Little chai breakfast cakes

These relaxed breakfast cakes offer plenty of excuses to eat in this weekend. Preparation Time 15 minutes Cooking Time 20 minutes Makes 12 Ingredients 1 chai or black tea bag 200g packet dried apple slices 485g (3 1/4 cups) plain flour 220g (1 cup) caster sugar, plus 3 tsp extra, to scatter 110g (1/2 cup firmly packed) brown sugar 1 tbs baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves 3 eggs 375ml (1 1/2 cups) buttermilk 125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil 200g (1 1/2 cups) frozen blueberries Honey, to drizzle Method Preheat oven to 170C fan-forced. Place tea bag in a heatproof jug, pour over 180ml (3/4 cup) boiling water, then steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bag, squeezing excess water from bag, and discard. Pick out 12 equal-sized and nicely shaped apple slices. Place in a small bowl, cover with cold water and reserve. Finely chop 100g remaining apple slices (you will have some left over). Add to hot tea, stir to combine, then soak for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grease muffin pans. Using a wooden spoon, push flour, sugars, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and 1/4 tsp salt through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Place eggs, buttermilk, oil and chai tea mixture in a second bowl, and whisk to combine. Pour wet mixture onto dry mixture and, using a large metal spoon, stir briefly until half incorporated. Add blueberries and stir gently to just combine, leaving flecks of uncombined flour. Using a 125ml (1/2 cup) measure, scoop mounded cupfuls of batter, then, using a spoon, scrape into each muffin hole. Drain reserved apple slices, then top each cake with a slice. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean. Check cakes after 15 minutes and cover with baking paper if apple slices are over-browning. Remove from oven and immediately scatter generously with extra sugar. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Using a dinner knife, gently ease cakes from pans. Drizzle with honey and serve warm or at room temperature. Notes Add-on: Process 360g (1 1/2 cups) fresh ricotta with 2 tbs honey in a food processor until smooth. Serve with cakes. from masterchefmagazine