Green Tomato and Chai Cake

If you can make a cake using carrots, courgettes or beetroot, then why not with green tomatoes? Surprisingly, unlike many other cakes with vegetables in it, this cake is not at all dense but quite light, spongy and moist.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped green tomatoes ¼ cup sultanas 50g unsalted butter (softened) ¼ tsp salt ½ cup caster sugar ½ cup light brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1½ cups plain flour ¼ tsp each of ground nutmeg, cinnamon,

cardamom and black pepper 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder

METHOD

In a bowl, beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat well. Sift together 1 cup of the flour, baking soda, baking powder and chai spice mix. Add this to the mixture in the bowl and beat, on medium speed, till well mixed. Take another bowl and put the chopped tomatoes and sultanas in it. Add the remaining half cup of flour and mix, using a wooden spoon, till the flour has coated the tomatoes well. Add this mixture to the batter in the other bowl and fold in till well-mixed. Scrape this mixture into a greased and floured cake tin (or bundt pan) and smooth the top. Bake at 180C for 40 to 50 minutes till a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes and unmould the cake. Cool on a rack. Cover with cream cheese icing or dust with icing sugar or leave it plain as the cake has heaps of flavour.