Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder + extra for dusting loaf pan
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 2 tablespoons loose leaf chocolate chai (use any loose leaf chai you like)
• 2 sticks softened butter + extra for greasing baking pan
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 5 loaf pan generously with butter. Dust generously with cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. Whisk flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.
3. Put 3/4 cocoa powder in a glass or metal bowl and while whisking, drizzle in the boiling hot water. Whisk until smooth.
4. Grind the loose chai using a mortar and pestle or electric grinder until somewhat fine, but not powdery.
5. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment beat the 2 sticks butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of mixer as needed.
6. Add in the vanilla extract and cocoa-water mixture and beat until combined on medium speed.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Again scrape down sides of bowl as you need to.
8. Turn mixer to low-speed and add flour-salt mixture just until blended. Remove mixer bowl and using a rubber scraper scrape down sides of bowl and blend in any remaining flour.
9. Add the ground chocolate chai to the batter and blend well. Scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top.
10. Bake for about 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool baked cake on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes or so. Remove cake from pan and set on wire rack to continue to cool if you can wait long enough! The aroma of the chocolate and chai combination is fantastic.

Teresa Blackburn    http://www.teresablackburnfoodstyling.com    http://www.foodonfifth.com