Tag: Dessert by Deb

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Dessert by Deb’s Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake

Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$6.50 for 25g

Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake came as part of the bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb.

First Impressions

Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake is definitely a name of a tea blend that invokes a certain imagery. Perhaps angel food cake baked in a bundt pan, with a blueberry lavender glaze across the top, with a healthy slice onto a plate with a cup of tea on the side. Definitely a London Fog in a cup, because why not? Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake comes in a matte metallic pouch that’s sealed, resealable. The label across the front is a beautiful, polka dotted label that’s fun like the rest of Dessert by Deb’s labelling.

Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake is part of Dessert by Deb’s Garden Tea Party Collection. Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake consists of organic: black tea, elderberries, currants, hibiscus, Canadian maple, lavender, vanilla, and freeze-dried blueberries. The aroma is strongly that of the lavender, with blueberries strongly in the background. Look at how beautiful it is! With the lavender and maple throughout.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes.

First Taste

Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake steeps to a beautiful golden orange. Surprisingly not pink, since there is hibiscus in it. The aroma is strongly lavender and berries, while the flavour of Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake is strongly that of the lavender, with hints of berries throughout (thanks to the elderberries and blueberries). The vanilla certainly plays a good role in the Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake blend, and makes it taste all the more like a dessert tea. Dessert by Deb recommends trying Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake as a tea latte (with milk), and it does do well with some frothed milk! It ups the decadence factor to this black tea blend.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake and found that it was lacking in the berries and vanilla flavour. I would recommend steeping Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake for just the initial steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Dessert by Deb’s Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake. This black tea blend has a beautiful lavender flavour, with a nice berry flavour throughout that mingles well with the vanilla that’s in it. I would recommend Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake both plainly steeped and with some frothed milk, because having a tea latte is always the height of decadence when you have the time to make it a bit extra special. There’s just something about taking the extra step that allows for feeling a bit more luxurious.

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Dessert by Deb’s Peach Crumble Cake

Peach Crumble Cake by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea & Rooibos / Flavoured
$6.50 for 25g

Peach Crumble Cake came as part of the bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb.

First Impressions

Opening my bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb and finding a shiny gold pouch with a tea called Peach Crumble Cake sets a certain level of expectation in my mind. Peaches, cake, baked goods. The packaging itself is a shiny metallic gold in a resealable pouch, with a clear window across the front where you can see the dry leaf of this organic tea sample.

The Peach Crumble Cake tea looks beautiful, and has a strong peach aroma to the point that I don’t really smell the rest of the ingredients. I do smell hints of rooibos in the background, but the peach lies in the foreground. Peach Crumble Cake consists of certified organic: black tea, natural peach essence, peaches, cinnamon, Canadian maple, rooibos, brown sugar, and calendula petals. It certainly makes for a beautiful tea with the pops of bright yellow throughout.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Peach Crumble Cake in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes.

First Taste

Peach Crumble Cake steeps to a deep golden orange. I did use a stainless steel infuser basket, and some little bits got through the fine holes (so use a fillable tea infusing bag if you wish to avoid that). There’s a strong peach aroma to it, with hints of cinnamon and rooibos in the background. The tea has a thickened mouthfeel to it, with the flavours of peach, cinnamon, and rooibos. I don’t get a lot of the black tea blend, and wish that the sugar was stronger in it – I definitely would have appreciated a stronger brown sugar and maple flavour in the profile over the rooibos in the blend (then again, full disclaimer: I am not a fan of rooibos). I do love the level of peach in this, because it does make for a nice blend that I wasn’t expecting.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Peach Crumble Cake and found that the tea was more black tea (with some astringent notes) and rooibos (medicinal) notes than peach. I would recommend Peach Crumble Cake for the initial steep, especially if you prefer that peach flavour over rooibos.

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Peach Crumble Cake. It has a great initial steep with the strong peach flavour, and I think adding some brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract would make for a nice cup of tea by adding a larger punch of flavour to make it taste more like it came out of a bakery. Turning Peach Crumble Cake into a tea latte would certainly up the delightfulness of the tea; but I’m not a fan of the rooibos (unfortunately).

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Dessert by Deb’s Buttermilk Raisin Scone

Buttermilk Raisin Scone by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$6.50 for 25g

First Impressions

As part of the Garden Tea Party Collection, Buttermilk Raisin Scone came to me as part of my bimonthly tea box subscription from Dessert by Deb. The gold metallic pouch is sealed and resealable, with a polka dot label across the front. The concept of Buttermilk Raisin Scone makes me think of the aroma from a bakery – just freshly baked goods. I’m not hugely fond of raisins, but I do like the idea of scones.

Buttermilk Raisin Scone consists of organic: black tea, natural cream flavour, vanilla, Canadian maple, raisins, toasted coconut, and calendula petals. I can definitely smell the vanilla and the coconut, but I’m afraid that the raisins are too mild of a fragrance in comparison. The vanilla is rich though, and makes me think of baked goods.

Preparation

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

First Taste

Buttermilk Raisin Scone steeps to a beautiful golden orange colour. The aroma of vanilla and coconut wafts up from the cup of tea. I found that the flavour is primarily vanilla, with hints of coconut. Upon drinking the tea, I find I’m met with a malty earthiness of the black tea base, with a blend of vanilla, sweetness from the maple, and the coconut. I don’t really taste the raisin, but again the flavour of raisin is considerably milder in comparison to the vanilla, maple and coconut. Buttermilk Raisin Scone has a light creaminess to it, and the the vanilla flavour really makes it seem like an experience of walking through a bakery.

A Second Cup?

Resteeping Buttermilk Raisin Scone didn’t work out quite as well as I would have liked because I found that the vanilla was missing in the resteep of the tea. I would recommend Buttermilk Raisin Scone to be steeped just the once.

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Buttermilk Raisin Scone. This black tea base has a great bakery-esque quality to it that makes me think of baked goods, which is what Deb was aiming for. While raisins didn’t shine through, the flavour of the vanilla, maple, and coconut did. The vanilla is really the ingredient that makes me think of baked goods the most, and I do love scones. Buttermilk Raisin Scone would be a fun blend to have as an option for afternoon tea.

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