Celebration cake
Chocolate-Chai Kefir Cake
Chocolate comes first, followed by cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. Kefir goes into the cocoa batter; a thin chocolate-cream glaze finishes this deep cake without another layer of frosting.
Make it
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C, or 160°C fan. Grease and line a deep 23 cm cake tin.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and spices. In another jug, whisk kefir, eggs, vanilla and the cooled melted chocolate.
- Beat both sugars with the butter. Add the dry and kefir mixtures in alternating additions, mixing on low.
- With the mixer switched off, add the hot water gradually and stir with a spatula to avoid splashes. Stop when the loose batter is even. Pour into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a skewer through the center has no wet batter. Cool completely.
- Pour hot cream and syrup over the glaze chocolate. Rest 2 minutes, stir smooth, let thicken slightly, then spread over the cool cake.
Chocolate with a little spice
Kefir keeps a deep cocoa cake tender. The spices sharpen the chocolate rather than making the cake taste like a cup of chai.
Store it
Because the glaze contains cream, refrigerate after serving and use within 3 days.
A finish without cream glaze
For a simpler finish, skip the glaze and dust the cool cake with cocoa or icing sugar.
If the cake seems dry
Long baking is one possibility; too much flour or cocoa can also change the crumb. Weigh the dry ingredients and start checking at the earlier baking time. Remove the cake once the centre has no wet batter rather than waiting for the top to become very dark.