Dreamy Recipes for the Best Cottagecore Tea Party

The combination of our “Garden Focaccia bread” and “Sunny Orange Cake” turned out to be a true Cottagecore dream for our garden-themed Tea Party. We wanted it to have good flavors that you will remember for a long time, as well as that splendid look that you can only find on Pinterest.

Both these recipes were new to us, and we knew before we chose this lovely combination for our tea party, that we wanted something special that we hadn’t tried making before. Both recipes take a little time but are so worth it in the end. You don’t have to make them on the same day.

The orange cake was originally published in “The Sunshine Magazine”. (We can highly recommend their recipes). It requires a food processor as the whole orange is used, peels, and everything (not the seeds though). Also, using organic Naval oranges is the best choice as you want them to be as free from pesticides as possible.

The Focaccia is an easy sort of bread that once you have a basic recipe can customize however you want. Your imagination is the limit. For decorative inspiration, we suggest you check out Pinterest. We based the Focaccia bread we made on a recipe published by Gimme Some Oven. Check out the amazing recipes there!

Jump directly to our dreamy recipes:

Garden Focaccia Bread – Recipe

You will need:

• 1 & 1/3 Cup warm water (110 F)
• 2 tsp. Sugar or Honey
• 1 pack of dry yeast
• 3 & 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 tsp Sea Salt (preferably the flaky one)
• Fresh Rosemary, or any vegetables you want for decoration
  (the sky is the limit for your inspiration)

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Directions:

Part 1: Heat the water, it should not boil. Add Sugar (or Honey) and the Yeast.
Let this mixture proof for a few minutes.
Gradually add the Flour, Olive Oil, and Salt to the yeast mixture, while kneading it for about 5 minutes.

Let it rise: Make a ball of the dough. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave it in a warm location for 45-60 minutes. (It should double in size.)

Let it rise again: Place the dough on a floured flat surface. Flatten it to a 1/2-inch thick circular shape. Cover it again and let it rise for an extra 20 minutes.

Prepare to bake: Turn the oven to 400 F. Transfer the dough to either a prepared baking tray or a baking dish of the desired size. (9×13 inch is recomendable) With your fingers, make deep dents over the whole surface. Drizzle 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the Focaccia, and sprinkle it with Salt, and the fresh Rosemary needles. Bake at 400 F, until slightly golden for about 20 minutes.

If you decide to make an artsy topping, you can use, different colored peppers, olives, tomatoes, cilantro, and green onion, among many herbal options. You can find more inspiration on Pinterest.

ENJOY!

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Sunny Orange Cake – Recipe (using a whole Orange)

You will need:

A food processor in addition to the ingredients below.

For the Cake:

• 6 Tbsp unsalted Butter (room temperature)
• 2 Large Eggs (room temperature)
• 1/4 Cup Milk, or Yogurt (also at room temperature)
• 1 Orange (Best is a Navel Orange)
• 1 & 1/2 Cups Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 3/4 Cup Sugar

For the Glaze:

• 1 Tbsp Orange zest + 4 Tsp Juice
• 3/4 Cups Powdered Sugar
• Desired Garnish (We used slices of Oranges and Peppermint leaves.)

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Directions:

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 F.
Butter a round pan (8 inches wide)
Place a sized cut parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, that you also butter.
It seems odd at first, but we believe this will help it get a nice crispy surface when baked.

Begin with the Orange: Wash the Orange well as you are going to use it with the peel on.
Trim the ends of the Orange, and cut it into 1-inch-sized slices. Remove any seeds.
With the peal on, pulse the slices in the food processor. (You need 3/4 Cups of pulp)
Set the Pulp aside while you prepare the rest of the mix.

Prepare the Batter: In a small bowl, combine Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt.
(Evenly mix these dry ingredients) and add later.

In a bigger bowl: With a handheld mixer, beat the soft room-tempered Butter until light and fluffy,
add Sugar, and beat some more. (Make sure it is combined.)

Add the Eggs (one at a time) and mix until combined.
Add the Yogurt, and mix until JUST combined.

Add half of the Flour mixture, and all of the Orange Pulp, with the rest of the Flour.
MIX UNTIL JUST COMBINED.

Prepare for Baking: Pour the batter into the cake pan.
(Tap the pan against the counter to remove any bubbles.)
Bake for 35 – 40 minutes. (Check with a toothpick).

Let cool down for a few minutes before you flip the cake to a drying rack.
Cool down completely before you add the glaze.

Let’s make the glaze: Mix Orange zest and powdered sugar. Add 2 tsp juice and stir until combined.
Add more juice if the glaze is too thick, or more powdered sugar if it’s too thin.
(The glaze should be thick, but a little drippy)

Prepare for success: Add the glaze on top of the cake. Spread it out so that it drips a little bit over the edges. Before you serve the cake, add any eventual garnishes, but remove them if you plan to store the cake for another day. The orange slices make the cake a little bit soggy if you leave them.

ENJOY!