground ginger
- 3 medium eggs
- 1 tbsp strawbery jam
- 300g rhubarb, trimmed and sliced into 2cm pieces
- *FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING*
- 100g plain flour
- 50g cold unsalted butter
- 25g caster sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- pre heat the oven to 180oC / 160oC (fan)
- grease and line a 1lb loaf tin
- cream the butter and sugar together until pale and soft (about 3-4 mins)
- add the eggs, a spoonful of flour and the ginger and beat well for a few more minutes
- beat in the jam
- coat the rhubarb with some of the flour, and then add the remaining flour and fold in
- lastly, add the flour coated rhubarb and mix through
- pour into the loaf tin
- cut the butter into cubes and place in a large bowl
- add the flour and rub together to make breadcrumbs
- stir through the sugar and ginger
- scatter over the top of the cake batter
- cook in the oven until cooked right through - this could take anything from 50 minutes to 70 minutes!
- leave to cool completely before carefully removing from the tin to slice and serve alongside your favourite brew
This was a lovely and moist cake and the tartness of the rhubarb complemented the ginger and sweet crumble topping perfectly. It was well worth the time it took to cook!! It was also the perfect cake to enjoy on my tea break!!
I was sent some Tetley Tea for the purpose of a post.
I love rhubarb, especially in a cake… waiting now for a few more stalks to grow as we used the last lot in a crumble!
I just bought a boat load of rhubarb at the farmers market…and heck yes I’ll make this and enjoy a MASSIVE cup of coffee. I hear ya on not being able to get through one a day during the baby phase. Small luxuries!
#bakeoftheweek
.:Marta @ petiteraisin.ca:.