What if you could sip the spirit of the season in one warming mug of tea? Well, we believe you can. Our aromatic Christmas in Ceylon blend is filled with the authentic flavours of Sri Lanka, many of which are also nostalgic festive favourites.
We’ve taken a base of organic black tea and enlivened it with cinnamon, cocoa, roasted coconut, ginger, turmeric, clove, cardamom and pepper.
It’s a spicy, uplifting brew which, as you’d expect from English Tea Shop, has been made from nature’s finest ingredients, sustainably farmed and ethically sourced.
And if those flavours and aromas remind you of Christmas cake, you’ll have guessed the inspiration behind the delicious tea-infused festive recipe we have for you this month.
Traditional Christmas Cake generally has a dense quality and features a mixture of fruits, nuts and spices – cinnamon, cloves and mixed spice are typical. It’s also often steeped in alcohol such as sherry or brandy.
Its origins lie in Medieval England when plum porridge was the original festive treat, eaten after a day of fasting. Dried fruit and spices were mixed with oats or bread. Some recipes even included meat.
By the 16th century, with the addition of flour, eggs and eastern spices (to represent the magi from the nativity story), the dish had evolved into cake form.
Many of the familiar recipes of today date to the Victorian era, by which time the tradition of icing and decorating Christmas cakes was also popular. Though it’s worth noting, in Yorkshire, England, people enjoy eating un-iced Christmas cake with slices of cheese.
We have a lighter take on the traditional bake for you this month, one that still incorporates a fruity base but has the added twist of our Christmas in Ceylon tea in place of alcohol.
Our recipe involves soaking dates in the festive tea to add a gentle spiciness. You’ll also find this step gives your kitchen a wonderful seasonal aroma.
Better still, because we have used dates instead of sugar, gluten-free flour and no nuts or alcohol, this Christmas treat can work for a range of dietary needs without compromising on taste.
Tea-infused Christmas cake
Ingredients
150g dates, stoned and chopped
150ml hot brewed Christmas in Ceylon tea
200g gluten-free plain white flour
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice (optional)
200g mixed dried fruit
75ml oil
A little extra oil, for greasing tin
1 tbsp black treacle
3 eggs
Method
‣ Pre-heat the oven to 170°C /Fan 150°C/ 325°F/ Gas 3
‣ Chop the dates, place in a mixing bowl, pour over the hot brewed tea and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
‣ Rub a little oil around the inside of a 18cm/7″ deep cake tin or insert a baking liner.
‣ Measure the flour, baking powder and (optional) mixed spice into a mixing bowl, stir to combine.
‣ Stir in the mixed dried fruit.
‣ Put the dates, along with the tea they have been soaking in, into a blender and pulse into a purée.
‣ Add the oil, treacle and eggs then pulse until smooth.
‣ Tip the date mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and stir well for around a minute.
‣ Tip the resulting mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
‣ Bake for 65-70 minutes.
‣ Leave the cake to cool in the tin before turning out.
‣ Once cool, store the cake in an airtight tin.
Enjoy!
You can find our Christmas in Ceylon tea and our festive collections, including special blends, gift selections and advent calendars in our online store.