A
Tale of Two Cakes
Seeking ideas for this months’ column, I visited both my
own past for the Ginger Chai Bundt Cake and heard the story of
a Hungarian immigrant for Steve’s Apple Cake. Both are rich
sources for inspiration in the kitchen.
Steve Keschel came here in 1956, during the revolution in his
home country. For 30 years he has been the doorman at my friend
Dana Jacobi’s building in Manhattan. She told me about his
cake and, as a food writer, she described in minute detail every
aspect of the cake, but for an actual recipe I was left on my
own. I cut back on the amount of apples he uses, but other than
that I hope this does him proud. Perfect for a snack cake, weekend
brunch or Thanksgiving morning while saving room for the big meal.
At my first real restaurant job, the one where I actually had
to cook and not just wash dishes, I made 5 gallons of chai every
day, 5 days a week for 4 years. It makes me happy to see how chai
has caught on in this country, but I have to confess, most of
it is too sweet and relies heavy on the cinnamon and cloves for
my taste. Real chai (chai means tea in India and is always made
with milk, rendering the phrase chai tea latte both redundant
and repetitive) is made from fresh ginger, aromatic spices, black
tea and milk, sweetened just enough to balance the heat of the
ginger and yes, black peppercorns. I wanted to capture that wonderful
spice blend in a seasonal cake but knew it would be difficult
for the home baker.
Then I saw chai concentrate in a natural foods store. I always
liked Oregon Chai, but there are many brands to chose from, in
aseptic packages. This eliminates the need to track down and grind
all those spices, hard to find fresh in many places, and is just
right for both the cake and the glaze. This one is a definite
“company’s coming” cake, a real centerpiece.
Ginger-Chai
Glazed Bundt Cake
There are many brands of chai concentrate on the market, go
ahead and choose your favorite. For the glaze, feel free to adjust
the spice level to your taste, add in some fresh ground cardamom
pods or pump up the black pepper level for the true heat of freshly
made Indian chai. The crystallized ginger is a nice touch for
ginger lovers.
Steve's
Apple Cake
The lemon juice here imparts the tartness I look for from
Granny Smith’s, my favorite for baking, so use whatever
good baking apple you prefer.
Mix
it up with Mani by Mani Niall