Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where To Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

Thanks to Azzrian for the idea for this blend. I actually think my wife is a little upset she didn’t think of it first. She makes an awesome gooey butter cake.

My wife is fond of telling people that she has no idea how I manage to make such amazing teas since my cooking skills are more or less limited to ramen noodles and microwave popcorn. Likewise, I have no idea what sort of magic she employs in creating a gooey butter cake. Yes, I could look at one of several recipes for gooey butter cake, but I prefer to believe it is magic, because a gooey butter cake (for those of you who have never had one), is one of those beautiful things that shouldn’t be discussed in such muggle terms as a recipe. It’s way better to have someone make one for you and assume they possess magical gifts.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

This is so good.

I love Gooey Butter Cake.  It is one of my guilty pleasures.  On the occasions when I shop at WalMart, I always go to the bakery section, and look for Paula Deen’s baked goods, and hope that they will have her Lemon Gooey Butter Cake.  They are similar to lemon bars (you know those incredible bar cookies that have a shortbread crust, and a sweet and tangy lemon-curd like filling?  Yeah, those), only the Lemon Gooey Butter Cake is better because it is not only lemon-y like the lemon bars, but it is rich with buttery goodness, and has a gooey consistency that can only be compared to the joy of licking out the cake batter bowl.

I’m fairly certain that these Gooey Butter Cakes are not considered healthy.  But what they lack in nutritional value they make up for in pure culinary happiness.

So when 52Teas announced Gooey Butter Cake flavored black tea as their tea of the week for September 17, I did the happy dance.  I could have my gooey butter cake and have tea too?  And without all the fat and calories of the gooey butter cake?  This sounds almost too good to be true.

When I opened the pouch, I couldn’t believe my nose!  It smelled so incredible.  It smelled buttery and sweet, with hints of lemon.  At that point, I could hardly wait for my Breville One-Touch to brew the tea … and this thing brews tea fast!  I stood over the tea maker, waiting for it to finally finish.  It seemed much longer than the three or so minutes.

The brewed tea smells very much like the dry leaf, it smells sweet and buttery, like freshly baked cake, with hints of lemon. And that’s exactly what I taste, too!  I don’t know that this tastes EXACTLY like Gooey Butter Cake, but, it is probably as close to the real thing that tea is ever going to get.

The black tea base is rich and smooth, and it’s the perfect base for the flavors of freshly baked gooey butter cake.  There is a kiss of lemon flavor in there, just enough to brighten the flavors.  This is sinful indulgence in a teacup.  The only thing that might make it better is chocolate.  But, to be honest, I’ve tried Paula Deen’s Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake, and I wasn’t all that impressed.  So… maybe chocolate wouldn’t make this better after all.  Maybe it’s perfectly magical, just the way it is.