Strawberry Jam Tea Cakes

Hey folks!  So, I'm sure about where you are, but over here in WA I'm really really really ready for Spring to happen.  The weather has been extra gloomy lately and I would absolutely love to see the sun for an extended period of time in my life!

With that said, I was really in the mood for something that would make me smile and think about all of the sunny days that will be here soon! *hopefully* 😉  I know, probably wishful thinking for WA, but a girl can dream right?

I've made this recipe before and they're a pretty delicious little treat.  Something about the sweetness of the jam and the pop of the orange really makes them amazing.  They're a little more dense than a regular cupcake, sort of like a scone or a pound cake, I guess that's why they're called a "tea cake" and not a cupcake, but hey, whatever works.  This recipe is via Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book.  I really love it and it was a present so that makes it even better!

Just an FYI, turns out Martha knows what she's talking about when she tells you how to put these little guys together.  Trying to be smarter than Martha and pipe the jam into the center of each cake is not a genius idea.  You will end up with a huge crater that is not very pretty.  *le*sigh*

To "fix" my mistake, I made the glaze a little bit thicker by creaming some butter and cream cheese together and adding more confectioners sugar, so not quite a full "frosting" but enough to set and not make it look like I messed up big time!  I added just a little bit of zest to top each cake, to make me happy.  These liners came in a bag of 3 colors (pink, green, and blue) from Michaels.  They were perfect for the Spring time feeling that I was going for.  I think these would make a wonderful Easter or Mother's Day treat.

Strawberry Jam Tea Cakes

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 4 large eggs, separated, room temp.
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup strawberry jam
• Citrus Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray or brush with butter and dust with flour. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and zest until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until just combined after each.

In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg whites to soft peaks; gently fold into the batter. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into each prepared cup. Make an indentation in the middle of each; fill with 1 tablespoon jam. Top with an additional 2 tablespoons batter, covering jam entirely.

Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers of top layers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Run a small offset spatula around the edges, and turn the cakes onto wire racks and let cool completely.

To finish, drizzle cakes with glaze, and let set, about 30 minutes. Glazed cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days in a single layer at room temperature in airtight containers.

Orange Glaze

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ¼ tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

Whisk together all ingredients until smooth. If necessary, add more sugar to thicken or more juice to thin the glaze. Use immediately.

*If you would like a thicker "glaze" cream together 8 oz of cream cheese and 1 stick of butter, add the glaze ingredients and more powdered sugar until you get the consistency you desire.

Recipe Via: Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book

PS. I think this recipe would work well with just about any jam/citrus combo... I'm thinking raspberry and lemon or lime would be tasty for next time!