Pigs are cute!
Spiders (named Charlotte) love pigs!
And... Bacon!
(I have not made a cake out bacon. Or with bacon. Or shaped like bacon).
Also, April Fools! - (shhh, your groaning is killing my moment) - this post will not be dedicated to our porcine friends, deserving as they may be.
Instead, I'd like to capitalize on the recent news that Earl Grey tea is good for your heart and talk about an easy recipe for Earl Grey Chocolate Cake with Lavender Honey Mascarpone Frosting. The recipe for the frosting is in the Recipe Box, as is a recipe for chocolate cake. But here is the disclaimer for this post: I used box cake. This is not another April Fools. If you are offended by the use of box cake (some people are!), please read no further. Alternatively, just substitute a scratch chocolate cake recipe for Betty's if you prefer.
I turned to Ms. Crocker (whose history is pretty interesting, I just discovered) for help with this cake because, while I often find that I've run out of one thing or another when I go to bake, on this occasion I was out of nearly everything. Including time. Under the circumstances, a box cake was the easiest way to meet my cake-baking needs. Truth be told, however, the cake came out so well that it made a repeat appearance the next week, unchanged, mix and all.
To make Earl Grey chocolate cake, all you need to do is substitute tea for the liquid called for in the recipe; Betty wanted 250ml or approximately 1 cup, and the same goes for the chocolate cake recipe in the Recipe Box, with the tea being substituted for water in the first case and for coffee in the second. I let the tea steep for at least 10 minutes - the stronger it is, the more detectable it will be in the flavour of the cake. I used Teapigs' Darjeeling Earl Grey, which is my favourite and not just because of the dachshund.
After brewing the tea, proceed as directed by the box or recipe. As with all chocolate cake, I recommend dusting the pans with cocoa powder instead of flour.
The mascarpone frosting isn't much more complicated than the cake. In fact, the most difficult part might be getting your hands on some lavender extract. I found mine at a spice shop when I wasn't looking for it, so I don't have any experience actively seeking it out, but I imagine that it should be readily available at such specialty retailers. Once you have the extract, mix one teaspoon of it together with four teaspoons of honey.
Next, combine the lavender honey with the mascarpone (500g), mixing until completely combined but stirring gently - mascarpone can freeze up and become grainy if beaten too vigorously. Once combined, fill a piping bag with the frosting and pipe onto the first layer of cake. If your frosting has become too melted in the mixing process, set it in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes before piping (if you leave it for long enough, it may separate a bit and need a little more mixing, but that is fine).
If you would prefer not to involve a piping bag, you can speed the process up even further by simply spreading a layer of frosting with an offset spatula. By this point, however, I'd saved so much time on the cake already that I felt like getting a little fancy. Before adding the next cake layer, I also drizzled some plain honey over the frosting.
Add the top cake layer, and repeat the icing process. To finish it off, I drizzled some more honey over the top and then sprinkled it with some dried lavender petals, which are edible. Et voilà!
Eat to your health.
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