'Ombre' cake with chai spices, coffee and chocolate
For the cream, pour the milk and cream into a saucepan, add the tea (in a bag or loose), coffee and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Heat the mixture to just below boiling point, cover and let it stand for 1 hour to allow the flavour and aroma of the tea and spices to develop.
Ingredients · Servings For 12-15 people
- 125 ml whipping cream
- 1 piece of tea
- 200g white chocolate
- 375 ml milk
- 50 ml whipping cream
- 3 pcs tea
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 150 g caster sugar
- 150g brown sugar
- 40 g plain wheat flour
- 350g butter
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 295 g plain wheat flour
- 12 g baking powder
- 345g butter
- 345 g caster sugar
- 6 eggs
- 50 g Dutch-style cocoa
Method · 3 h 20 min
- For the ganache, pour the cream into a saucepan, add a tea bag or teaspoon and bring to just below the boiling point over a low heat. Then turn off the heat, cover the saucepan and let stand for 30 minutes. Pour the chocolate into a bowl and place a fine sieve on top of the bowl. Bring the scented cream to a gentle boil and immediately pour it through the sieve into the chocolate. Stir until smooth then place in the fridge to cool.
- For the cream, pour the milk and cream into a saucepan, add tea (in a bag or loose), coffee and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Heat the mixture to just below boiling point, cover and let stand for 1 hour to allow the flavour and aroma of the tea and spices to develop. Then heat again and pour the hot liquid through a sieve into a bowl, squeezing out as much of the flavour and aroma as possible from the tea. Return to the saucepan, add the remaining granulated sugar and all the brown sugar and stir in the flour. Heat and stir over medium heat for 5–10 minutes until the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick porridge. Transfer to a bowl and press cling film onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming and leave to cool.
- Transfer the cooled mixture to a large bowl and beat lightly with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the butter on low speed until creamy. Finally, beat in the vanilla paste or extract.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Line three 20 cm round deep tins with baking paper.
- For the base, mix the flour and baking powder well. In another bowl, place the butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer for 5 minutes until the butter has risen and lightened. Then beat in the eggs one by one. Make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. After beating in the eggs, divide the dough evenly into three bowls. Sift 115 g of flour into the first and mix until smooth. Sift 100 g of flour and 15 g of cocoa into the second and mix until smooth. Sift the remaining 80 g of flour and 35 g of cocoa into the third and mix again until smooth. Pour each part of the dough into its own prepared mold.
- Place the pans in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the dough comes out clean - the dough should spring back slightly when touched. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Assemble the cake. Place the darkest cake on a serving plate. Spread half of the ganache over it and spread a thin layer of cream on top of the ganache. Cover with the second dark cake and spread the rest of the ganache and a thin layer of cream. Place the light cake on top. Spread the remaining cream on the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate to firm up before serving and slicing. The cake will keep covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Recipe and photos taken from Olive Magazine.