Chai Spiced Tea Cake
4 chai tea bags
1/2 cup water
1 cup dates, chopped
185g butter, softened
11/4 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
11/2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup milk
icing sugar, to dust
Preheat oven to 160C. Grease a 20cm x 30cm tin and line with baking paper. Allow for enough paper to go up two sides so it is easier to lift out when cooked.
Place the tea bags in a saucepan with the water and dates, gently bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar with electric beaters until pale and creamy. Add vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time and beat well. Add the flour, spices and milk and mix together. Remove the tea bags and puree the water and dates, then mix into the cake batter.
Spoon mixture into tin and bake for 40 minutes. If the cake browns too quickly and looks like it may burn, cover it with foil and continue cooking for the remainder of time.
Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting out onto a wire rack.
Serve dusted with icing sugar.
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