Super Citrus Tea Cake for a January Day

January is about cold days, comfort food, and citrus cravings.. The kind of cold days that inspire recipes like this Super Citrus Tea Cake.

Tea and me go back a long way! We connect during all seasons, good and bad, but especially on chilly winter mornings! If you are Bengali like me with your tea you might just fancy something like this Citrus Tea Cake.

My Citrus Tea Cake Story

It was more than just tea that brought this tea cake my way, it was loads of nostalgia and a general sort of need for relaxation. I suddenly wanted something with loads and loads of citrus but not one of those wimpy, suggary glazed cakes, I wanted a toothsome cake, that brought back memories of breakfast with my grandparents. Given that I was going to stay away from glazing, I would recommend milder, sweeter citrus such as clementines, blood oranges, tangerines or even Meyer Lemons if you have those wondrous creatures in your midst.

I grew up with the luxury of living close to my grandparents, and they (especially my maternal ones) doted on me. Sundays with Dida and Dadu, were a common thing in my early childhood and anytime I visited my grandfather did the Sunday shopping of select items – usually tender goat meat and freshly baked cakes from a bakery called Lord’s Bakery.

The cakes that he brought were simple, fluffy and uncomplicated usually dotted with bits of dry fruit and nuts. My grandmother often had fresh and fragrant winter tangerines to got with them. That and of course hot buttered toast and butter. I wanted to make a cake that would pull together the memories of those flavors. This one is a good attempt.

I used my regular flour of choice, Trader Joe’s White whole wheat flour. This one tends to be my flour of choice for most things and certainly baking, added in some homemade peanut meal and raisins. What I got back was a fragrant earthy loaf. The kind that you might actually be able to dunk into some tea.

Cake and biscuit dunking is a very Bengali thing, and you just have to get to know me a little better to truly understand such a personal thing. But for now, let me share the recipe with you.

Ps. This got finished with the juice of a blood orange, no sugar added!

A couple of citrus recipes along the savory side includes Citrus and Thyme Chicken and Ginger and Mace Scented Bread.