Honeybush.

Robert's (my guy <3) mother is from South Africa and she introduced me to rooibos tea and the traditions surrounding it. She recently mentioned honeybush which I had never tried but was interested in. Along with the Persian Plum Rose , Blossom sent me a sample of Honeybush as well.

I used one of my favorite recipes for chocolate cake and adapted it to make it extra honeybush infused!

This tea was fascinating, it almost looks like mulch and smells very earthy. From the scent, I did not expect the taste in the cake.

While I was mixing the cake and also while I was baking it, the brewed honeybush had such a strong aroma it was filling the apartment. It was wonderful!

Honeybush infused milk.

Hot honeybush tea.

Two layers of honeybush goodness.

I decided to top this off with a honey buttercream frosting that I've made before and is SO good.

Cake:

2 cups brown sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup milk infused with honeybush
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup hot Honeybush
pinch of salt

Frosting:

2 sticks of butter, room temperature
4 tablespoons honey
1 cups powdered sugar*

What I like to do is mix the honey and the butter then gradually add in powdered sugar little by little until I like the consistency of the frosting. So it may be less than 1 cup or more based on preference. Don't forget to taste test too because frosting gets sweet fast!

Cake Instructions

1. Prepare the honeybush infused milk by heating the 1 cup of milk. Do not let it boil. Drop 2 tablespoons or more of honeybush into the tea depending on how strong you want it. Let it sit for several minutes. Pour the milk through a strainer and let cool.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

3. Add in eggs, yogurt, vanilla and honeybush infused milk.

4. Boil water and pour one cup of boiling water in a cup. Place 1-2 tablespoons of honeybush in a teabag and place in boiling water. Let it brew for a few minutes then pour hot, brewed tea into cake mixture. Gently mix.

5. Pour batter (will be thin) into two 9 inch pans that are greased and floured. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

6. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost with honey buttercream. I used a thin layer to make them almost "naked" but feel free to use more!

Do you have a favorite tea infused sweet?!