Rose Cardamom Tea Cakes
Ingredients
For the Tea Cakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (113 g)
- 1 cup sugar (200 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup milk (60 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon rosewater
For the Frosting:
- 14 tablespoons butter, softened (200 g)
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar (360 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 pinch salt
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon rose extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- few drops rose pink food coloring
Instructions
Make the Tea Cakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom.
- In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for about 1-2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated. Pour in the milk, vanilla extract, and rose water, and mix until well combined. Change to a large spoon and stir in the flour mixture in 2 additions.
- Use an ice cream scoop to shape about 14-16 tea cakes, spacing them evenly on the baking sheets. Bake them at 350° F (180° C) for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are barely browned on the edges and the centers no longer look wet. Move them to a cooling rack and let them sit for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter until it becomes fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar, along with the cardamom and salt, and mix until fully combined. Mix in 2 tablespoons of cream, then the remaining confectioner's sugar, adding more cream if the frosting seems too thick. Once the sugar is fully incorporated, add the rose water and the food coloring, mixing until the frosting is smooth and uniform in color.
- Fit a piping bag with an open star tip - I used the Wilton 1M. Fill the bag with frosting and pipe a large rosette on top of each tea cake. The frosting holds its shape best if stored in the refrigerator. The tea cakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.