Bee-Inspired Summer Tea & Buzzworthy 6 Cup Vanilla-Almond Pound Cake

Find buzz-worthy ideas for a bee-themed tea for summer, including Camomile and Bee Pollen Infusion Iced Tea, Honeybee Keepsake Mason Jars, a Bee teapot flower arrangement and recipe for a 6-Cup Vanilla-Almond Pound Cake in a Honeycomb Loaf Pan.

Welcome to the July edition of Tea on Tuesdays,

a celebration of all things ‘tea’

on the third Tuesday of the month!

Pam and I are excited to welcome a special guest,

Kitty, from Kitty’s Kozy Kitchen.

If you don’t know Kitty, she’s a fellow tea enthusiast who shares delicious recipes

and her love of cooking on her blog with her family and friends!

Join me for tea on the porch with the bees today, which makes for a

fun tea-themed party for summer!

Regular readers know my love all of all things *bee*

including seeing them buzz and bumble around the garden!

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I recently received this adorable bee-pot ;) as a birthday gift, coincidentally from Kitty.

It matches my Bee Sweet Honey Pot and Tea Bag Holders!

Thank you again Kitty 🐝 ♥

Since our 90+ degree temps call for iced tea rather than hot, I filled my bee-pot with flowers. . .

sunflowers and alstroemeria from the grocery store

and hydrangeas and foliage from the garden.

We’re sipping on Fortnum & Mason Camomile and Bee Pollen Tea today. . .

A light and refreshing blend and infusion of

Salisbury Plain Honey, sweet bee pollen and mild English chamomile flowers, idea for summer!

I like that it’s a light blend of flavors with just a hint of sweetness.

You could sweeten it further with your favorite honey.

Ball Honeybee Keepsake Mason Jars 

provide glasses for our iced tea and easy summertime sipping. . .

And honeycomb and bee patterned silicone molds are ideal for ice cubes

or making buzzworthy mini chocolates!

I found my molds at HomeGoods, but there are some available on Amazon, HERE.

Instead of using water for ice cubes, I brewed some tea and froze it the honeycomb

bee molds so as not to dilute the tea flavor.

You could also freeze lemonade, peach nectar or cranberry juice to flavor your iced tea.

A table runner with bees and a honeycomb design

provides a foundation for our table and tea on the porch.

And I was all abuzz when I spied this bee skep design cookie jar

at HomeGoods a few years ago.

Help yourself to a slice of Vanilla-Almond Pound Cake,

easy and delicious with tea for an afternoon pick-me-up or breakfast. ;)

You can make this small pound cake in any 6-cup loaf pan;

I used my Nordic Ware Honeycomb Loaf Pan. 🐝

To prep my pans, I use Cake Release, aka, Cake Goop.

You mix it up using equal parts

 flour, shortening and vegetable oil.

Just spread a thin layer using a pastry brush on the inside of your cake

pan to coat all the nooks and crannies, before adding the batter and baking.

Cake Release will keep on the counter or in the pantry for 3 months at room temperature

or 6 months in the refrigerator.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

6 Cup Vanilla-Almond Pound Cake, recipe adapted Nordic Ware

I’m a big fan of almond extract / flavoring but if you’re not or allergic, substitute vanilla extract or omit.

🐝 1 1/2 cup *all-purpose flour

🐝 1/2 tsp salt

🐝 1/4 tsp baking soda

🐝 1/2 cup butter, softened

🐝 1 1/2 cups sugar

🐝 4 eggs

🐝 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

🐝 1/2 tsp almond extract

🐝 2/3 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)

*Note: To make this gluten free, swap out all-purpose flour for

King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.

To make cake:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Prepare pan with Cake Release or baking spray with flour, like Baker’s Joy.

In small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar.

 Mix in eggs, one at a time until thoroughly incorporated. Add extracts and yogurt.

 Add dry ingredients, blending until smooth.

 Pour into prepared 6-cup pan filling 3/4 full and tap gently on counter to release air bubbles.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean,

shielding top of cake during last 10 minutes of baking time with foil to prevent over browning.

 Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.

To serve, top with a dusting of powdered sugar, or drizzle / brush with glaze.

Almond Glaze:

🐝 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

🐝 1 /2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

🐝 3 – 4 tablespoons milk to thin to desired consistency

🐝 1/2 tsp almond extract

To make glaze:

Whisk melted butter in the powdered sugar, along with milk and extract until smooth,  adding milk 1 tablespoon at a time to thin to desired consistency.

Use a pastry brush to completely glaze cake, highlighting cake pan design. Allow glaze to set.

A few tips for baking success:

🐝 For accurate measuring of flour, fluff your flour from the canister or bag and then spoon into your measuring cup so it’s overflowing, then level off with the edge of a knife. Scooping flour directly from the bag or canister will yield a heavier cup and larger amount that can negatively affect your recipes. –> see this video.

🐝 Oven temperatures vary, depending on brand, age, whether electric or gas, and it’s not unusual for an oven to run 25 – 50 degrees hotter or colder. Using an oven thermometer is the best way to insure your oven temperature is accurate. Also, make sure you preheat your oven long enough, at least 20 minutes.

🐝 Err on the side of caution when baking a new recipe and test for doneness on the early side. Towards the end of baking time, loosely cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil to prevent the top from overbrowning before the center bakes through.

🐝 This cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before adding glaze and serving.

Details:

Bee Skep Cookie Jar / Kate Williams for Global Design Connections

Bee Table Runner

Bee Cake Plate / Matceramica, HomeGoods, several years ago

Certified International Bee Sweet Honey Pot and Tea Bag Holders 

Plates / Michel Design Works Honey & Clover

Carafe / Circleware Garden Gate Honey Bee

Forks / Wallace Napoleon Bee 

Bee Pillow Cover

Bee-themed Dinnerware

Bee-themed Baking Pans

*Buzz* over to join my Pam and Kitty for Tea:

Pam at Everyday Living

Kitty at Kitty’s Kozy Kitchen

Pam and I are sharing our love of tea with a special giveaway post

in celebration of our second year anniversary

of Tea on Tuesdays on next Tuesday, July 23rd.

We hope you stop back by and join us for a giveaway!

Thank you for your visit, sharing at:

 Between Naps on the Porch