meadow tea and demerara buttercream
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 5 c buttercream
 
Ingredients
  • for the simple syrup
  • ¾ c water
  • 1 c (196 g) demerara sugar
  • 6 Meadow Tea teabags or 6 tbsp loose Meadow Tea
  • for the buttercream
  • 5 egg whites
  • ¾ c (396 g) sugar
  • 3 sticks of butter, cool but not cold
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cooled Meadow Tea simple syrup
Instructions
  1. Bring the water and sugar just to a boil and add the tea bags or loose tea. Steep, covered, until room temperature. Squeeze the liquid out of the tea bags and discard or strain with a fine mesh strainer. Store in an airtight container.
  2. Wipe the metal bowl of an electric stand mixer, whisk attachment and a whisk with vinegar or lemon juice and a paper towel to remove any trace of grease.
  3. Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Place the prepared metal mixing bowl over the pot of simmering water (bowl should fit snugly but should not touch the water) and add egg whites and sugar. Stir constantly with a whisk until the temperature reaches 140 degrees on a candy thermometer or until all the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are hot. Remove from heat and secure into stand mixer.
  4. Beat the hot egg whites and sugar on high speed with the whisk attachment until the bottom of the bowl is completely neutral, about 10 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment and turn mixer on low speed.
  5. Begin slowly adding the butter pieces and mix until texture is smooth. If the buttercream curdles, keep mixing, it'll come back together.
  6. Add salt and vanilla extract, then slowly drizzle in the 6 tbsp of the Meadow Tea simple syrup and mix until combined. Reserve the remaining simple syrup for brushing on the cakes.
  7. You can store buttercream in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
Recipe by oh honey bakes at https://ohhoneybakes.com/meadow-tea-cake-with-spiced-rhubarb-cherry-jam/