Name: Chocolate-chai kefir cake
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 10-12
Ingredients: 150g dark chocolate broken into chunks; 250g plain flour; 75g cocoa powder; 1½ tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp ground cardamom; ¼ tsp ground cloves; 250ml kefir; 3 medium eggs; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 150g caster sugar; 100g soft light brown sugar; 125g unsalted butter softened, plus extra for the tin; 100g dark chocolate; 75ml whipping cream; 1 tbsp golden syrup

Chocolate Cake Recipe with Chai and Kefir

150g dark chocolate
broken into chunks
250g plain flour
75g cocoa powder
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cloves
250ml kefir
3 medium eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
150g caster sugar
100g soft light brown sugar
125g unsalted butter
softened, plus extra for the tin

GLAZE

100g dark chocolate
75ml whipping cream
1 tbsp golden syrup

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and butter and line the base of a deep, 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, or in short bursts in the microwave. Put the kettle on.
step 2
Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and 1⁄4 tsp of fine salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the kefir, eggs, vanilla and melted chocolate. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugars and butter until just combined, then tip in the dry ingredients, followed by the wet. Use an electric whisk to combine to a smooth batter. Whisk in 150ml of just boiled water from the kettle and scrape into the prepared tin. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer poked into the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove onto a serving plate to finish cooling completely
step 3
For a saucy finish, ice just before serving, but if you don’t mind the icing matt and set, you can do it as soon as the cake is cool. Chop the chocolate and put in a bowl, then combine the cream and syrup in a small pan. Heat gently until bubbles just start to appear then pour over the chocolate. After 3-5 minutes stir together until the chocolate has melted completely. Slowly spoon or pour all over the cake. Leave for a minute (or up to a day) then serve in wedges, if you like.