Books, Tea, and the Trinity: Apple Buttermilk Cake

Back in 2020, some friends and I started a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club. We met every Wednesday and worked our way through the Chronicles of Narnia and are currently working through The Chronicles of Prydain. When we started I resolved to share all the recipes, we have made-but I haven’t gone through them as quickly as I hoped.

When we completed The Magician’s Nephew,The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; and A Horse and His Boy; we moved on to book four, Prince Caspian. This book is one of my favorites in the series as I love Prince Caspian (although the Disney film version is horrible). Like A Horse and His Boy, this book did not mention a lot of specific foods, so we planned whatever we wanted to make.

As I wasn’t in charge of this book, there will be no discussion questions, just recipes. 

The first week we had Apple Cinnamon Scones: Salmon Radish Cucumber Canapés, Cinnamon Bread-Honey-Cheese-Apple and Ham Sandwiches, Kellogg’s Cheese Potato Crisps, and Applesauce Cake; all paired with Caroline’s Coffee Roaster Princess Earl Grey (as we needed to have some royal-tea).

The next week we had lavender flowering tea, Irish Soda Bread, Tuna Salad, Twice Baked Potatoes, carrot soup, and Quaker Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips.

For our final discussion of Prince Caspian we had Earl Grey Lavender Scones, Salmon and Cucumber Sandwiches, Radish-Dill Canapés, Cheese Potato Crisps, and Buttermilk Apple Cake.

Today’s recipe is the Buttermilk Apple Cake from two peas & their pod. I first came across this recipe when I was looking for something to make with the leftover buttermilk from my Irish Soda Bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
• Pinch of fresh nutmeg
• ½ stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup shaken buttermilk
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, and sliced 
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• Turbinado sugar (to sprinkle on top of cake) [I didn’t have any so I used brown sugar instead)
• Powdered Sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon, and nutmeg. 
3. Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.
4. Beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat until combined.
5. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.
6. In a small bowl, combine the apple slices with the brown sugar and other ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
7. Stir until apples are coated.
8. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Place sliced apples evenly over top and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
9. Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
10. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more.
11. Invert onto a plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you wish or add powdered sugar on top.

This was delicious and is a wonderful way to use up the leftover buttermilk if you are looking for something different to try. It looked a little plain so I added the powdered sugar, next time I make it I am contemplating forgoing sugar on top and maybe adding a glaze? But yes, it was absolutely delicious and I recommend it.

For more from our Books, Tea, and the Trinity tea times, go to Radish-Dill Canapés

For more cake recipes, go to Applesauce Cake

For more dessert recipes, go to Brown Butter Matcha Brownies

For more recipes, go to Dark Chocolate Peppermint Scones

For more tea posts, go to Spill the Tea: Alley Cat Cafe

Books, Tea, and the Trinity: Radish-Dill Canapés

Back in 2020, some friends and I started a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club. We met every Wednesday and worked our way through the Chronicles of Narnia and are currently working through The Chronicles of Prydain. When we started I resolved to share all the recipes, we have made-but I haven’t gone through them as quickly as I hoped.

When we completed The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; and A Horse and His Boy; we moved on to book four, Prince Caspian. This book is one of my favorites in the series as I love Prince Caspian (although the Disney film version is horrible). Like A Horse and His Boy, this book did not mention a lot of specific foods, so we planned whatever we wanted to make.

As I wasn’t in charge of this book, there will be no discussion questions, just recipes. 

The first week we had Apple Cinnamon Scones: Salmon Radish Cucumber Canapés, Cinnamon Bread-Honey-Cheese-Apple and Ham Sandwiches, Kellogg’s Cheese Potato Crisps, and Applesauce Cake; all paired with Caroline’s Coffee Roaster Princess Earl Grey (as we needed to have some royal-tea).

The next week we had lavender flowering tea, Irish Soda Bread, Tuna Salad, Twice Baked Potatoes, carrot soup, and Quaker Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips.

For our final discussion of Prince Caspian we had Earl Grey Lavender Scones, Salmon and Cucumber Sandwiches, Radish-Dill Canapés, Cheese Potato Crisps, and Buttermilk Apple Cake.

Today’s recipe is the Radish-Dill Canapés (as I can’t find the recipe for the earlier two foods) and comes from TeaTime Magazine.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup salted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
• 6 slices very thin wheat bread, such as Pepperidge Farm
• 6 radishes
• Garnish: fine sea salt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine butter and dill, stirring until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
2. Using a serrated knife, trim crusts from bread slices to make 3¼-inch squares. Cut each square in half to make 2 rectangles. Cover with damp paper towels to prevent drying out, or store in a resealable plastic bag.
3. Using a mandoline or a very sharp paring knife, cut radishes into paper-thin slices.
4. Spread each bread slice evenly with dill butter. Lay radish slices in a shingled fashion on top of butter. Just before serving, sprinkle lightly with fine sea salt.

Make-Ahead Tip: Dill butter can be made a day in advance and refrigerated until needed. Let it come to room temperature before using. Canapés can be assembled an hour in advance and covered with damp paper towels. Sprinkle with salt just before serving.

This was delicious but I love radishes so anything with them is delicious.

For more from our Books, Tea, and the Trinity tea times, go to Twice Baked Potatoes

For more radish recipes, go to Radish Ruffle Canapés

For more Teatime Magazine recipes, go to Brisket and Slaw Roulades

For more recipes, go to Dark Chocolate Peppermint Scones

For more tea posts, go to Spill the Tea: Alley Cat Cafe

Books, Tea, and the Trinity: Twice Baked Potatoes

Back in 2020, some friends and I started a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club. We met every Wednesday and worked our way through the Chronicles of Narnia and are currently working through the Lorien Legacies. When we started I resolved to share all the recipes, we have made-but I haven’t gone through them as quickly as I hoped. 

When we completed The Magician’s Nephew,The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; and A Horse and His Boy; we moved on to book four, Prince Caspian. This book is one of my favorites in the series as I love Prince Caspian (although the Disney film version is horrible). Like A Horse and His Boy, this book did not mention a lot of specific foods, so we planned whatever we wanted to make.

As I wasn’t in charge of this book, there will be no discussion questions, just recipes. 

The first week we had Apple Cinnamon Scones: Salmon Radish Cucumber Canapés, Cinnamon Bread-Honey-Cheese-Apple and Ham Sandwiches, Kellogg’s Cheese Potato Crisps, and Applesauce Cake; all paired with Caroline’s Coffee Roaster Princess Earl Grey (as we needed to have some royal-tea).

The next week we had lavender flowering tea, Irish Soda Bread, Tuna Salad, Twice Baked Potatoes, carrot soup, and Quaker Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips.

I originally wanted to make the Teatime Magazine twice baked mice potatoes in honor of Reepicheep entering the story; but when I went to the market they were all out of the small potatoes and I had to buy larger ones. I will attempt this recipe again, with small potatoes, and try to make them as nice

Ingredients:

• 1 (24-ounce) bag small red potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• ½ cup finely grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 6 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 24 (2½x⅛-inch) slices green onion, green parts only
• 24 sliced almonds, lightly toasted
• 2 black olives, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Place potatoes on prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, approximately 18 minutes. Let cool on pan on a wire cooling rack.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 375°.
5. Using a sharp knife, cut 12 potatoes in half lengthwise. Peel and discard skins from remaining potatoes. Transfer peeled potatoes to a medium bowl.
6. Using a ¼ teaspoon, scoop a small well from potato halves, adding pulp from wells to bowl with whole, peeled potatoes. Using a fork, slightly mash whole, peeled potatoes. Add cheese, sour cream, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add milk, beating until incorporated (mixture will be thick). Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with an open-star tip (Wilton #4B).
7. Pipe potato mixture back and forth into potato shells. Return filled potato shells to baking sheet.
8. Bake until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes. Let potatoes cool to room temperature.
9. In a medium bowl full of cold water, place 2½-inch-long green onion slices to curl for tails. Blot dry on paper towels just before using.
10. To create whiskers, using a sharp knife, gently cut a slit at each end of ¾-inch-long green onion slices.
11. On each potato, gently press into place 2 almond slices for ears. Using tweezers, place 2 olive bits for eyes, green onion whiskers, and a green onion tail. Serve within an hour.

Notes: Potatoes can be prepared and filled up to 3 days ahead, let cool completely, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate. Up to 2 hours before serving, warm filled potatoes in a 375° oven. Let cool before decorating as mice.

So I did try to turn my large potatoes into large mice, but it just didn’t work out. Instead I had to admit defeat and just make regular twice baked potatoes.

These were delicious and like I said above, I plan on making them again. And even though they were not boiled, I do think Mr. Collins would have enjoyed them too.

For more from our Books, Tea, and the Trinity tea times, go to Applesauce Cake

For more potato recipes, go to Cheese Potato Crisps

For more Teatime Magazine recipes, go to Brisket and Slaw Roulades

For more recipes, go to Rice Krispies Chocolate Chip Cookies

For more tea posts, go to Spill the Tea: There & Back Again Cafe