You may recall that around this time last year, I made a Choco Aztec Spiced Tea Cake with a Blackberry Cream using the contents of some Yogi Tea and it was delicious, and it worked adding a subtle flavour to the cake batter.
I was sent some new Yogi Tea goodies last week in the form of a Limited Edition YOGI TEA Summer Hamper, and one of the tea flavours was Liquorice Mint with liquorice, peppermint and cardamon
Soooooo I decided to incorporate the tea bag contents into a cake, and hope that I could pull if off successfully again.
Now I know there was some hoo ha when Nigella used liquorice in a chocolate and blackcurrant cake which she featured on her cooking show last year, but I know that liquorice and chocolate can work. I also know that bananas work in a chocolate cake – but would all of these flavours taste nice when baked in a cake?
What do you think?
I also added some liquorice to my chocolate and cream ganache topping. The ganache is a tad lumpy – but that is due to the liquorice which was hard to melt, so I had to give it a whizz with my hand help blender!
The sponge tasted lovely – again very subtle hints of the tea comes through, but it goes nicely with the banana and chocolate and liquorice topping. I did not add too much liquorice to my ganache as I am not a huge fan of the confectionary, but if you are you could of course add more for a stronger flavour.
So if you like the sound of this cake, here is how you can make it yourself
- 250g butter
- 100g date nectar (or you could use honey or more caster sugar)
- 100g caster sugar
- 300g self raising flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 over ripe bananas (medium sized)
- the contents of Liquorice and Mint 3 Yogi Tea bags
- 4 large eggs
- *For the ganache*
- 100g milk chocolate
- 50g dark chocolate
- 75g soft plain liquorice
- 200ml double cream
- *decoration*
- whatever you have - I used chocolate stars and cut up some liquorice.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF
- Grease and line a 23cm/9 inch loose bottomed tin.
- Cream the butter with the sugar and date nectar (I used a freestanding mixer) and beat for about 5 minutes until smooth.
- Add the bananas, broken into chunks and mix well until well combined, then add the tea.
- The batter will curdle a bit here but that is ok just keep going!
- Next add the eggs and beat or a few minutes with a spoonful of the flour
- Then add the remaining flour, coca powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix in until incorporated to make a lovely batter
- Pour the batter into your prepared tin and bake for approx 55 minutes
- When the cake is done, it should have risen and a cake tester will come out clean (I use a knife!)
- Leave to cool completely before removing the cake.
- *to make the ganache*
- Melt the chocolate and liquorice slowly in a bowl over hot water - just before it is fully melted, remove form the heat and using hand held blender, blitz the mixture to break up the liquorice
- Put back on the heat and continue melting, but now add the cream and keep stirring to make a lovely glossy thick sauce.
- Allow to cool for about 5 minutes
- Then cover the top of your cold cake and use a cake spatula knife to spread it one the top smoothly and decorate if you wish.
Perfect with a cup of Yogi Tea!
I was sent a hamper of Yogi Tea products for the purpose of a review.
Hosted this week by Sarah at Maison Cupcake
I am not a huge fan of liquorice, but I do love the sound of that tea. The cake looks lovely and moist! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
What a fab recipe, your cake looks delicious. I love the idea of using liquorice & mint tea in the sponge & the chocolate liqourice ganache sounds perfect. Thanks for sharing x
What an interesting mix of flavours, I bet it tasted fab! Chonnie
What an interesting flavoured cake! I love the decorations, thanks for sharing #BakeOfTheWeek