Tea Blog

Move over, scone lovers—cupcakes are making a strong case for a place at tea time. The pairing is so popular that cupcakes are sometimes even served in teacups. (Just a friendly reminder: remove the cupcake before pouring tea into the cup. It may sound obvious, but a little caution never hurts.)

Chocolate Cupcakes

A rich chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate buttercream frosting is hard to resist. To complement those deep cocoa flavors, consider pairing it with:

• Assam black tea
• Pu-erh tea
• Darjeeling tea
• Earl Grey tea
• Gyokuro green tea
• Oolong tea
• Dragonwell green tea
• Yunnan Golden Tip black tea
• Japanese Sencha

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Another tea-time favorite is the carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting. Even novice bakers can often achieve delicious results with this classic combination.

Excellent tea pairings include:

• Assam black tea
• Ceylon black or green tea
• Dragonwell green tea
• Second Flush Darjeeling
• Japanese Sencha
• Vietnamese green tea

More Cupcake and Tea Pairings

• Apple-flavored cupcakes: Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin, Darjeeling, or Oolong tea
• Banana-flavored cupcakes: Ceylon tea, Ti Kuan Yin, Tung Ting Oolong, or Pouchong tea
• Raspberry-flavored cupcakes: Ceylon Black, Ceylon Green, Darjeeling, or Vietnamese Green tea
• Strawberry-flavored cupcakes: Dragonwell, Ti Kuan Yin, or Darjeeling tea
• Pumpkin-flavored cupcakes: Ceylon Black, Ceylon Green, Dragonwell, or Darjeeling tea
• Vanilla-flavored cupcakes: Ceylon tea, Keemun black tea, Darjeeling tea, or Nilgiri tea

Make Them Beautiful

Part of the fun of cupcakes is decorating them. Add fresh fruit, chocolate candies, edible flowers, colorful sprinkles, or creative frosting designs to make them truly memorable.

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination, your decorating skills, and perhaps your patience. The best part? Even the decorating “mistakes” are usually delicious.

A Final Tea-Time Thought

Whether you’re serving cupcakes at afternoon tea, a bridal shower, a birthday gathering, or simply enjoying one with your favorite tea, the right pairing can elevate both the tea and the dessert.

So brew a pot, choose a cupcake, and start experimenting with your own favorite combinations.

See more of A.C. Cargill’s articles in this archive of tea lifestyle and entertaining articles.

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