Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 8 g baking powder
- 4 g baking soda
- 3 g salt
Chai Masala Spices
- 6 g ground ginger
- 4 g ground cardamom
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground cloves
- 1 g ground black pepper
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 120 ml plain whole milk yogurt, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Fruit
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced into 1cm cubes
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 20cm round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Remove 1 tablespoon of this mixture and set it aside to coat the apples.
Toss the diced apples with the reserved tablespoon of the dry flour mixture. This prevents the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Turn the mixer to low speed. Add one-third of the dry flour mixture, followed by half of the yogurt. Add another third of the flour, the remaining yogurt, and finish with the last of the flour. Mix only until just combined to avoid a tough cake.
Gently fold the flour-coated diced apples into the batter using a rubber spatula.
Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top into an even layer with the spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then carefully invert onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
Chef's Notes
- To maximize the flavor of the chai spices, you can lightly toast the ground spices in a dry skillet over low heat for 30 seconds before whisking them into the flour.
- The tiny pinch of black pepper is essential here. It doesn't make the cake spicy, but it works as a flavor enhancer for the warming spices, mimicking the authentic bite of masala chai.
- Yogurt provides the acidity needed to activate the baking soda while keeping the crumb incredibly tender. Ensure it is at room temperature so the butter does not coagulate when they mix.
- For an elegant finish, dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar mixed with a pinch of cinnamon, or serve warm with unsweetened whipped cream to balance the sweetness.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil before freezing.
Reheating: Microwave individual slices for 10-15 seconds to serve warm.
