Secret Chef Chai Cake

Chai Cake with Honey-Ginger Cream Frosting.....Mmmmmmmmmmm!

From Sky High:Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne

Makes an 8-inch triple layer cake; serves 12-16

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/3 cups of milk
• 6 chai tea bags, without added sweetener, such as Tazo
• 4 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 and 3/4 cups of cake flour
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 8 ounces of unsalted butter at room temp.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F.
2. Grease the bottom and sides of the pans and line with parchment paper. Grease the paper as well.
3. In a small saucepan bring the milk to a simmer over low med-low heat. Add the tea bags, careful not to let the paper tag fall into the milk. Remove from heat and allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags and squeeze out the milk. Let the chai milk cool completely.
4. In a medium bowl mix the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and 1/3 cup of the chai milk. Whisk together.
5. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Beat on low for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining chai milk, on med-low speed.
6. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg mixture in three additions scraping the between additions. Divide the batter evenly among the pans.
7. Bake the cakes for 26-28 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes.Remove cakes from pans and peel off parchment paper. Cool completely.

To assemble the cake place one layer flat side down a serving plate and top with 2/3 cup of icing. Spread to the edge and repeat with second layer. Place third layer on top and spread the remaining ginger cream on top allowing it to drizzle down the sides of the cake like icicles.

Honey-Ginger Cream

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar  Opt: decreased to 1 1/2 cups
6 ounces of cream cheese at room temp.  Opt: increased to 9 oz 

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temp.
1/2 cup of honey (any kind as long as liquid)
1/2 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger  Opt: substituted w. 1 1/2 tbsp finely minced crystallized ginger

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to blend together, then scrape the sides of the bowl and pulse until smooth.

Please try this today and tell me what you think.

Secret Chef

As usual, use the comments below to confess.