Finish this phrase: Tea and _________.

If you said "sympathy", you're a dope. Because the correct answer is CAKE.

And you'll have plenty of it if you go to this year's Northwest Tea Festival, because this year, there's an official Tea Cake maker for the event: Essential Baking Company! The clever little cookies over at EBC have developed three unique tea cakes which will be debuted at the festival, but will also be part of their retail bakery offerings. Designed to be paired with a wide variety of teas, these buttery cakes are all delicately sweet, each with a fresh, contrasting flavor to refresh the palate: think blueberry-orange, carrot-pineapple, and raspberry-lemon.

Now, don't get too jealous, but since I got a sneak peek (er, taste?) of these cakes at the lovely Perrenial Tea Room in the Pike Place Market, I can attest that you should start working up your appetite. The Northwest Tea Festival takes place next weekend, October 2 + 3, at the Seattle Center.

For more info on the festival, click here; also, I should tell you that the loaves will also be available at Essential Baking retail locations.