Mountain Chai Sponge Cake Food

CHOCOLATE YULE LOG

Steps:

• Whip powdered sugar, butter, cocoa powder, salt, and coffee liqueur together in the bowl of a stand mixer on high speed. Transfer buttercream into a separate bowl and add mascarpone cheese. Mix until combined; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush a little melted butter over a 13x18-inch rimmed sheet pan. Line pan with parchment paper and brush remaining melted butter on top.
• Combine cocoa powder, salt, and flour together in a bowl; whisk or sift to break up clumps.
• Place eggs in the clean bowl of your stand mixer. Add sugar and whip until fluffy, thick, and very light in color. Add 1/2 of the cocoa powder mixture and vanilla extract; mix on low speed for a few seconds. Beat in remaining cocoa mixture on low for a few seconds. Switch to high speed; stop once mixture is moistened but not fully blended. Pull off the whisk attachment and whisk batter with it until evenly blended.
• Pour batter onto the prepared sheet pan and spread out with a spatula, leaving some room around the edges. Tap pan on the counter to knock out the large bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is dry and edges start to pull away from the sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Dust a clean kitchen towel with enough powdered sugar to cover an area slightly larger than the sponge cake. Remove cake from the oven. Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top. Run a spatula under the parchment paper to make sure it's not stuck to the pan.
• Quickly flip pan on top of the sugared area to invert the cake. Remove parchment paper and dust cake with more powdered sugar. Gently roll cake up inside the towel; allow to cool for 15 minutes.
• Unroll cake and dollop buttercream on top, reserving some for later. Spread frosting to the edges. Roll cake up over the frosting, using the towel to lift it if needed. Sprinkle more powdered sugar on top. Wrap log in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Combine chocolate chips and hot cream in a bowl. Let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate melts.
• Make an angled cut 3 inches from one end of the log. Place log on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Apply some buttercream to the angled slice and attach it to one side. Spread a layer of ganache all over the cake, except for the swirls. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up ganache.
• Carve lines into the ganache using the tip of a knife to create the appearance of tree bark. Refrigerate until completely chilled before serving. Dust with cocoa powder and powdered sugar.

COCONUT CHAI TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Grease a 20 x 30cm baking tin with a little oil, and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Measure the coconut milk and oil into a jug. Crack in the eggs, add the vanilla and whisk with a fork to combine.
• In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, coconut, spices and a pinch of salt. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times so they come to the surface. Pour in the wet ingredients and use a large whisk to mix to a smooth batter. Pour into the tin, scraping every drop of the mixture out of the bowl with a spatula.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. If there is any wet mixture clinging to it, bake for a further 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool for 15 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack and drizzle over the ginger syrup.
• To make the icing, mix the coconut milk with the icing sugar until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cake in squiggles, then scatter with the chopped ginger, pistachios and coconut flakes, if using. Eat warm or cold. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container.

MOUNTAIN CHAI SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Steep 6 bags in 3/4 cup hot water overnight.
• Next day: Squeeze liquid out of bags and toss bags away.
• Place milk, tea, butter and cocoa powder in a saucepan and bring to a quick boil.
• Set aside.
• Beat eggs, egg yolks and sugar over a warm water bath until the mixture is warm.
• Then place mixture in a mixer and whip until tripled in volume.
• Cool for about 5 minutes.
• Fold the flour and tea mixture into the whipped eggs.
• Grease and flour dust (or dust with a mixture of cocoa powder and sugar) a 12x18 baking pan.
• Spread batter into pan.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
• Place on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan.
• Icing is optional or dust with powdered sugar before serving.

MINI CHAI SPONGE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a mini bundt pan.
• Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a pan and the whites in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
• Over very low heat, combine the yolks and the sugar and whisk until the sugar is completely incorporated and has dissolved. Continue whisking for a minute or two until the egg yolks have become very pale in colour and increased in volume. Be very careful not to get the yolks too hot or they will cook.
• Remove the yolk mixture from the heat and add the tea leaves, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Mix and let sit while you whip the egg whites.
• Using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form (4 to 5 minutes).
• Sift the flour into the egg yolk mixture and combine. The mixture may be stiff but don't worry about it.
• Add one-third of the egg whites to the yolk and flour mixture and stir until combined.
• Add the remaining egg whites and fold them into the lightened batter.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. If using a mini-Bundt pan, bake your cakes for 30 minutes and then check for doneness by inserting a cake tester into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done. If not, bake for an additional 5 minutes and test again.
• Once the cakes are baked, remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Unmold the bundt cakes and let cool completely.
• Serve with tea and enjoy!

COFFEE AND BANANA SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• #1 Way of Making;.
• Grease and flour or line with baking paper, a square 8" cake pan.
• Heat oven to 350'C/180'F.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the coffee essence.
• Mix in the mashed bananas.
• Add egg and milk.
• Sift together the dry ingredients and fold into creamed mixture.
• Scoop into prepared tin and bake for approx 35 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched with finger and is shrinking from sides of tin.
• Remove from oven and cool in tin for 5mins then turn onto a rack to cool completely.
• When cold cut in half and fill with sweetened whipped cream and dust top with icing sugar.
• #2 Way of Making;.
• Sift flour and baking powder and salt into bowl of mixer.
• Add in the sugar, egg, coffee essence and mashed bananas.
• Stir the baking soda into the milk and add to bowl.
• Melt the butter and add last.
• Beat on high speed until just mixed then scoop into greased & floured or, baking paper lined 8" tin.
• Bake 35mins approx and continue as for #1.
• *For a special effect ice/frost top with coffee butter icing and decorate with chopped walnuts.