GORGEOUS TANGERINE-VANILLA TEA CAKES FROM TUTTI DOLCI…

I found this TUTTI-DOLCI website and recipe on Pinterest and just had to share it with you all.

‘Citrus sweets are among my favorites when I need a lift – the bright zest and juice awakens the palate and invigorates the senses. These tangerine-vanilla tea cakes almost sing out “Spring!” to me, light from whipped egg whites and dipped in a tangerine-flecked glaze.’, says Laura the writer of Tutti-Dolci who started her site in late 2010 as a space to record her baking experiments. Over countless bowls of butter and sugar the site has grown into a creative outlet that combines her passions for baking, dessert, writing and photography.

Definitely a site to keep in your favourites and pop by for inspiration.

Tangerine-Vanilla Tea Cakes
Adapted from Cooking Light
Tea Cakes
2 cups cake flour*
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp tangerine zest
1/4 cup fresh tangerine juice
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp tangerine zest
2 Tbsp fresh tangerine juice
Tangerine slices, for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F and spray two 12-cup standard muffin pans with nonstick spray. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, and beat until combined; beat in vanilla and tangerine zest. Combine tangerine juice and buttermilk in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat just until combined. Add buttermilk mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture.
Using an electric hand mixer with clean and dry beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean bowl at high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, carefully fold egg whites into the cake batter in 2 additions. Spoon batter evenly into cups and bake 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool the tea cakes for 2 minutes in the pans on a wire rack, then carefully remove from pans and place them on the wire rack to cool completely.
To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, tangerine zest, and juice in a small bowl. Set rack with tea cakes over a piece of wax paper and dip tops of each cake into glaze; let glaze set before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
*Make your own cake flour: place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in an empty 1-cup measure, then top up with flour. Sift the mixture several times to evenly distribute the cornstarch.