A simple cake that can wow a crowd (or yourself). This not-too-sweet tea cake is made with brown butter, earl grey and orange zest. The hibiscus glaze is not runny and perfectly grabs the edges of the cakes as it slowly drips down the sides.

Recipe

Makes one 9 inch round cake, Total Time: 1 hour, plus 4 hours of chilling

Ingredients:

Brown Butter Earl Grey Cake

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) brown butter chilled in the fridge for at least 4 hours, then brought back to room temperature

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea

• 2 teaspoons orange zest

• 2 eggs at room temperature

• 3/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 cup whole milk at room temperature

Hibiscus Glaze

• 1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers

• 3/4 cup boiling water

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons butter

Make the cake!

1. Heat butter over medium heat, swirling until it bubbles and starts to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and pour into parchment paper sitting in a bowl. Refrigerate until solid (about 4 hours). Remove from fridge 30 minutes prior to baking cake.

2. Heat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan and line with a parchment round. Butter the round and set aside.

3. Blend earl grey tea in a mortar and pestle or smash between your fingers until it looks a bit powdery.

4. Whisk flour, earl grey tea, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.

5. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy (3 minutes). Add orange zest and beat. Add eggs, one at a time and carefully mix to combine (do not over mix!). Mixing on low, gradually add in your flour mixture. Lastly, beat in the milk just to combine.

6. Pour batter into cake pan and drop the pan from 3 inches about the counter several times. This technique helps to remove air bubbles in the batter. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until the sides are golden and the cake springs back when you touch it.

7. Allow to cool completely before applying glaze.

Make the glaze!

1. Make hibiscus tea. Pour boiling water over dried hibiscus flowers and brew for at least five minutes and up to 30 minutes. Strain flowers out.

2. Combine hibiscus tea, heavy cream, granulated sugar and salt into medium saucepan over high heat. Do not stir! The liquid will start bubbling like crazy, looking like its going to boil over. That’s GOOD! Let it do that for about 7 minutes when it will begin to reduce its height back down into the bottom of the saucepan. When it starts to look like molasses remove it from the heat. Any longer and you’ll burn it — speaking from experience!

3. Stir butter into the glaze and allow to cool for 15 minutes before pouring onto the cake.