Think Apple Crumble in all of it's glory with added chai spices and flavors, a delicious chunky layer of apple and a good helping of chai icing drizzled over the top. This cake recipe is large, it also works perfectly as a tray bake cut into squares.

INGREDIENTS:

Crumble topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 180g unsalted butter, melted

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2tsp ground cardamom

• ½ tsp ground clove

Apple layer:

• 2 cups peeled chopped apples (about 5 medium apples chopped)

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp Clove, ground

For the cake base:

• 2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 170g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 1 and 1/4 cups caster sugar

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• ¾ cup plus 1 ½ tbsp full-fat milk

• 1 tbsp chai tea

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp Cardamom, ground

• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground

• 1/2 tsp Clove, ground

• 1/2 tsp Ginger, ground

Chai icing:

• 1/3 cup icing sugar

• 3-4 tsp of chai infused milk (from cake base)

METHOD:

1. Pre heat the oven to 175C, pre prepare and line the base of a large spring form cake tin (25cm wide). A rectangle high side tray tin also works well for this cake.

To make the crumble-topping:

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Using your hands crumb the butter through the dry ingredients until it comes together as a rough gravel texture. Set aside while the cake base is made.

To make the apple layer:

1. Peel and core the apples, dice them into roughly 2cm pieces. In a mixing bowl toss the apples through the spices and set aside.

To make the cake base:

1. Add the milk into a small saucepan and bring it up to a low simmer. Add the chai tea and allow it to step while the flavors come out. Strain and set it aside to cool down.

2. Cream together the sugar and butter in a stand mixer on medium speed until it is light and fluffy.

3. Add one egg at a time, mixing in-between.  Followed by adding 3/4 cup of the chai infused milk and vanilla extract.

4. In a separate large mixing bowl combine all of the remanding dry ingredients. Stir well to combine.

5. Add the dry mixing bowl to the batter on medium speed until it just comes together, be mindful not to over work it.

6. Pour out the cake batter into the prepared cake tin, scrapping down the sides of the bowl. Add a layer of apples evenly over the top, followed by the top layer of crumble mixture.

7. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

8. Allow the cake to cool down on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing it from the tin.

To make the chai drizzle icing:

1. Combine the icing sugar and 3-4 tsp of the infused chai milk from the cake base, if the icing is too thick add a little more milk.

2. Using a spoon, drizzle over with the icing mixture.

Prep / cook time: 1 ¼ hrs

 Recipe and photography by Bonnie Coumbe. See her site here & Instagram here.