Tag: Dessert by Deb

Earl Grey Tea Cake by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$6.00 for 25g

First Impressions

Earl Grey Tea Cake is a black tea blend that is part of Dessert by Deb’s Afternoon Tea Dessert Tea collection and I got it as part of the Dessert by Deb subscription box. Earl Grey Tea Cake came in a sealed, clear plastic pouch that’s resealable, with a label on the front with some information about the tea. It had a sample label, so steeping instructions were not present – but I was able to find this information on the tea’s product page located on the Dessert by Deb website.

The loose tea smells like Earl Grey with hints of lavender and honey. The bergamot is pleasant and inviting, which is one of the aspects that I enjoy about a traditional Earl Grey. Earl Grey Tea Cake consists of organic: black tea, bergamot, honey, bee pollen, Canadian maple, brown sugar, calendula petals and lavender.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Earl Grey Tea Cake in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Earl Grey Tea Cake steeps to a lovely golden orange. There’s a pleasant Earl Grey aroma – the fresh citrus notes of the bergamot and the black tea base. I can also smell the lavender and honey. Surprisingly, this twist on an Earl Grey isn’t as sweet as I expected because there’s honey, Canadian maple and brown sugar in the blend. The bergamot and lavender work well together, and there’s a nice creamy note to it that reminds me of a cream of Earl Grey blend even though vanilla isn’t in the mix. The creamy notes make me think of cupcakes! I did add a touch of honey to sweeten it, and found that it helped brighten up the lavender floral notes. A touch of evaporated milk really makes it taste like a cake with an Earl Grey twist.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Earl Grey Tea Cake and found that the flavour reminded me a lot more of a traditional Earl Grey, it’s missing the cream and honey notes, but is still pleasant. If you enjoy a classic Earl Grey, I would recommend doing a second steep of the leaves.

My Overall Impression

I loved Dessert by Deb’s Earl Grey Tea Cake. I don’t make it a secret here that I enjoy Earl Grey, and the addition of lavender really makes this one a treat! The combination of honey, Canadian maple, and brown sugar is not overpowering (surprised? I was too!), and I recommend using one of those three to sweeten your tea if you want to make it a touch sweeter. I think it would pair well with some tea cakes for sure though, if you want to set the mood.

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Coconut Maple Custard by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$9.00 for 50g

First Impressions

Coconut Maple Custard came in a now-familiar packaging – a matte white foil bag that’s heat-sealed and resealable (so important for tea storage!). The colourful label on the front gives me information about the all organic ingredients and how to steep it. Simple and the point, which is always nice.

Coconut Maple Custard smells like cake and coconut – there’s some strong vanilla notes in this blend! I don’t really smell maple, but there is something in there that smells sweet. Coconut Maple Custard consists of certified organic: black tea, vanilla, Canadian maple, coconut and palm sugar. I love how visible the ingredients are in this blend (and how much it smells like cake!).

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Coconut Maple Custard in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Coconut Maple Custard steeps to a golden red colour. There’s some mild amounts of oil floating on the surface, which I attribute to the coconut. The aroma of the steeped tea is mostly the vanilla and coconut, which is pleasant. The flavour of this black tea blend is a mix of coconut, vanilla, sweetness, with light maple syrup notes in the background. It’s quite pleasant and there’s a bit of robustness in the black tea base that reminds me of a breakfast tea.

I did try it with a bit of evaporated milk, just to make it taste even more like a dessert. I think maple syrup would be a good sweetener option for this tea to help amplify the maple flavour.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Coconut Maple Custard once and found that the flavour wasn’t that great compared to the initial steep.

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Coconut Maple Custard. I thought that the flavour profile was really forward with the coconut and vanilla, and it did make me think of a dessert (more cake than custard, but I attribute that to the vanilla notes). I liked the sweetness in the blend, and found that the maple was hiding on me in the dry leaf but I was able to taste it in the steeped tea. I would recommend adding a touch of evaporated milk or cream, and perhaps some maple syrup to sweeten it – it helps amplify the flavours and also make it even more dessert-like! But you can always opt to omit the maple syrup if you’re trying to be good.

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