This beautifully moist chai-flavoured loaf is from Saffron Swirls and Cardamom Dust by Ashia Ismail-Singer
150ml milk
2 chai-flavoured tea bags
2 eggs
200g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
or vanilla bean paste
200g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
75ml vegetable oil
120g blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Icing
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/4 cup fresh or partly thawed blueberries
1/4 cup fresh blueberries to garnish
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 24 x 10cm loaf tin.
In a small saucepan, bring the milk to the boil and add the tea bags.
Stir, then set aside to cool, leaving the tea bags in the milk.
Using an electric beater, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick and glossy.
Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into the mixture. Add the oil and 100ml of the milk/tea mixture (note that you will have to squeeze the tea bags to make the mixture up to 100ml, as some of the milk will have evaporated), then beat at a slow speed until fully combined, taking care not to over-mix.
In a separate bowl, crush the berries with a fork, retaining some of the shape. Do not drain as the juice will be laced through the cake.
Gently fold the semi-crushed berries through the cake mixture.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out of the tin when cold.
To make the icing, process the icing sugar and berries in a blender until they reach a thick consistency that easily spreads. Using a knife, spread the icing over the loaf and decorate with the reserved blueberries.
Saffron Swirls & Cardamom Dust by Ashia Ismail-Singer, photography by Christall Lowe, published by Bateman Books, RRP$49.99, Release Date 11th October. To purchase check your local bookstore or any online retailers.
