Recently, customers have been asking us to bring back one of our original flavors, the Royal Orange Chai cake.  This year, we decided to revisit the recipe at our bakery.  While testing, we felt like the former spice blend fell flat – it needed some oomph.  Then came the lightbulb moment!  Why not ask for help from our friends at Spicewalla, the locally owned spice company?

They sent over a delicious blend of traditional Indian tea spices: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, clove and allspice; it is the perfect balance for our golden orange cake.  Topped with our refreshing orange vegan buttercream, it’s a match made in heaven.

Spicewalla was founded by chefs on a mission to bring better spices to kitchens and countertops. Spices are products that come from living plants and deserve great care. They order whole spices in small quantities to avoid them sitting on shelves going stale, and they go to work everyday at their small factory in Asheville, NC roasting, grinding, and packing fresh spices by hand, to order, to ensure freshness and lasting flavor.

Chef owner Meherwan Irani has five James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef in the Southeast under his belt, and one win for Best Restaurant. His restaurants have been written up in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, GQ, Food & Wine, Saveur, USA Today, and Bon Appétit, among others.