Apple Cinnamon Tea Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
A moist spiced cake made with brewed apple cinnamon black tea folded into the batter and grated apple throughout, finished with a simple brown sugar glaze.
This cake leans all the way into the tea's natural flavor instead of fighting it — brewed apple cinnamon tea replaces some of the liquid in the batter, deepening the spice notes, while grated fresh apple keeps every slice moist for days.
Because the tea itself already carries cinnamon, you can use a lighter hand with additional ground spices than a typical spice cake recipe would call for, letting the tea's flavor come through clearly rather than getting buried under cloves and nutmeg.
The brown sugar glaze is intentionally simple — just brown sugar, butter, and a splash of the same brewed tea, reduced until syrupy. It soaks slightly into the warm cake, adding a toffee-like sweetness that plays directly off the tea's own caramelized-apple character.
Serve slightly warm with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, or let it cool completely for a firmer, more snackable loaf-style texture. Either way, brew a fresh cup of the same tea to drink alongside it — the echo between cup and cake is the whole point.
Ingredients
- 1 cup strong-brewed apple cinnamon black tea, cooled
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup peeled, grated apple (about 1 large apple)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (for glaze)
- 2 tbsp butter (for glaze)
- 3 tbsp brewed apple cinnamon tea (for glaze)
How to make it
- 1Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a loaf pan or 9-inch round cake pan.
- 2Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- 3In a separate bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
- 4Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the cooled brewed tea to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined. Fold in the grated apple.
- 5Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 6While the cake cools slightly, make the glaze: simmer brown sugar, butter, and tea in a small saucepan for 3–4 minutes until syrupy. Pour over the warm cake before slicing and serving.
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