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

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.

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. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10" glass baking dish.
2. 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.
3. Slowly whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold oil into batter, making sure it’s all incorporated.
4. 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.
5. 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.