Make this super-easy Lavender Fog-soaked sponge cake at home using Tanglewood tea!

Tanglewood Lavender Fog Tea-ramisu

Serves 9 (but we won’t blame you if you enjoy 3 or more slices for yourself!)

Recipe slightly adapted from Minimalist Baker

 

Ingredients

1 cup dairy-free milk

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup vegan butter, softened

¼ cup organic cane sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour)

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch

¼ teaspoon sea salt

⅓ cup Tanglewood Lavender Fog tea concentrate 

2 Tablespoons dark rum (optional)

½ cup dairy-free dark chocolate shavings or cacao powder, for garnish (optional)

1 teaspoon culinary lavender, for garnish (optional)

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F then lightly grease and dust with flour an 8x8-inch baking pan. Set aside.

 

In a small bowl pour in the dairy-free milk and lemon juice, and allow it to curdle slightly, this takes about 5 minutes.

 

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter then add the sugar and vanilla until fluffy, about 3 minutes or so.

 

Sift your dry ingredients together into a separate bowl then gradually add it to your fluffy butter-sugar mix ¼ cup at a time, alternating with your milk-lemon mixture, blending till no lumps remain.

 

Pour your smooth batter into your prepared baking pan. Bang the pan a couple of times lightly on a hard surface to get rid of any air pockets. Place in the center rack of your oven for 45-50 minutes, or using the old toothpick test.

 

Allow to fully cool on a wire rack. The cake can be made ahead and loosely covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. 

 

Now let’s make some cashew cream cheese! You’ll need the following:

 

2 cups unsalted raw cashews

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

Sprinkle of sea salt

 

Boil about 2 cups of water. Place the cashews into a medium bowl then slowly pour in the boiling water till they're completely covered. Allow the cashews to soak in the water till it's completely cool, or about 2 hours. (You can also do this step a day ahead and place the soaked cashews in the refrigerator overnight.)

 

When you're ready, drain the cashews and place in a food processor or blender. Add in the lemon juice and coconut oil and pulse until creamy. You may need to stop between pulses to scrape the bowl. This step takes a bit of time, even if you use a professional-grade appliance. Be patient, it'll come together. Sprinkle salt to taste.

 

Place in the refrigerator to set for at least an hour.

 

OK, so now we’re ready to make the frosting! Here’s what you’ll need:

 

1-14 ounce can of coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator overnight.

8 ounces cashew cream cheese

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

 

Spoon out the coconut milk solids from the can into a clean bowl fitted to a stand mixer. Discard the liquid milk. Blend the solids till airy peaks form. Then add the cashew cream cheese, extract and lemon juice, and mix until just combined. Sift in the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. 

 

Back to the cake. Poke several holes on top of the cake using a toothpick, skewer or the tines of a fork. Using a pastry brush, coat the cake with the Tanglewood Lavender Fog concentrate and optional rum until the cake top no longer quickly absorbs the tea. Place back in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour to set.

 

Take your tea-soaked cake and prepared frosting out of the refrigerator and frost the cake. Top with dark chocolate shavings or cacao powder and a light sprinkling of culinary lavender (both optional, but totally recommended!). 

 

Best enjoyed with a glass of hot or iced Lavender Fog. ;)

 

Cover and store your cake in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but it tastes best within the first 24 hours, just sayin’.