Veggie Magazine's Chai & Ginger Cake

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One of our favourite bloggers - Kat from The Baking Explorer -  has recreated a delicious vegetarian recipe - presenting Veggie Magazine's Chai & Ginger Cake! 
Chai & Ginger Cake

Italian cooking is my absolute favourite, although I have to say I usually stick to the savoury side. However when reading Veggie’s November issue, this recipe from Melissa Forti who runs a tea room in North West Italy really caught my eye. I couldn’t resist making it as the flavours screamed Autumn and it sounded warming and comforting, which is exactly what you want from food this time of year.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 300g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 245ml milk
  • 6 Chai tea bags
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 5 free-range eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 350g plain flour
  • 3½ tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½tsp ground cardamom
  • ½tsp salt

ginger chai cake
For icing & garnish

  • 200g butter, softened
  • 80g acacia or other clear honey
  • 500g icing sugar
  • ½tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 150g cream cheese

Preparation time: 35 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Serves: 14

ginger chai cake

Method

  1. I started by greasing and lining my tins with butter and baking paper. The recipe advises using 20cm tins.
  2. In a pan I brought 245ml milk to a simmer, then I added 6 chai tea bags and left it to infuse for 8 minutes.
  3. To a mixing bowl I added 350g sieved plain flour, 3 ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cardamom and ½ tsp salt.
  4. In a larger mixing bowl I creamed together 300g butter and 300g caster sugar. Then I added 5 eggs, one at a time and mixing between each addition. Then I added the chai tea and milk mixture along with 1 tsp vanilla extract.
  5. Finally I added the flour and spice mixture and folded it in. I divided the mixture into the cake tins and baked it on 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4 for 40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle came out clean and the sponges were golden brown.
  6. I removed the cakes from the tins and left them to cool fully on cooling racks.
  7. To make the cream cheese frosting I beat together 200g butter with 80g honey. Then I added 500g icing sugar and mixed it in. Finally I added 150g cream cheese and ½ tsp freshly grated ginger and mixed in.
  8. I filled the middle of the cake with a generous layer of the frosting.
  9. I then covered the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting and put it in the fridge for an hour to set.
  10. To finish I covered the cake with the rest of the cream cheese frosting.

IMG_7911

This cake is full of flavour, the sponge is warm and aromatic and the frosting is fresh and creamy. It’s a fantastic pairing - why not enjoy it with a cup of chai tea with your Veggie magazine subscription?

This is a guest post via the magazine.co.uk blogger network.

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