A Spring Win: My First Baking Competition
Good morning, and welcome back! As promised, I'm going into delicious detail about my first-ever baking competition — the recipe creation process, the testing, and how it all turned out.
It started when I heard that my company, IntraFi, has a group of avid bakers who host competitions a couple of times a year. The moment that news hit my ears, my competitive streak kicked in, and I started brainstorming ideas for a spring-themed dessert that could take the crown.
I went through my recipe list looking for bakes that travel well and could carry a fresh, bright flavor — something that just screams "spring!" My eyes landed on my favorite pound cake recipe, and I knew exactly where to take it: layers of Earl Grey tea flavor throughout the cake, with a fresh, fruity accent in the glaze.
To pull that off, I steeped the butter and milk for the base with a whopping 10 bags of Earl Grey tea, then added 2 more bags to a simple syrup soak brushed on after baking to keep the cake extra moist. For the glaze, I pounded dried raspberries into a fine powder and mixed it with lemon juice and powdered sugar, aiming for that tart, tangy first bite. To finish it off, I topped the cake with dried edible flowers for a little extra spring flair.
I made a small test batch first, and it turned out absolutely wonderful — enough to give me the confidence to bring it in for judging.
And the hard work paid off: I won first prize! I can't wait to defend my crown at the next competition, but in the meantime, I'll keep bringing desserts to coworkers and friends to stay sharp.
If you want to try this recipe out yourself, here is my final draft - This takes a good deal more effort than a regular pound cake, but the taste is on a whole different level!
Ingredients:
300g unsalted butter
225ml milk
10 Earl Grey tea bags
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
300g sugar
75g brown sugar
1 tsp of vanilla paste
zest of 1 lemon
360g flour
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
For the Earl Grey Syrup:
¾ cup water
¾ cup sugar
4 Earl Grey tea bags
½ tsp of vanilla paste
For the glaze:
100g powdered sugar
juice of 1 lemon (about 30ml)
20g of dried raspberry
Instructions:
Place the butter and milk in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted and steamy. Add 10 tea bags to the pan and steep for 60 minutes. When ready to use, gently squeeze the bags to extract a little extra flavor.
Preheat the oven to 315 degrees F with the convection setting on.
Beat the eggs, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (takes about 4 minutes), then add the tea mixture from step 1 and beat on low until combined, followed with vanilla paste, lemon zest, and then the flour, baking powder, and salt until the batter is smooth. Don’t overbeat.
Heavily grease the bundt pan with cooking spray, and then dust with flour. Flip over the sink and tap to remove the excess flour.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
To make the Earl Grey syrup, simmer water, sugar, and tea bags in a medium saucepan until they thicken into a syrup, and then add vanilla.
Invert the now-cooled cake onto a plate with a lip, and then pour the syrup over the cake.
To make the icing, pound the dried raspberry into a fine powder, and then mix the powdered sugar and dried raspberry with lemon juice. If the icing is too thick, add more lemon juice. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Decorate with the edible flowers!
