Upside-Down Pineapple Mini Cakes

Makes approximately 8 cakes in a Texas-sized muffin tin or 12 in a regular-sized muffin tin.

INGREDIENTS

CAKES

• 200g butter, softened
• 200g caster sugar
• Tea from 1 Kapow tea temple (or 1 tbsp loose leaf tea)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 200g plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 2 x 432g tin of pineapple rings in juice
• 1/4 cup of pineapple juice

SYRUP

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 80g caster sugar
• 2 Kapow tea temples (or 2 tbsp loose leaf tea + tea filter)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Drain the pineapple rings, keeping all the juice aside. Spray a muffin tin with baking spray, and then gently push a pineapple ring into the bottom of each muffin tin (if the tin is smaller than the pineapple ring, you can carefully cut one side and fold the ring over on itself until it fits snugly into to the tin).
2. Grind the tea using a food processor or spice grinder until it's a coarse powder-like consistency. In a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and tea for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well between each addition. Add the vanilla paste with the last egg.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Then add it into the wet mixture in three separate batches, mixing quickly between each addition.
4. Finally, add the pineapple juice and stir through. Divide the batter evenly between each muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes or until risen and golden brown.
5. While you wait for the cakes to bake, make the syrup by adding all ingredients to a small pot and bringing to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 5 minutes or until the syrup has thickened slight.y Turn off the heat and set aside, leaving the tea temples (or loose leaf tea in a tea filter) in to continue steeping.
6. Remove the cakes from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing the cakes from the tin and turning them over. Remove the tea temples from the syrup, squeezing out all of the liquid, then generously brush syrup over the pineapple slices until they glisten. Serve with an extra drizzle of syrup. 

Best enjoyed when they are still slightly warm from the oven. Keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Freshen with a quick burst in the microwave.

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Recipe by Jess Donaldson @semlastudio