Raspberry, Rose & Mascarpone Cake & Jing Tea
The first thing I do before anything else in the morning is to make tea. The simple pleasure of sitting quietly with a cup of tea, while the house is still and peaceful, sets me up for the day. I rarely drink coffee as I find tea more refreshing, but have to avoid it in the evening as I have difficulty sleeping. I have tried caffeine free substitutes, but I cannot bear decaffeinated tea. Up until recently, I have never been a fan of herbal or fruit teas either, they taste so artificial I have never found one that I like.
However, a few weeks back, JING contacted me and asked me if I would like to try their new Fruit & Floral range of teas. As you will probably know, if you are a regular reader of the blog, JING are tea pioneers. They produce superior quality and rare single origin teas for connoisseurs of fine infusions, from Michelin starred restaurants around the world, to home consumers like me, enjoying their first cup of the day.
I love all their teas, especially their Earl Grey and Darjeeling, so I felt sure I would be in for a treat. I was right, they are nothing like any fruit or herbal teas I have tasted before. The four flavours in the range of Fruit & Floral infusions, are Pineapple & Osmanthus, Strawberry & Rooibos , Green Apple & Hibiscus and Raspberry & Rose. The loose leaf teas are made with natural, pure ingredients, without any additional essence, which creates a pure expression of flavour. Happily for me, as it is naturally caffeine free, it can also be enjoyed in the evening.
I wanted to create an afternoon tea recipe to celebrate the launch of the Fruit & Floral range. Something which would pair beautifully with their Raspberry & Rose tea, a gentle pink infusion imbued with tart notes from raspberry pieces, softened with the subtle perfume of whole rose buds. The tea also includes rose hip shells to add a complementary sour, floral character and bright osmanthus flowers.
This Raspberry, Rose and Mascarpone cake with its layers of light vanilla sponge brushed with a homemade rose geranium syrup, filled with a raspberry and rose mascarpone cream and covered with rose mascarpone icing, complements the tea perfectly. The Raspberry & Rose tea is wonderful on its own, so delicate, fruity and refreshing, but served with slices of this cake it makes a decadent afternoon treat. To make the rose geranium syrup, I used a variety of scented pelargonium (geranium) called Attar of Roses, which I grow in the garden. If you are unable to find any rose geranium leaves, add natural rose essence to taste, but only a little as it can be quite overpowering.
There will be a very special giveaway on instagram on Saturday 28th July starting at 8.30am, head on over and follow my instagram for a chance to win.
A special thank you to The Real Flower Company for the beautifully scented bouquet and the roses that decorate the cake.
* this post is sponsored by JING, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Raspberry, Rose & Mascarpone Cake
Recipe Type: Baking
Author: Louise Robinson
Prep time: 45 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour 30 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
220g butter, softened, plus a little extra to grease the pans
220g white caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 free range eggs (weighing a total of 220g in their shells), lightly beaten
220g self raising four, sifted.
pinch of salt
3-4 tablespoons of whole milk
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Rose Geranium Syrup
225g white caster sugar
300ml water
4 Attar of Roses geranium leaves, or a few drops of natural rose essence to taste
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Raspberry & Rose Filing
150g fresh raspberries
1-2 tablespoons of caster sugar
1 tablespoon of rose geranium syrup
300g mascarpone
100g icing sugar, sifted
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Rose Mascarpone Icing
250g mascarpone
75g icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon of rose geranium syrup
100ml double cream
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Fresh unsprayed roses, or other edible flowers
Instructions
Heat the oven to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4.
Grease and line two 6 inch, deep cake tins
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the beaten egg and vanilla essence, a little at a time, beating well in between each addition.
Gently fold in the sifted flour and salt, adding enough milkl (3-4 tablespoons) to create a dropping consistency ( the mixture should drop off a spoon when lightly tapped)
Divide the mixture between the two tins (weigh each tin to easily judge roughly the same amount of mix)
Put in both tins on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven and cook for 45 minutes.
While the cakes are cooking make the rose geranium syrup. Dissolve the sugar (225g) in 300ml of water over a low heat, then bring to the boil for 2 minutes. Add the 4 rose geranium flowers and boil for another 5 minutes. Strain the syrup through muslin laid over a sieve into a bowl and leave to cool. If you are not using the geranium leaves, make the plain syrup, boil for two minutes and leave to cool. Add a drop or two of rose essence to taste.
Remove the cakes from the oven, they should have shrunk slightly away from the tin and a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean.
Leave in the tins to cool for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the raspberry and rose mascarpone filling by placing the raspberries, caster sugar and rose geranium syrup in a bowl. Crush the raspberries with the back of a fork and stir to combine with sugar and syrup. Beat the mascarpone and icing sugar in a separate bowl with electric beaters until smooth and combined. Fold in the crushed berries lightly to create a ripple effect.
Make the rose mascarpone icing by beating the mascarpone and icing sugar together in a clean bowl with electric beaters until smooth. Add the cream and rose geranium syrup and whisk together until combined.
When cakes are cool, wrap in clingfilm and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. This will make them easier to cut.
Using a cake divider or bread knife level the tops of the cakes if necessary and cut each cake in half evenly.
Using a pastry brush, bush the rose geranium syrup on the cut side of each cake layer.
Place the base of one of the cakes on a plate or cake stand and spread with raspberry and rose filling before adding the next layer cut side down. Repeat with remaining layers, ensuring that the top layer is placed cut side down.
Spread the the rose mascarpone icing on the sides and top of the cake
Top with unsprayed roses or other edible flowers, making sure that you remove them before cutting and eating the cake!