There’s something truly magical about pairing tea-infused desserts with a refreshing iced tea. The balance of warm, aromatic notes in a cake with the crisp, fruity essence of a chilled tea creates an experience worth savouring. Today, we’re sharing a delightful combination: Berry Glazed Earl Grey Tea Cake paired with Sweet Peach Iced Tea—a match made in tea heaven!

Why Tea & Dessert Pairings Work

Tea and desserts complement each other in unique ways. The tannins in tea balance the sweetness of baked goods, while their natural flavours enhance one another. Pairing the right tea with a dessert can elevate both elements, making each bite and sip more enjoyable.

The Dessert: Berry Glazed Earl Grey Tea Cake

This tender, flavourful cake is infused with Supreme Earl Grey, featuring black tea, citrusy bergamot, and a hint of floral elegance. The richness of the cake is beautifully contrasted by a vibrant berry glaze, creating a dessert that is both indulgent and refreshing.

Recipe: Berry Glazed Earl Grey Tea Cake by Elise Pulbrook

Cake Ingredients:

• 220g sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 200g natural yoghurt

• 5 tbsp bergamot-infused olive oil

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 tbsp Supreme Earl Grey tea

• 200g melted butter

• 250g plain flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp baking powder

Method:

1. Blitz the sugar and eggs in a food processor until smooth.

2. Add the yoghurt, infused olive oil, and vanilla extract. Blitz to combine.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz until just combined (less than 3 seconds).

4. Pour into a lined cake tin and bake at 180°C for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin.

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup strawberries, mashed

• 2 blackberries, mashed

• 3/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Method:

1. Mash the strawberries and blackberries together in a bowl until you have a chunky puree.

2. Sift the icing sugar into the puree and mix until smooth.

3. Drizzle the glaze over your cake and let it set before serving.

A refreshing glass of Sweet Peach Iced Tea perfectly complements the richness of the cake. Its naturally sweet, fruity notes bring a light and refreshing contrast to the buttery texture of the dessert.

For the best results, we recommend using the Tea Drop Tea Maker to brew your Sweet Peach Iced Tea effortlessly. For detailed brewing instructions, visit our Sweet Peach Tea page to learn more.

The next time you’re hosting an afternoon tea or looking for a special treat, try pairing a tea-infused dessert with a complementary iced tea. The Berry Glazed Earl Grey Tea Cake and Sweet Peach Iced Tea combination is sure to impress, offering a symphony of flavours in every bite and sip.

Cheers to tea, cake, and perfect pairings!

Indulge with our Supreme Earl Grey tea!

Our peppermint tea is a premium hand-crafted blend using only the freshest peppermint leaves. It has been packed in small batches to maintain superior flavour and freshness. Taste the difference with Tea Drop today!

Whilst we say 3pm time is tea time, often you find that certain teas, just like all beverages, are better suited to be consumed at different times of the day. There are no hard rules when it comes to drinking tea, that’s why tea is so much fun to explore. Some teas will work better in the morning than others. You may also find that some teas work better in the afternoon after having your lunch meal. There are also teas made to be drunk in the evening because they are able to enhance sleep.  So what tea should you drink at what time?

Morning 

In the morning when you wake up, your stomach is empty, so you want something that can help manage your stomach’s pH levels. You may want to try out white tea as it offers a great way to ease yourself into the day with reduced amounts of caffeine - a perfect early morning tea. 

For those who want something that gives more of a punch, a black tea might suit you better. It contains about half the amount of caffeine you would get from a cup of coffee. You may want to start with a traditional English Breakfast tea - a great way to kick-start your morning. 

What about Mid-Morning?

You probably have heard the phrase “Green Tea O’clock.” If you are looking for something to brighten your day, you want to drink green tea. It is a perfect choice for the mid-morning hours when you need increased concentration and focus. This tea not only tastes great, but it also helps with your brain function. 

Green tea is very popular because it features a milder flavour compared to most teas. If you are looking to fight off the growls before lunch, a Japanese style Sencha or Genmaicha is going to suppress your appetite until lunch time. With lower levels of caffeine compared to Black Tea,  it is going to spruce you up without having a crazy buzzing feeling.

And for Lunch Time...

When it comes to drinking tea during lunchtime, you can opt for Peppermint tea. A tea which is a winner at all times of the day but perfect for lunchtime. It's easy to serve and readily available in most food and beverage outlets, and also helps refresh your taste buds. 

Afternoon Tea

After lunch, you will probably want a drink that is going to do away with the sugar cravings you may have. Lemongrass Ginger is an ideal tea to have, as it helps reduce bloating whilst aiding with digestion. 

Going Early Evening!

If you are looking for something you can drink early in the evening, try out Rooibos tea. This tea is delicious and offers you the flavour you need for a delicious drink. Rooibos is caffeine-free, offering you a great alternative to the non-caffeinated drinks. The South African red herb brings with its flavours of Vanilla and Caramel making it so delicious. It’s great for tea enthusiasts needing alcohol free beverage options – cold or hot, and rich in antioxidants. 

For Bed Time?

When it comes to bedtime, you need a tea for sleep. So, you want to consider Chamomile tea, one of the most popular teas to help relax. It is soothing, calming, and offers you a perfect way to get to bed. When you add Lavender and Rose, you get all the good stuff you need to set you up for that good night’s sleep. 

So, these are some of the teas that you can drink at different hours of the day or night. Something to mention here is that because everyone has varying caffeine requirements and sensitivity, this tea-drinking guide serves as your starting point. You can experiment and develop your own guide as you discover what tea works best for you at what time. The idea is; tea is a great choice and a fun way to explore your world. It’s affordable. You can enjoy it anytime, anywhere – whether on your sofa in the comfort of your home or even on your desk at the workplace.  

Want to explore different varieties and types of tea you can drink at different times of the day? Tea Drop offers you a huge collection of tea. Explore our range now.

Pu Erh tea, pronounced “poo-air”, originates from the Yunnan Province of China and named after the town of Pu Erh where the tea was first cultivated. It still comes from the plant Camellia sinesis but has a completely different processing method and taste to other tea types. It is known to be a tea full of benefits both to the palate and body. Explore and buy Pu Er tea.

The Process

Cultivated from a larger leaf strain of camellia sinensis “Dayeh”. These ancient tea trees with matured leaves are known to be between 500 and 1000 years old. These trees are grown in pleasant regions and can be harvested all year-round, but some experts say the best time to harvest is mid-spring.

There are two types of Pu-erh teas: Raw Pu-erh (Sheng) and Ripe Pu-erh (Shou).

The raw Pu Erh method is made from green tea leaves that are processed in the green tea method. Then the dried tea is compressed into cakes and balls and then aged in a dark location, often for many years. During this time the tea undergoes a form of oxidation caused by the growth of yeast on the tea. The tea is lighter and bright yellow when brewed. The leaves are dark green when dry and boast a mild, slight sweet after taste flavour profile.

The ripe Pu Erh method is made from black tea leaves and is processed the same as raw Pu Erh until the compressing stage. The ripe Pu Erh goes through a process called piling, where the leaves are placed in piles of 25 to 30 inches in height. The leaves are then sprayed with water and covered with a linen cloth which increases the speed of oxidation and changes the colour and flavour of the tea. This tea has a deep amber colour when brewed.

The aging process allows the Pu Erh teas to improve with age like fine wine and is said to retain their freshness for up to fifty years.

Taste 

Conditions and environmental factors can influence the flavour profile of pu-erh tea. Smooth, fruity, peaty, grassy, musky, herbal and earthy are the flavour characteristics of this delightful tea.

Best times to drink 

Pu Erh tea has caffeine and by drinking a cup in the morning or early afternoon, can help increase energy levels. If maintaining weight loss goals, the best time to consume a cup will be one hour after a meal.

How to brew

This tea is traditionally brewed at a higher temperature and can be steeped multiple times to experience the different flavour profiles of the tea.

1. Preheat your teapot and all utensils by swirling with a little hot water and discard. This is to ensure your tea steeps precisely at the proper temperature and use the right amount of water for brewing.
2. Place 5g of Pu Erh loose leaf in tea pot.
3. Rinse the leaves by pouring a little hot water over them, swirl, and discard this "wash". This removes any small pieces of debris and coaxes the leaves to unfurl to be ready for steeping.
4. Fill the teapot with 350ml hot water at 95 to 100 Celsius. Do not use boiling hot water as it can result in bitter flavours.
5. The steeping time of a Pu-erh tea is generally 1 to 2 minutes. If you want to experience the different flavour profiles of the tea, you can brew the tea up to 3 times. 1st brew - 2 mins, 2nd brew - 3 mins, and 3rd brew - 4 mins.

Pu Erh Tea Benefits

Along with a wide range of flavours and varieties, just one cup of Pu Erh can boost your overall health – but how?  Here’s the breakdown of Pu Erh Tea benefits:

• Supporting your digestion — Regarded by some as a “functional food”, it is excellent after a meal to help with digestion. Believed to encourage bowel movement, this tea may even aid with relieving constipation. Being lightly fermented, it is also said to provide a helpful boost to your overall digestive system health.
• Encouraging improved blood circulation — Full of antioxidants, drinking Pu-erh regularly can act to support your blood in absorbing and carrying more oxygen around the body and to all our organs.
• Aiding in mitigating migraines and headaches — By offering a calming and relaxing effect paired with its role in encouraging optimal blood circulation and its obvious hydrating powers, this tea is a great choice for those who suffer from painful headaches.
• Reducing free radicals — Also due to its antioxidant content, Pu-erh tea can assist in our bodies’ fight to control and limit free radicals and their damaging effects.
• Losing weight — If you are working on shaking off a few extra kilos, then add drinking Pu-erh tea to your healthy diet and exercise routine. Some studies have indicated that this tea plays a role in reducing your bodies’ ability to synthesize fatty acids, which would help in your dieting effort.
• Lowering your cholesterol level — While this claim is still not scientifically proven, some early studies have shown that Pu-erh tea contains small amounts of lovastatin (a chemical found in prescription medicine used to lower cholesterol). Created during the fermentation process, more research needs to be done to definitively prove this health benefit of drinking this tea.
• Increase Energy – Due to the caffeine in this tea, drinking a cup can increase your energy levels and help you focus and get through the day. 

Go Pu Erh tea

Unearth the new flavours, taste the difference, and discover the joy that drinking Pu Erh brings to your energy, mood, and health. This fermented and aged tea is one for the true tea connoisseurs. So, buy Pu Erh tea today.