Tea-Apple Compote Cake

• For the tea-apple compote
• 2 Cinnamon apple spice herbal tea bags
• 2 Rooibos earl grey herbal tea bags
• 1/4 cup honey (preferably orange blossom)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• 3 wide strips orange peel
• 1/2 cup cognac or brandy
• 4 firm large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 12 wedges
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• For cake batter
• 1 cup flour +2 tablespoons corn or potato starch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 extra large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• About 1 tablespoon Turbinado sugar

1. Steep all 4 tea bags in 1 cup boiling water, 20 minutes. Squeeze out and discard the tea bags. Pour the tea to a saucepan. Add the honey, salt, vanilla seeds and pod, orange peel and cognac and cook over medium heat until syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add the apples and butter; reduce the heat to low; simmer uncovered about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10" glass baking dish.
4. Sift together flour, starch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. In another bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla and orange zest.
5. Slowly whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold oil into batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
6. Add about 3/4 of the apple compote to the batter and mix it in. Then pour into the prepared baking dish and spread the batter evenly with a spatula. Arrange the remaining apple slices on the top of the batter. Sprinkle the cake with Turbinado sugar and bake for 1 hour or until deep golden brown and the top has a crunchy crust.
7. Cool in the baking dish on wire rack. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream or with just a cup of your favorite tea.

apple, cinnamon apple spice, earl grey herbal, honey, salt, vanilla bean, cognac, apples, unsalted butter, cake batter, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, orange zest, canola oil, turbinado sugar

Taken from food52.com/recipes/20914-tea-apple-compote-cake (may not work)