Eggless Apple Spiced Cake with Chai Caramel

Chai and dessert in one! What more can one ask for? This eggless apple spiced cake with chai caramel is just the perfect tea-time cake, but you’ll obviously be having it for breakfast and dessert as well. This cake contains a range of spices giving it a strong aroma and is topped with a strong chai caramel that balances the heat from the spices…mmm, cosy…

Eggless Apple Spiced Cake with Chai Caramel Recipe

INGREDIENTS

For the apple cake:

• 1.5 cups of all purpose flour (maida)

• 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 4 teaspoons of cardamom powder

• 1/2 teaspoon clove powder

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

• 2 tablespoons of ginger juice

• 1/2 cup oil

• 1/2 cup castor sugar (if topping up with the chai caramel)/ 3/4th cup castor sugar (if not topping up with the caramel)

• 1/3rd cup milk

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup chopped apple

For the chai caramel:

• 1/2 cup sugar (brown or white)

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1/4th cup of chai

INSTRUCTIONS

For the cake:

· Preheat the oven to 180 C

· To make the applesauce, peel and chop a medium apple

· To a pot/pan, add the chopped apples, a tablespoon of sugar and 1/3rd cup of water

· Let the sugar melt and the mixture simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes with a lid on the pot/pan

· Cool the mixture and blend using a hand blender or a food processor

· In a bowl, add the sugar and oil, whisk well for 2-3 minutes till combined

· Add in the vanilla and applesauce, mix well

· Add in the ginger juice and mix

· Sift in the dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and ginger powder

· Fold in the dry ingredients and milk

· Fold in the chopped apples

· Add the batter to a greased 8" tin and bake at 180 C for 40 minutes or until skewer comes out clean

For the caramel:

· Brew a strong chai without sugar

· Take off heat, refrigerate and let the tea leaves infuse in the milk for at least 2 hours

· The chai mixture needs to be cold so keep it refrigerated

· Start making the caramel by melting sugar in a pan, don't stir

· Add a few teaspoons of water to help melt the sugar faster (swirl the pan around for even melting, do not use a spatula/spoon to stir)

· Once all the sugar has melted, lower the heat to low and add in the cold butter one tablespoon at a time and mix it in

· Once all the butter has been incorporated add the cold chai mixture little by little and mix well till a smooth mixture has formed

· Cook this mixture for 4-5 minutes on a low heat stirring continuously

· Take off the heat, transfer to a heat proof bowl and cool (be careful the mixture will be super hot)

· Cool caramel

· Top up your cake with the chai caramel & enjoy!

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