Ceylon Chai Butter Cake

tastecooking.com

Debbie Fenner

subheading: CHAI SPICE BLEND:

½ TBSP ground Ceylon cinnamon

½ TBSP ground cassia cinnamon

½ TSP ground ginger

½ TSP ground cardamom

⅛ TSP ground allspice

⅛ TSP freshly ground nutmeg

⅛ TSP ground cloves

subheading: CAKE BATTER:

⅔ C whole milk, hot

2 TBSP Ceylon tea, loose (or use 2 tea bags)

1 ½ C unsalted butter, softened

2 ⅔ C granulated sugar

6 LG eggs, room temperature

1 TBSP pure vanilla extract

3 C all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus 1 tablespoon, divided

1 TSP fine sea salt

2 TSP baking powder

Chai Spice Mix

Powdered sugar, for dusting

This is the first dessert I ever learned how to bake, and it draws on my great-grandmother’s butter cake recipe, with the addition of Ceylon-tea-steeped milk and a hand-blended chai spice mix. My love of baking has stemmed from the communication it brings between family members. Baking was how I learned childhood stories about my mother’s life and how the culture of Sri Lankan cuisine was shaped by culture and history. Baked goods, in particular, were influenced by the changing world. This is the first dessert I ever learned how to bake, and it draws on my great-grandmother’s butter cake recipe, with the addition of Ceylon-tea-steeped milk and a hand-blended chai spice mix. My love of baking has stemmed from the communication it brings between family members. Baking was how I learned childhood stories about my mother’s life and how the culture of Sri Lankan cuisine was shaped by culture and history. Baked goods, in particular, were influenced by the changing world.

Baked items like golden butter cake provide a base of endless culinary possibilities. Cultural food, no matter how we are inspired by it, always hold the roots of our heritage. This is what has fueled my passion and inspiration for recipes that hold a connection to my family’s past, while moving toward the fusion that is our future. Sri Lankans have a saying: The only cake recipe you ever need is a good butter cake. Once you bite into this fragrant cake, you might agree! Baked items like golden butter cake provide a base of endless culinary possibilities. Cultural food, no matter how we are inspired by it, always hold the roots of our heritage. This is what has fueled my passion and inspiration for recipes that hold a connection to my family’s past, while moving toward the fusion that is our future. Sri Lankans have a saying: The only cake recipe you ever need is a good butter cake. Once you bite into this fragrant cake, you might agree!

note: The following recipe makes a 12-cup Bundt cake. However, it can be easily halved for a 6-cup Bundt pan. Baking time would be reduced to 42 to 47 minutes for a smaller cake.

Directions at tastecooking.com

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