This teatime loaf cake is full of a chai spice mix and topped with a cream cheese icing.
Plus Cooling
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
1 hr 20 mins
Cal/Serv:
598
Ingredients
For the cake
225g
unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
225g
light brown soft sugar
275g
self-raising flour
2tsp.
baking powder
3
medium eggs
125g
soured cream
2Tbsp.
cocoa powder, sifted
For the chai mixture
4
cardamom pods
1/2tsp.
ground cinnamon
1/8tsp.
ground cloves
1/2tsp.
ground ginger
1/4tsp.
ground allspice
For the icing
50g
unsalted butter, softened
100g
full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
200g
icing sugar, sifted
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4 and lightly grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. For the chai mixture, bash the cardamom pods using a pestle and mortar to break the husks. Pick out the black seeds, discard the husks, and grind seeds until fine. Mix in the remaining chai mix ingredients. Set aside.
Step 2For the cake, in a large bowl using a handheld electric whisk, beat the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and soured cream until light and fluffy, about 2min. Spoon half the mixture into a separate bowl and beat in most of the chai mixture (reserve some for garnish).
Step 3Sift the cocoa powder into the other cake batter bowl and beat to combine. Dollop alternate spoonfuls of the 2 cake batters into the lined tin, lightly swirl together with a skewer or cutlery knife, then smooth to level.
Step 4Bake for 1hr, or until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin for 5min, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5To make the icing, using a handheld electric whisk, beat together the 3 ingredients until combined and fluffy. Pipe or spread over top of cooled cake and sprinkle over reserved chai mixture. Serve in slices.
To store:
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Per serving:
Calories: 598
Protein: 8g
Total fat: 27g
Saturates: 16g
Carbs: 80g
Total sugars: 53g
Fibre: 2g
Every cake tastes better in loaf cake form and these are the best recipes to try now
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
