Vanilla-Jasmine-Sour Cream Tea Cake

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla-jasmine loose tea leaves*
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, mint sprig

Preparation

1. Stir together first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and granulated sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream, beating until well blended.
3. Sift together 1 1/4 cups flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in vanilla. Spoon half of batter into a greased and floured 9-inch cake pan. Sprinkle evenly with 2/3 cup brown sugar mixture; spoon remaining half of batter evenly over brown sugar mixture in pan; sprinkle evenly with remaining brown sugar mixture.
4. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack; garnish, if desired.
5. *1 tablespoon Bigelow French Vanilla tea leaves may be substituted.
6. Note: For testing purposes only, we used The Tea Room's Vanilla Jasmine Tea for the cake.