This recipe is taken from Cooking with Tea by Robert Wemischner and Diana Rosen.  The combination of dark milk chocolate, available in most gourmet food shops, and Golden Tip Assam makes a rich special-occasion dessert.

Milk Chocolate Torte with Assam Tea Ganache  Serves 6-8

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8 in cake or springform pan with non-flavored pan spray.  Line bottom with parchment paper circle.

In a double boiler or stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate.  In a separate small saucepan, bring the tea leaves, water, and butter to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir to melt the butter, allowing the tea leaves to infuse in the water-butter mixture for about 3 minutes.  Pass through a fine sieve into the chocolate.  Stir to blend.  Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites into a perfectly clean, fat-free bowl of an elelctric mixer and the yolks into the chocolate mixture.  Beat whites until soft peaks form.  Sift flour and malted milk powder together and then fold in egg whites.  Fold this flour-malted powder mixture gently but thoroughly into the chocolate base.  Pour into prepared cake pan and bake about 35 minutes, or until the cake appears firm, but not dry.  This cake is very moist inside and will fall as it cools. 

Assam Ganache

In a heavy 1 qt saucepan, bring the cream and tea leaves to a boil.  Remove from heat and allow to infuse further for 3 minutes.  Pass through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Slowly add the chocolate and gently stir to blend, without aerating.  Add the butter and stir until completely melted.  Set aside.

Assembly:  Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.  Carefully remove cake from pan and place on a cooling rack, then place the rack on the cookie sheet.  Pour the ganache over the cake, using a spatula to spread the ganache evenly as needed.  Allow to set.  Scraped up any ganache that drips off the cake and pour to cover the second time.  Reheat slightly over simmering water bath to loosen if necessary.  Cool at room temperature. 

Note:  If your kitchen is hot, place the cake in the refrigerator just until the ganache sets and feels dry to the touch.  Remove the cake from the refrigerator about 20 minutes prior to serving and allow it to adjust to room temperature.