MILK AND HONEY TEA CAKE

Steps:

• For the tea cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt and tea leaves. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, almond milk, sugar and vanilla.
• Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Whisk the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped egg whites, a little at a time, until all of the egg whites are incorporated and the batter is fluffy. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and gently smooth the top.
• Bake until the cake is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow the cake to cool slightly while you prepare the milk syrup.
• For the milk syrup: In a large saucepan, combine the almond milk, condensed milk, salt and tea leaves; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
• Use a fork or wooden skewer to poke 30 to 40 holes all over the top of the cake. Slowly pour the milk syrup over the surface of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the cake to absorb the cream.
• For the honey-lemon whipped cream: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey and lemon zest. Use a spatula or spoon to gently spread the yogurt over the top of the cake.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with candy fruit slices if desired.