Green Tea Pound Cake

Green Tea Pound Cake
makes one 9x5 loaf or two mini loaves

ingredients
2 cups bleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons Matcha green tea

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 sticks soft unsalted butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

5 large eggs, separated

Pinch of salt
directions
1. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan and line with buttered parchment or wax paper—cut to fit.

Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 325F.

Combine the flour, green tea and baking powder and stir well to mix.

2. Cream butter and confectioners sugar in bowl of mixer with paddle attachment and beat for about 3 minutes or until light. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl and beater occasionally with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour mixture by hand, with a rubber spatula.

3. Pour the egg whites and salt into a clean, dry mixer bowl. Place on mixer with whisk attachment and whip whites on medium speed until white and opaque and just beginning to hold their shape. Increase speed slightly and continue whipping egg whites until they hold a soft peak.

4. Remove bowl from mixer and quickly scrape whites from bowl onto batter in other bowl. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the batter, folding just until no streaks of white remain.

5. Scrape the batter into prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake the cakes for about 45 minutes (35-40 minutes for mini loaf pans) or until it is well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges dry. Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then un-mold and cool it completely.

Green teas contain a high amount of antioxidants, chemical compounds known to forestall aging. Antioxidants are found in many fruits and vegetables – even chocolate. A testing method known as ORAC – short for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, evaluates the antioxidant levels found in food. Matcha green tea is exponentially higher than other foods known for their high antioxidants levels such as blueberries and spinach.

I am booking tea parties now for May-Sept. I'll also create refreshing 'iced-tea parties' too!

steepedteapatti (at) gmail.com

Corporate Tea Parties too!

Photos and Recipe Credit: Milk and Honey