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

  1. Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line one deep 20cm/8in cake tin.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Now add the tea, a little at a time, until smooth. Don't worry that the cake mixture is very runny.

  5. 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.

  6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.

  7. 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.

  8. Leave to cool for around 1 hour, allowing it to thicken more so you can easily spread it over the cake.

  9. Carefully remove the cake from the tin.

  10. Spread the icing all over the cake, decorate and serve.