If you love the distinctive taste of rooibos as much as we do, you’ll agree that it can be brewed into way more than just your cup of tea. That’s why we created the recipe for these cute little rooibos cakes!

MAKES 2 // COOKING TIME 40 min, plus cooling time

INGREDIENTS
For the cake
150 g butter, plus extra to grease
½ cup milk
4–6 rooibos tea bags
¾ cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1⅔ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
For the icing
2 rooibos tea bags
150 g butter
1⅔ cups icing sugar, sifted
¼ cup apricot jam

METHOD
For the cakes
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease four 10 cm round cake tins.
2. Place the butter, milk and tea bags in a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5–8 minutes, depending on the preferred strength of the tea. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then remove the tea bags, squeezing out the flavour.
3. Beat together the sugar, eggs and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients and the cooled tea mixture alternately to the sugar mixture.
5. Pour the mixture into the cake tins and bake for 20–25 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the tins and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the icing
1. Steep 1 tea bag in 1 tbsp boiling water for 5 minutes, then remove it.
2. Beat together the butter, sugar and tea.
3. Spread the icing, and then jam, on to 2 of the cakes. Sandwich with the other 2 cakes. Spread icing on top and decorate with leaves from the remaining tea bag.