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Monday, July 8, 2013

Orange Tea Cake with Currants & Earl Grey Glaze

Orange Tea Cake with Earl Grey Glaze
A slice of cake and a big cup of tea. That's what I need right now. And this really is the perfect kind of tea cake; a light and soft orange sponge cake, dotted with currants and drenched in Earl Grey-infused condensed milk. Not too heavy and not too sweet, just the way I love my cakes. I needed a piece to go along with the rant that is about to happen here. If you prefer to start your Monday with sunshine and puppies, now would be a VERY good time to click away from this post.
Orange Tea Cake with Earl Grey Glaze
If you follow me on twitter you might have noticed my tweet about the striking similarities between my 2-year-old Tim Tam Cake and a 'Timtastic' Cake that is featured in an Australian food magazine and website this month. The recipes are slightly different and there is no copyright infringement of any sort.
Orange Tea Cake with Earl Grey Glaze
I don't usually make a big deal about copycats. I am not a fan of dramaz on teh internetz. The internet is a very big place with a lot of incredibly creative people who are bound to come up with similar ideas every now and then. I'm sure that I've made recipes that other people have already written about, but I ALWAYS, ALWAYS put every effort into crediting the source of my recipes or inspirations. I know a lot of people suck at giving proper credit online, but I try my best.
Orange Tea Cake with Earl Grey Glaze
Edit: Of course people are taking my rant out of context and kicking up drama, which I hate. I really don't want to spend any time defending myself for being sad about this. So I would just like to state the fact that I am in no way claiming ownership over the idea of a 'Tim Tam Cake'. I just think this particular version looked incredibly similar. It could just be a coincidence. I'll just leave it at that. Oh and I'll leave Molly up :)

Orange Tea Cake with Earl Grey Glaze
Orange Sponge Cake with Currants and Earl-Grey Infused Condensed Milk Glaze
(adapted from this Taste of Home recipe, serves 8-10)
5 eggs, separated and at room temperature
160g (about 1 1/4 cups) plain/all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup (75g) sugar + 1/2 cup (115g) sugar, preferably caster/superfine
Juice and grated zest of one orange
40g (about 3tbsp) butter, melted and cooled slightly
Optional: 1/2 cup currants
For the glaze: 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk and 2 tsp (about 2 tea bags) Earl Grey Tea

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) (180°C (350°F)(you may need to adjust to 170°C (340° F) for fan-forced). Grease and line a 20-22cm round springform tin with baking paper. Sift flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Place egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high until slightly thickened. Gradually add 1/3 cup of sugar, beating well until thick and pale, about 10 minutes. Beat in juice and zest, then use a spatula to fold in flour mixture until just combined. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk egg whites on high with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, then gradually add 1/2 sugar and beat until thick and glossy stiff peaks form. Stir 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then fold the remaining egg white mixture in. Finally, fold in the melted butter until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared tin, you can cut through the batter with a knife to remove any large air bubbles, I also gave the tin a gently rap on the counter. Sprinkle currants over the top of the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the centre of the cake springs back quickly when lightly touched and the outside is golden brown. While cake is baking prepare the glaze; place condensed milk and loose tea leaves in a small saucepan over low heat and stir well for about 10 minutes, until condensed milk has been infused with the flavour of the tea. Strain mixture to remove the large tea leaves. When cake is ready, remove from oven and cool in tin for 5 minutes and then carefully turn out and cool on a wire rack. While cake is still warm, drizzle a thin layer of glaze over the top of the cake. This will stop the currants from going crunchy. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
Orange Tea Cake with Earl Grey Glaze

31 comments:

  1. Sigh, I see so much of your stuff around without credits and get upset for you (and to anyone else that it happens to). You deserve to rant and I hope people hear you loud and clear!! *hugs... lovely cake on the other hand though! Perfect with that cuppa.

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  2. How many ads do I need to click on to sponsor you a pound of butter?? ;) Great well-deserved rant!

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  3. Girl, u kno I feel u. You're one of the good ones. Blogs are becoming too important for magazines to ~TAKE INSPIRATION~ from and get away with it these days. I have some contacts for Good Taste so if you want a more direct line send me an email and I'll hook you up.

    Your cake looks very, very nice. :~)

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  4. Ps. I think Good Taste / Taste.com.au have some affiliation with the judging of the Voices of 2013 comp? Hahahahehehehelololol ahh.

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  5. I love all your original cake creations and I wouldn't be surprised if whoever did the Timtastic cake was probably inspired by your blog and if so proper credit should be given! A magazine like that should know better too.

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  6. Scream and yell to the rooftops! That is SO ANNOYING! Your cake/dessert creations seriously make my day since they're so unique, so if someone posted a 'timtastic cake' that looks almost exactly like yours....it probably is. EFF THEM!

    On a happier note, this cake looks fantastic! Especially that infused condensed milk!

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  7. :( poo that really sucks when people don't credit your work, I see your stuff floating around tumblr every now and then.. wish magazines wouldn't take credit for your inventive work!

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  8. Shame on that magazine! What a scam.
    Honestly, I'm surprised- most of the blogs that steal your ideas/pictures are probably not making money, but a major magazine? It makes me upset just thinking about it- rant on!
    On the bright side, your Tim Tam cake looks much tastier, and your photos "not worth getting excited about" blow all of their copy-cats away. (And your photos get me... um... excited. Or slobbery. So there!)
    Another plus- this gives you an excuse to have an extra slice of this lovely cake. Emotional support and all. *hugs

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  9. Hey Stephanie,

    Great rant, I know it probably feels icky but it really needed to be said. I came across their version of your recipe on the taste.com.au page a couple of days ago and was thinking 'hey, that's awesome - the Tim Tam recipe has been picked up!'. It was great to see someone had commented on the post sticking up for you though, that must make you feel good.

    Unfortunately, Woolies do not have a great reputation when it comes to stealing original content from people, it's one of the many reasons I refuse to give them my business.

    Hang in there, we love your work!
    Erin.

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  10. Argh this makes me sad and angry to see all your hard work being copied without any credit to you. The other day on the Sydney Morning Herald I saw a photo gallery of cakes which featured your gummy bear cake and purple ombre sprinkles cake - they were able to credit the purple ombre cake to you but the gummy bear one was just credited to Pinterest!

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  11. oh no! when will people learn to given credit to people for their hard work?!?! but i think youre entitledto a few more slices of cake! this cake sounds and looks devine! earl grey glaze!!!

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  12. I am sorry this has happened to you Stephanie, your rant was utterly justified. I have left a comment on the Taste.com.au page.

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  13. Just want to say Steph that Im planning to make a version of YOUR TimTam cake for my husbands birthday this month and if anyone asks me for the recipe I will be directing them to YOUR website. I know it could be a coincidence but its an odd one, and I would be pretty annoyed too but you come up with fantastically original ideas and obviosly if its not a coincidence, the team at mentioned magazine have to resort to trolling food blogs for inspiration or rip offs! At the end of the day us readers can jump on the net for your blog insteas of buying their overpriced mags...
    Keep creating!
    Lia

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  14. That makes me sad to hear as well. I've seen plagiarism ruin the experience of many great things from books and now to cooking. Your Tim Tam cake was actually the first recipe I tried from your blog. I couldn't make spongecake, but took it to a Friday night drinks when I was leaving a place of work last year, and it was a huge hit. Since then, you are my go-to place for creative desserts. And now I will certainly be telling everyone I know who came in contact with the Tim Tam cake who the definite real creator is.

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  15. I actually cannot believe how average theirs looks compared to yours.
    I made this for my brother in law's birthday earlier this year and everyone was amazed at how much it looked like and tasted like a tim tam!
    I adore your recipes and you're always my go-to girl for amazing ideas.
    You make me want to start a baking blog, but you'd put me to shame - thanks for your never ending amazingness...word??!!! Screw the "non-acknowledgers" - the people who matter know who you are!

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  16. SO. NOT. COOL. If it was a just the most spectacular coincidence then they should and would get in contact just to go on record and say hey, we didn't do anything. But staying silent amongst the criticisms and comments, well sorry, but that's just incriminating them more.

    It totally feels like shit to see someone else rip off your ideas. It's even more shit when it's a magazine, tv show or cookbook and worse still when they print and publish it. I definitely feel your pain and though it's not gonna change the situation, a good whole rant does help a little. The bottom line for everyone to remember is YOU DID IT FIRST. So suck on that Good Taste magazine!

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  17. We'll all always know that only you could create the real Tim Tam cake Steph :)
    And you're totally allowed to have a rant. Nothing like a good rant on a Monday when you don't really want to be at work anyway!
    I was going to mention about the reference to your Purple Ombre Sprinkles cake on SMH, but somebody already mentioned it above. Although I didn't realise they also included your gummy bear cake and didn't credit you :(
    That purple ombre sprinkles cake is what got me hooked on your blog!

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  18. great combination of flavors and yet simple everyday ingredients.
    Thats a winner.
    If i can ask, what lens was used on your camera?

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  19. ugh, that is awful :(

    on a happier note, this orange tea cake looks & sounds delish

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  20. thanks for using the earl grey! It seems like a super easy cake to whip up =)
    I have a quick question though. I made an apple crumble cake the other day and the middle sunk in quite a bit. I think i went a bit heavy on the crumble. If you put a couple currants on the cake, how much would it sink in?

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  21. That is not cool that they ripped off your Tim Tam cake and didn't give you any credit. That makes me sad too as I really love all your original dessert creations and think you deserve credit for all your hard work.
    This cake looks beautiful as always and just want you to know that your readers know how much work you put into your creations and really appreciate that you share all your masterpieces with us :)

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  22. Nono, you have every right to be outraged by it. It's such a spectacular idea and you've put in so much time, effort and love into. Of course, it's natural to feel pissed off. I would've prolly done more than Molly did in that GIF haha.

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  23. I'm soooooo sorry this happend to you! But i can say, with us in the Netherlands in Europe is there no one that makes cakes like you do! I love it when there's a message from you! A new cake to make! Like this one....i love orange and tea and now they're combined! That's super! Thank you for sharing and for what it's worth....Keep your head high! You've done nothing wrong! Have a nice day! Byebye. :-)

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  24. ugh ugh UGHGHHHHH I feel angry at them FOR YOU! omfg can people not just credit others on their ideas!? it doesn't detract from them, it would actually show that they're more involved in what's happening in the blogging world and acknowledge that bloggers should be credited too, which would earn them so many brownie points with people! Whenever I see people blatantly stealing my ideas I get so upset (espesh if they're making money out of it!), it's not right at all and I have to calm down for like a week before trying to contact that person or else I think I would make their computer explode from the fire-death-rays I'm sending them from my soul. What makes it more annoying is how un-protectable recipes are from copy cats, it's so hard to claim it unless it's literally been copy + pasted :(. Anywho, I'm sending you hugs and, if you were in the UK, I would make you a cup of tea and some cookies :) <3 xx

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    1. Hahaha 'fire-death-rays I'm sending them from my soul' totally cracked me up, you are awesome <3

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  25. I totally get why you're upset about this. Food blogs are not the only ones being robbed of their great recipes. There is a very big interior design magazine here in Germany that has repeatedly stolen photos and unique ideas from bloggers.
    I don't think blogs are appreciated enough by other media. I don't think they fully grasp the importance and impact blogs have these days. Stealing from blogs is still stealing.

    xo Julia

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  26. Looks amazing! <3

    Totally understand your frustrating. Keep doing what you're doing. xx I enjoy all your posters.

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  27. How frustrating for you. It seems the general media see bloggers original content as a free for all. As much as I love your beautiful photos being watermark free, maybe you should consider it. Dailylife etc. don't seem to care about sourcing for correct credit. It really isn't that hard to do a reverse search using google images. It's what I do when I find something that I need or want more info on and I'm not all that tech savvy.

    Sandy K

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  28. Just made this cake and quick suggestion for people who are going to make it - 1/2 cup currants was far too many for my 21cm tin - I would stick to around 1/4 next time. Also, although the cake was cooked perfectly, the currants ended up being a bit burnt, so maybe put them on after the cake has been in the over for a little bit?

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    1. Just had a slice or 2 and it is perfect!!! I had some leftover thickened cream (from making the Brown Butter Cake with Vanilla Bean Icing and Salted Caramel) so I infused that with Earl Grey tea (instead of condensed milk) and added a little bit of sugar and it was delicious.

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