Tea Spice Cake or Indian Chai Masala Cake

“Baby I'm addicted and out of control 
  But you're the drug that keeps me from dying
  Baby I'm a lair but all I really know 
  Is you're the only reason I'm trying”

Yeah I’m addicted; a proud addict. I publicly relish my addiction to tea. There is a proverb that ‘Bengalis live in a cup of Tea’ and being a Bengali it is next to impossible that you never even tested tea once in your lifetime. In my case as I have mentioned before I am a hardcore tea addict; after all it is in my blood. I used to have tea 18-25 cups a day. No no don’t panic my mom used to serve it in very tiny cups at home and my office used to offer (and they still do) regular paper cups which feels more like shot glasses to me. 

But then my worse days were yet to come. I had moved to other city and started living on my own and realized how bad decision it was. Neither I could cook nor I knew anything about living. But the thing which I had missed most is a cup of good Tea. Gradually I started cooking and learnt many of the techniques and things which are need to be learn. But I never understood how my parents always make such a good tea in few minutes; all the time the tea testes equally great. Whenever I tried it was either too bitter or too pale; hmm maybe I’m not a person who can get these minute things easily.

No my todays post is definitely not about ‘how to make a good cup of tea’ not even ‘how much I miss my cups of tea’. It’s a dessert; hell lot unusual; damn interesting. Just a perfect fit for my tea craving any day any time. Okay okay I’m revealing the name of the crowned princess. It is Tea Spice Cake or Chai Masala Cake. Does it ring the bell??? I think it is most essential thing for any tea lover like me who can’t make a cup of good tea on their own but got the craving for it all day long. It is full of flavors from a fresh cup of tea and richness of egg and milk. It's mild taste makes it a best complement for tea time snack or even breakfast.

Here is the recipe of Tea Spice Cake or Chai Masala Cake.

Preparation Time : 30 mins

Cooking Time : 40 mins (baking) + 10 mins (cooling)

Total Time : 80 mins

Yield : 6 wedges for serving (9" pan) + 6 muffins

Ingredients:

Butter : 8 tbsp or ½ cup

Flavorless oil : ¼ cup

Caster sugar : 1 cup

Egg : 2

All-purpose flour : 2½ cup

Baking soda : 1 tsp

Milk : 1¼ cup

Confectionery sugar : 1-2 tsp, optional; only for serving

For the Tea-spices :

Tea bag: 6

Boiling water : ½ cup

Grated ginger : 1 tsp

Cinnamon stick : 1”

Green cardamom : 1 tsp

Cloves : 1 tsp

Freshly grated nutmeg : 1 tsp

Preparation:

First prepare the tea liquor and then make the tea spices. For the liquor dip the tea bags in the boiling water and set aside for 5 mins. then remove bags from water and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Discard the tea bags and reserve the tea liquor in refrigerator for 30 mins.

Take a dry grinder and grind all the spices together to produce grounded tea spices. Set aside with a cover until needed.

Now take a large medium mixing bowl & sieve and sift all-purpose flour, baking soda and tea spices together. Re-sift and set aside, covered.

Now in another large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together until sugar is dissolved completely. Crack one egg at a time and beat with an electric beater for 2 mins on medium or until batter is smooth and puffy. The batter should be pale in color. Add previously prepared tea liquor and keep beating for another 1 min or until batter is smooth.

Now add the flour mixture and milk alternately and gently fold with a wooden spatula. In the beginning it will feel hard to do but soon everything will be incorporated and smooth. Just stop mixing then and there otherwise it will be over mixed and that will definitely ruin the aeration of the batter which you just did few min before.

Preheat the oven to 180⁰C. Now prepare the baking tin by greasing with butter or oil and dusting with flour. Tap the excess flour off the tin. (I used one 9" round pan and got some excess batter so poured 6 muffin molds which baked perfect sized 6 muffins too.) 

Pour the cake mixture till 3/4^th of the pan. Level off with the spatula. Tap few times on the kitchen counter to release trapped air bubbles, if any. Sprinkle 1 tsp of tea spice or chai masala on the top. (If you have got anything extra.)

Bake the cake for 50-60 mins at 180⁰C or until a skewer comes out clean from the center of the cake. Allow the cake to be on stand-by inside the oven for another 10 mins. Carefully remove and transfer the cake on wire rack until the cake is cooled off completely.

Sprinkle some confectionery sugar on the top and serve immediately with a cup of tea. For your children use a glass of milk.

This cake can be preserved in fridge for up to 8 days in airtight container and in the freezer up to 1 month.