Tea leaves, herbs, and flowers bloom in hot water, transforming in the glass pot. A rustic cornmeal cake, warm out of the oven, sits on the counter—scenting the room with fresh thyme and Meyer lemons. The fully bloomed tea leaves create a golden elixir to be poured over drinking crystals, honey, or sugar cubes in a translucent tea cup. A slice of cake, still warm, is slipped onto on a plate, on top which melts a pat of salted butter melts drizzled with whipped honey.
The first sip, the first bite—this is restoration. This moment to yourself is practicing the art of slow living.
An hour devoted, even once a week, to making a pot of tea and baking simple quick bread does wonders for the spirit and reminds you that you always have time for yourself, if you choose to make it.
Tea time is restorative in so many ways. Brewing the tea is meditative—I love using glass teapots because watching the tea bloom is beautiful (especially if the blend has bits of flowers in it!) Plants have been used as medicine for many generations across cultures, and some of our modern medicines are still derived from these plants. Most teas have beneficial healing properties, and making & drinking them is meditative medicine, a healing ritual that we all have access to.
Add a bit of homemade cake to your tea, and you can create a moment that acts an oasis, even in the middle of a busy week. I love quick breads for the simple reason that they live up to their name; this baking doesn’t clash with busy. Even if you have little ones running around, quick breads are a perfect treat to make because they can easily help. Dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another. Stir. Pour into the pan, and done. When you use a baking scale to measure, you’ll have only three dirty dishes: those two bowls and the pan, so clean up is also a snap. I describe this cornmeal, lemon, thyme bread as a marriage between cornbread and cake. It’s lightly sweet with a tender crumb that resembles cornmeal, without being too coarse. I use a finely ground cornmeal for this, but a coarser grind will create a more rustic texture.
Find this glass tea set (kettle, cup, and tea pot) as well as the mixing bowls and stoneware loaf pan & tons of other gorgeous gifts for tea lovers (and just about anyone else on your list) over at Kaufmann Mercantile.
Ingredients
- 125 grams all purpose flour
- 125 grams finely ground cornmeal flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (roughly chopped)
- zest of 2 Meyer lemons (regular lemons can also be used)
- juice of 1 Meyer lemon
- 125 grams olive oil
- 250 grams buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350° F and grease a loaf pan or spray with organic cooking spray. In one bowl combine the flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, thyme, and lemon zest.
- In a second bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients until completely the mixture has a uniform consistency.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently, just until no dry bits remain. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean (with no wet batter on it). Let cool for about ten minutes, slice, and serve with salted butter & whipped honey.
This delightful little cake is infused with so many lovely flavours! I absolutely love the lemon + thyme mix!
Such inspiring words and photos to make sure to slow down the day a bit.
Will give the cake a try for sure, sounds so lovely! Also I totally feel the same as you about tea! x
really nice pot and cups!
“Add a bit of homemade cake to your tea, and you can create a moment that acts an oasis, even in the middle of a busy week.”
I’m finding this so, so important right now! This time of the year gets so horrendous so quickly if you don’t put the effort into self care! Also just got a glass teapot – WOW!
Oh my dear! You are such an artist! It is a real pleasure to find every of your new posts in my computer. Lovely tea and lovely cake!
Happy holidays from Buenos Aires!!!
Hugs,
Marisa
I’ve actually been eyeing these beautiful tea wares. My husband and I love tea time… Some days I feel like we are living for it: time where we get to slow down and enjoy the simple things…
My teatime is a ritual I will never miss and almost all ways with some homemade cake.
It makes me feel warm and quiet. Love the beautiful backlight pictures.
Tea is something I really didn’t have much time for – I didn’t get the fuss, despite being English, I’d rather have a coffee.
Whenever I went for afternoon tea, I’d always love the tea that was served, it was so flavoursome and delicious. I realised it was the effect of loose leaf tea versus tea bags when I went to an event that did a taste comparison.
So I have now got a little tea infuser, so I can make individual cups of tea, but I also need to get a tea pot too for when people come over, as tea and cake is a wonderful thing.
I’m a convert and I’m also lusting over your glass/pyrex kettle, these pictures are divine. Thank you for sharing!
Huh, Beth, not wanting to be really annoying but… how do I measure my liquid ingredients in grams? This cake is really right up my alley – I mean, I’m the queen of stuffing her own face in cornbread, so… – but I have no idea how to measure buttermilk or olive oil in grams, only in litres!! Ands I must, because I must really bake this cake!! Heeeeelp!
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
This. Is. Gorgeous.
Beth –
I’m wondering if you’ve read anything by Patti Smith before – I am currently reading ‘M Train’ and both of your writing styles completely resonate with me and remind me of each other. I recommend you to pick up her book if you haven’t yet, I love your poetry and seek inspiration in your photos and blog posts to keep me going. Thanks for the beauty!
Becca
lemon+thym is always a good idea and i don’t talk about salted butter+honey.
seems like heaven!
i discover your blog with a great pleasure, the pictures are gorgeous.
This cake looks so lovely. I’m often running in multiple directions, but I try to take fifteen minutes a day to make myself a cup of tea and drink it at leisure. It’s fortifying, and slightly magical.
Uuuuggghhhhh…. After doing all the conversions via Google on my iPhone with the recipe pulled up on my iPad I was too lazy to look up the ratio for vinegar to milk substitute for the buttermilk (which I have done a million times!) and I added waaaaay too much vinegar….the bread is already in the oven…this might be a disaster.
Ahhhh this is just MY kind of quick bread! Slightly dense with a plethora of textures and what-is-it factors in the crumb, mmm! Love the combination of flavors Beth~and I, too, am trying to not try so hard right now. I was never one to go crazy over the holidays but due to our job that’s one of the biggest factors at this time of year, so I’m just hoping to learn balance, remember that God is my reason for celebrating, and NOT become bed-ridden like most Christmases in the past few years, haha. Hope you have a wonderful day, Beth!
Beth – I could keep on saying this forever and it still wouldn’t be enough. Your writing is ineffable.
I went to university in the UK and while I was there I definitely learned a lot about tea time and came to love going for tea and cake and their culture of cozying up with a pot of tea. I haven’t had restorative me time in ages- thank you for the reminder <3
I love anything with cornmeal. I have to try this! I feel as if I’m in your kitchen and can almost taste it! Your talents are many, and thank you for sharing them with us!
Just made this yesterday on my day off. Really relaxing to put together (and easy – I googled the measurements to make sure I did it properly) and it was absolutely delicious and really hit the spot, especially with my tea. I sat at my table with my cake and tea watching the snow fall. Great recipe.
This cake is beautiful..light, fluffy yet not dry, not too sweet.. my little girl (3.5yrs) and I just baked this. Being Irish, tea and (often) cake is an essential part of the day, it’s an easy resolution to adopt, do it, just do it. Our slices were smothered in raspberry jam, washed down with a big pot of tea..life is good.
i wanna eat them cake yall!
I have a Soap Party happening this Saturday and I made your cake to celebrate the Thyme soap, and the Thyme healing balm. I love cornmeal and have made many olive oil and cornmeal cakes over the years but I ejoyed the addition of the thyme and the honey butter as the final touch. A Very lovely choice Thank you.
Where could I get that beautiful bread pan? Please and thank you!
I found it in a little shop in London!
Delicious combination! Have you tried replacing the buttermilk with a non-dairy milk and if it is successful? Would appreciate greatly any feedback. Kindly 💗
I haven’t tried, but it would likely work!