A guide to using tea for baking the most special sweets ever

Believe it or tea, tea is not an uncommon ingredient in the baking world, perhaps rare is a better word. But it is common enough to be used, as well, that too seamlessly, without altering the basic flavor of the baked goods, with its subtle flavor. You won't of course experience the tannin and the astringent taste of a freshly brewed cup of tea, but a subtle flavor will persist if prepared well. Most teas make for easy sweet recipes at home like muffins and tea cakes.

What kind of teas work?

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to this, but while baking tea has to be one of the dominant flavors. People use tea to bring out its nuanced flavors in any homemade sweets recipes like brownies, muffins, cakes, and more. In fact, the tannin in it helps dye them pretty well too!

1. Tea Bags

The easiest and the cheapest broke student hack is this one – using tea bags. The worst quality tea, with a lot of dust and some tea leaves, tends to be used in tea bags, but that doesn't mean it comes without flavor. If you have a bunch about to expire, this is one way to tea up those pouches and use its contents in baking.

2. Tea Leaves

Undoubtedly this one’s the best choice, exactly how coarse tea leaves give the best flavors when brewed. The only way to use them is to steep them well in hot water like you'd make normal tea, and use the liquid. Use it for dyeing the batter or adding flavor to your baked goodies.

3. Tea Powder

This is the second step to the tea leaves, you just grind and add them to your batter or cookie dough, depending on what you’re making. You won't have control over what happens next, if you're experimenting without a recipe, that is. But used in the correct amount, you will have perfection in your hands with the subtle flavor of tea in every bite. This will for sure taste less richer than if you use the liquid infusion of the tea leaves.

Tea Types and Flavor Pairing

Different teas offer unique flavor profiles that alter and enhance the taste and smell of different baked goods:

1. White Tea

The most subtle flavor of every tea out there is white tea, because it’s not as processed as other tea varieties out there. The antioxidant content in white tea is high which is why people drink it and to brew this tea, much cooler water is needed – 70-75°C. The steeping time is around two to three minutes to get the best of the flavor. Use this in recipes where you need a subtle flavor.

2. Black Tea

The strongest tea ever processed, it might conjure Assam tea in your mind, with its bold, robust, and malty flavor profile. Whichever brand you use, desserts containing fruits, nuts, and chocolate are worth experimenting with the addition of black tea, brewed liquid, or powdered form. You can also infuse caramel or butter for a tea-flavored kick to them.

3. Green Tea

This one’s not everyone’s cup of tea and trying it in baking is a good way to use it, in case you enthusiastically bought a pack and are reluctantly to brew a second cup now. It tends to be grassy and herbal with an astringent taste to it. You can use it in mousses, buttercream frosting, and also in plain cakes, butter cookies, and shortbreads.

How much tea is too much tea?

When adding brewed tea to a recipe, it's important to maintain the right moisture balance, so that the batter or cream doesn't become too runny or wet. For every, say, ¼ cup of brewed tea, use it as a substitute, adding a little at a time to the batter, for other other liquids (like milk or water) in the recipe by about 2-3 tablespoons.

Be Considerate of Tannins

The tannin content in tea, especially black teas, is what makes a brew bitter if steeped for too long, imagine what it can do to baked goods? Too much of it will add bitterness to them. Some tips to get this right:

1. Use lower steeping temperatures (around 80°C) and shorter steeping times, especially for black teas to reduce bitterness. Green teas and white teas can be brewed as usual.
2. Balance out the tannin with sweetness or fat in the recipe i.e., using more butter or sugar in the recipe. Taste test to know what works and what doesn’t.

It’s like we mentioned earlier, there’s a difference between putting on an original lipstick versus its knockoff brand from your local bazaar. Tea is the same too, the quality of tea significantly impacts the flavor of even the most simple sweet recipes with few ingredients. Make sure you judiciously pick your tea and also consider its freshness for maximum flavor.