Eggless Chai Cake

When it comes to baking,I have no hard and fast rules.Though I am a vegetarian and do not eat eggs,I relax the rule when I bake.Initially when I was taking baby steps in baking,I wrongly assumed it was the lack of eggs which was the cause of my failed baking trials.Slowly I got comfortable using eggs and with the right recipes,everything fell into place.

Once I got comfortable with regular baking recipes,I wanted to try out eggless recipes too for my parents and family who did not eat eggs.Again,with the right recipes I succeeded there too.Eggless cakes,according to me taste just as delicious as their eggy counterparts.You just need a few basic recipes and then you can tweak them according to your choice.

When I got hold of the book,The Big Book of Treats,what impressed me the most was the addition of so many eggless recipes,something which is not commonly seen in baking books.That too,with so many variations,like this recipe which uses Chai/Tea.I've used Coffee in my bakes,but Tea,that is something new indeed.I love my Tea and couldn't wait to taste it in a cake :)

However,the day I decided to bake this cake was the day the power gods were playing tricks.With so many power outbreaks while the cake was inside the oven,the end product suffered a bit.The cake turned out slightly dense as you can see.I decided to post it here anyway because the taste was outstanding.With the slight hint of cardamom in the tea and the addition of condensed milk,it almost tasted like a cake version of an Indian sweet!

Eggless Chai Cake

Ingredients

Condensed milk - 200 gms
Chai - 125 ml(made with milk and without sugar)
Butter - 100 gms
Castor sugar - 15 gms
Flour - 125 gms
Baking soda -1/2 tsp
Baking powder -1 tsp

Method

Grease and line a 6' tin(I used a loaf pan).

Whisk together butter and castor sugar till light and fluffy.

Add the condensed milk and chai and whisk till mixed well.

Sift together the flour,baking soda and baking powder and fold into the batter with a spatula.

Bake at 180C for 20-22 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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Ginger-Cardamom Tea | Adrak-Elaichi Chai

I've been a tea-drinker ever since I can remember.Of course,at home it shuffled between Coffee and tea since I believe amma makes out of this world Bru coffee,I always want a cup of tea for a real pep-me-up when I am tired or sleepy.Ajay being a true-blue tea lover meant it was the given choice of beverage in our house,any time.

I am not particular when it comes to the kind of tea I love.Amma makes a milky tea whereas my friend makes an awesome watery tea with just a dash of milk.I take the middle path adding equal amount of milk and water.Seriously,if it is tea,I am game.Since we have tea at least 2-3 times a day,I think of ways to make it taste different every time.

Adding masala,or cardamom or ginger is a great way to make the tea delicious.Though we do prefer plain tea in the mornings,for the evening chai,some spice is allowed:)Some Parle-G or Good day biscuits on the side is truly the icing on the cake!

Ginger-Cardamom Tea | Adrak-Elaichi Chai

Ingredients

Ginger - 1 small piece[about 1/2'],peeled and washed thoroughly
Cardamom - 2,whole
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 tsp
Tea leaves - 2 tsp[I use Taj Mahal,always have-always will!]

Method

 
Crush together ginger and cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle.
 
In a saucepan add the crushed ginger-cardamom and water.Let it come to a boil.Add sugar to taste.
 
When it comes to a rolling boil add tea leaves.Simmer and add milk.
 
Let it simmer for 1 minute.Strain and serve.

Some tips to make the perfect cup of tea

• Add the tea leaves to the water only when it has come to a rolling boil.This makes sure all the flavour of the tea leaves gets released into the water.Some prefer to switch off the flame and cover the pan with a lid and let the flavours infuse,that is also a good method.
• I prefer adding equal amount of water and milk but you can add as much or as less milk as you prefer.
• Same goes with the sugar.Add or reduce according to your choice.You can skip adding the sugar while making the tea if you prefer adding it to your cup while serving.
• Do not simmer the tea for more than 1 minute as it will make the tea stronger and in turn bitter.Add 1 tsp of tea leaves per cup and simmer for 1 minute and you will get perfectly brewed tea.Not too strong and not too light.

Some snacks which pair perfectly well with a cup of tea -

• Pazham Pori
• Parippu Vada
• Torcettini
• Pappada Vada
• Bakery-Style Tea Rusk

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