Bake #5: Strawberry-Jam Tea Cakes

Yet another great pick by Tina. This is a very versatile petite cake; Martha says you can use any variety of jam for the filling as well as vary the type of citrus used in the batter and in the glaze. Try it and let us know what you think. We look forward to hearing from more FWB bakers out there!! And if you haven't done so, do check out THE BOOK!

Strawberry-Jam Tea Cakes (page 117)

Ingredients
*makes 16 cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp (plus more for greasing tins) - note: USA measurement 1 stick = 4 oz = 8 tablespoons

3 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for tin)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp finely grated orange zest

4 large eggs, separated, room temp

1/2 cup milk

1 cup strawberry jam or preserves

*Citrus Glaze (made with orange juice and zest)

Method:
1. Preheat over to 350˚F. Butter and lightly dust standard muffin tins with flour, tapping our excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

2. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, sugar and orange zest until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with two additions of milk and beating until just combined.

3. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, gently fold into batter. Spoon ~ 2 tablespoons batter into each prepared cupc, make an indentation in the middle of each, fill with 1 tablespoon jam then top with additional 2 tablespoons batter, covering the jam completely.

4. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers of top layers comes out clean (~30 minutes). Remove from oven, turn out cakes onto cooling racks and allow to cool

5. To finish, drizzle cakes evenly with glaze and let set, ~ 30 minutes. Glazed cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days in a single layer at room temp. in airtight containers.

*Citrus Glaze (page 315) - makes ~ 1 cup

1 1/2 powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp finely grated citrus zest
3 Tbls fresh citrus juice

Whisk altogether until smooth. If necessary, add more sugar to thicken or more juice to thin the glaze. Use immediately.