Rooibos & Chocolate Cake
Morné Botha
CAKE
50 g (125 ml) cocoa powder
5 ml vanilla essence
125 ml sunflower oil
250 ml very strong Rooibos
4 extra-large eggs, separated
300 g (375 ml) castor sugar
280 g (500 ml) cake flour
15 ml baking powder
2 ml salt
ICING
400 ml hot, very strong Rooibos
200 g (250 ml) sugar
45 g (50 ml) butter
20 g (50 ml) cocoa powder
25 g (50 ml) corn flour
5 ml vanilla essence
1 tin (385 g) caramel condensed milk
fresh berries and icing sugar to decorate
CAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease two spring-form cake tins (23 cm in diameter) and line the bottoms with greaseproof paper.
2. Stir the cocoa, vanilla and oil into the Rooibos until smooth. Beat the egg yolks and sugar till thick and creamy. Add the cocoa mixture to the eggs and mix well.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cocoa mixture and beat well.
4. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks are formed and fold into the cake batter. Pour the mixture in the prepared cake tins and bake for 30 minutes or until done (when a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean).
5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
ICING
6. Place the hot Rooibos, sugar and butter in a saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter.
7. Mix the cocoa and corn flour with a little of the Rooibos mixture to form a smooth paste. Add the remaining Rooibos mixture and stir until thick. Stir in the vanilla essence. Return to the heat and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Leave to cool, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
9. Stir the caramel condensed milk into the chilled icing mixture and mix through. Spread half of the caramel icing on one of the layers and cover with the second layer. Spread the remaining icing on top. Decorate with fresh berries. Dust the cake with icing sugar.
Makes 1 cake