Although Darjeeling is a strong black tea, it does not taste as strong in this cake. Instead the Darjeeling enhances the deep chocolate flavour. Sooooo delicious!!!
Ingredients:
225g Plain flour
350g Caster sugar
85g Cocoa powder
1½ tsp Baking powder
1½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
2 large Free-range eggs
250 ml Milk, 250ml
125 ml Vegetable oil
2 tsp Vanilla extract
250 ml Boiling water
4 tbsp. loose leaf Darjeeling loose-leaf tea
For the chocolate icing:
200g Plain chocolate
200 ml Double cream
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Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line one deep 20cm/8in cake tin.
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Put all of the cake ingredients, excluding the boiling water and tea, into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric whisk or a free standing mixer, beat everything until smooth and well mixed.
- Bring the kettle to the boil and then slowly pour the water over the Darjeeling tea using a strainer. Leave to steep for 4 minutes and then allow to cool.
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Now add the tea, a little at a time, until smooth. Don't worry that the cake mixture is very runny.
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Spoon the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
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Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
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Whilst cooling you can make the icing. VERY slowly heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate melts. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the mixture until smooth, glossy and thick.
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Leave to cool for around 1 hour, allowing it to thicken more so you can easily spread it over the cake.
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Carefully remove the cake from the tin.
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Spread the icing all over the cake, decorate and serve.