hojicha tea cakes
hi my name is joyce and i have an unhealthy obsession with tiny things.
growing up, i was always scolded in korean school for squeezing the characters in each small subdivision of the square allocated for one character. english teachers painstakingly read essays i wrote with two lines squeezed into each college-ruled notebook line. in my defense, it’s to preserve the quality of my penmanship - the larger my handwriting gets the easier it is to see that it’s not actually that neat. though i’m much bigger and older, i haven’t outgrown this obsession. i just think things are more enjoyable when they’re fun-sized, especially when you’re eating! you’re able to savor each small bite and make it last much longer. my friends and family are well aware of my condition and have come to accept it over the years, even encouraging it with gifts such as tiny bowls, the cutest little salt spoons, mini cheeseboards, mini bundt and cake pans…the list goes on but i don’t want to keep you from this excellent tiny recipe.
okay okay, tl;dr:
my fun-sized fanaticism is what compelled me to convert this yogurt loaf cake recipe into tiny teacakes #sorrynotsorry. math is not my forte, but according to my calculations and rigorous scientific taste-testing, the crispy, crunchy exterior to moist, cakey inside ratio is best in mini-muffin form (if you’re still not convinced, see mini mochi muffin recipe for further evidence). i know it usually says optional for the toppings, but it really isn’t an option here or ever for my recipes - the added crunch of the turbinado sugar, toasted brown rice, and sesame seeds is a gamechanger. it also elevates any baked good from humble homemade to professional grade - bon appetit’s got my back on that.
this recipe makes about 72 mini-muffins, so conservatively speaking, they should last you 3-ish days if you limit yourself to one per hour. if you’re working from home because of the shelter in place mandate, it’s more like 2 days. good luck.
recipe adapted from bon appetit
ingredients:
wet ingredients
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
dry ingredients
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
1¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
3 tbsp loose-leaf hojicha tea leaves (or ¼ cup tea if you’re using tea from bags)
for topping, optional (kinda)
toasted brown rice
sesame seeds
turbinado sugar
instructions:
preheat oven to 325°F. grease or lightly spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
in a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
whisk eggs and sugar in your stand mixer on medium-high speed until pale and frothy (or if mixing by hand, whisk vigorously for at least one minute), then add yogurt, hojicha tea leaves, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
reduce mixer speed to medium and slowly stream in vegetable oil. once fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients from step 2 and mix until just combined.
fill each cup of the muffin tin with a scant tablespoon of batter, then tap the pan against countertop to get out any air bubbles. top each muffin with toasted brown rice, sesame seeds, and turbinado sugar for a nice crunch. place in preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly. let the cakes rest for 5 minutes before running a knife around the edges to loosen them from the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy while warm!
photography by emily lai.
