Chai Tea Cake

1. The day before baking, make the chai tea using enough water to cover the fruit water. Leave to infuse for 3 – 5 minutes and discard the tea bags.
2. Tip the dried fruit into the bowl and add the tea. Leave to soak overnight and then drain any excess liquid.

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C / 150°C for fan assisted ovens / Gas Mark 3.
2. Grease an 8” round cake tin with butter or use a liner.
3. Put all the ingredients except the fruit into a large bowl. Beat together well, but don’t overdo it.
4. Add the soaked dried fruit and stir by hand.
5. Carefully spoon the mixture into the cake tin and use a knife to make a slight depression in the top of the mixture, which will help it to stay flatter.
6. Bake for up to 1 hour 45 minutes. Test after 90 minutes with a toothpick – when it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

If your cake has a dome top, carefully slice across to create a flat surface. For the perfect finish, turn it over to serve bottom side up. Just before serving and only when completely cooled, dust with icing sugar. We used a crocheted place mat to create the pattern, but you could use a stencil or paper doily.