This delicious apple cake is infused with our aromatic Cape Malay Chai for a stunning flavour. Sit down, relax and enjoy with a cup of tea.
Line a 20cm (7cm deep) spring form cake tin with greaseproof paper (sides and bottom) and preheat the oven to 180°C.
In the recipe
In a medium frying pan melt 25g butter and 25g soft brown sugar over a medium heat, then add the apple slices and cook gently for 5 minutes.
Add the brandy and cook for a further 5-7 minutes, until a thick syrup has formed around the apple slices.
When cooked but still firm, remove the apples and any syrup from the pan and place to one side to cool. Once cool, chop the apples into small 1cm squares.
In a large glass bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until light in colour.
Then stir in the beaten eggs, vanilla extract, cooled Dragonfly Cape Malay Chai tea, vegetable oil and black treacle, you may also need to add a little of the flour to help it combine. Add the remaining flour and stir until thoroughly combined.
Gently stir in the chopped pecan nuts, the cooked apples and any syrup.
Tip the cake mixture into the lined cake tin, level and bake for 50 minutes.
When the cake has about 15 minutes cooking time remaining, make the drizzle.
Place the cider in a small pan and heat to a boil, turn off the heat and infuse the Dragonfly Cape Malay Chai teabag and leave to steep for 4 minutes.
Remove the teabag and add the granulated sugar to the cider, return to the heat and cook out until the drizzle thickens, around 5 minutes, then add the 8 whole pecan nuts and remove the pan from the heat.
Once the cake has been in the oven for about 45 minutes, insert a skewer into the centre of the cake and every 2 minutes thereafter. When the skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready.
Remove from the oven and place on cooling rack in the cake tin.
Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes. Then prick the cake all over with a cocktail stick, and spoon over the drizzle.
To decorate, place the eight whole pecan nuts evenly around the surface of the cake. When you've done this, release and remove the spring form side of the cake tin and allow the cake to cool completely on the cooling rack before transferring to a serving plate.
The cake can be store in an air tight container for up to 4 days.
