Meet Corli Botha – the new Face of Rooibos 2018

Corli Botha, the new Face of Rooibos 2018, comes with credentials. She is the 2016 winner of Koekedoor, a popular baking competition on television, and she has published her first cookbook, Corli se Kombuis.

She was elected by die organisers of National Rooibos Day to represent the Rooibos industry and to promote awareness – locally and even globally – of the diverse potential of this unique plant. She will therefore act as a proud ambassador of the South African Rooibos industry. With her special Rooibos recipes and tips on infusing techniques for Rooibos confectionary and dishes, Corli is sure to take the world of Rooibos to new heights.

Her cookbook – Corli se Kombuis – includes recipes inspired by the time she spent living in France. As the Face of Rooibos, she will use her creativity to introduce recipes that incorporate Rooibos. (See recipe for her Rooibos Tea Cream Cake below.)

Rooibos Ltd is delighted to be the sponsor of the Face of Rooibos 2018 campaign. Says Gerda de Wet, Communication Manager at Rooibos Ltd, “We have decided to include influencer marketing in our marketing strategy. This is not the same as a celebrity endorsement. Through Corli we will build rapport and trust with our target audiences by leveraging the rapport and trusted voice she already has. She will help us to build brand awareness, create content and, ultimately, generate sales. Corli often uses Rooibos in her cooking and we believe her popularity, combined with her cooking skills, will appeal to the public.”

In this video, Sanet Stander from the Rooibos Tea House in Clanwilliam explains the value of having a Face of Rooibos. In 2017, the award-winning riel dance group called Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers was chosen as the Face of Rooibos.

Overall, the aim of the Face of Rooibos campaign is to encourage the use of this uniquely South African product.

Recipe for Corli’s Rooibos Tea Cream Cake
This three-layered Rooibos-flavoured cake tastes great and looks stunning. The cake can be stored in an air-tight container. The cake can also be decorated with fresh roses.

Tip: Lining the cake tins with baking paper will make it easier to take the layers out of the cake tins and it will help to prevent the cake from overbaking.

Oven temperature: 160 degrees Celsius

Cake – ingredients

• 700 ml self-raising flour
• 2,5 ml salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 ml Rooibos Espresso
• 250 g real butter
• 450 ml castor sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, separated
• 300 ml unflavoured double-cream yogurt
• 70 ml oil

Cake – method

1. Beat the soft butter until fluffy. Gradually add castor sugar, beating well after each addition.
2. Beat 5 egg yolks separately and then add to the butter mixture. Next, add the yogurt and mix through.
3. Sift the self-raising flour, salt and baking powder twice.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing after each addition but without overmixing. Next, add the Rooibos Espresso.
5. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Start by adding a quarter of the egg whites to the dough mixture to loosen up the dough.
6. Next, fold the remainder of the egg whites into the cake mixture, using a metal spoon. Do not overmix. Pour into 3 cake tins (20 cm diameter).
7. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
8. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins.

Apricot Rooibos syrup – ingredients

• 385 g good quality apricot jam
• 250 ml strong Rooibos tea (use 2 tea bags)
• Pinch of salt to add to syrup

Apricot Rooibos syrup – method

1. Using hot water, make a strong cup of Rooibos tea.
2. Put the jam in a saucepan and heat on the stove.
3. Add the strong tea to the saucepan.
4. Cook the mixture until syrupy.
5. Using a toothpick, prick holes in the cakes to aid the absorption of the syrup. Then pour half of the syrup evenly over the cakes.
6. Once the layers of cakes have cooled down, flip each cake over onto a plate.
7. Pour the remainder of the hot syrup over the other side of the cake layers.

Cream frosting – ingredients

• 4 cups of full-cream milk
• 75 ml custard powder
• 75 ml cornflour
• Pinch of salt
• 5 Rooibos tea bags
• 250 ml fresh cream

Cream frosting – method

1. Pour about 900 ml of the milk into a heavy saucepan and add the tea bags.
2. Slowly heat the milk. This will allow the milk to take on the flavour and colour of the Rooibos tea.
3. Add the cornflour and the custard powder to the remainder of the milk and mix.
4. Add the custard mixture to the hot milk mixture while beating with a whisk. Keep on whisking until the mixture thickens. Take care not to burn the mixture.
5. Remove from the stove and pour the mixture into a glass bowl. Cover with cling wrap to prevent a skin forming on top.
6. Allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature. The mixture can also be cooled down in the fridge.
7. Whisk the cream until it forms stiff peaks and fold it into the cooled down custard mixture.

Assembling the cake

• Put the cream custard mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto each layer.
• Stack the three layers on top of each other.
• Decorate the cake as desired by adding fresh flowers, etc.

Watch video here.

Stay updated on the Face of Rooibos campaign

To book Corli for an appearance or for more information, contact www.rooibosinfohub.com or [email protected], or phone +27 (0)27 482 1007. Visit the Rooibos Day Facebook page (@RooibosDay), Twitter page (@RooibosDay) and Instagram (@rooibosdag) to stay updated on the latest happenings from The Face of Rooibos.

Read more in the media:

The Gremlin’s website:
Corli Botha – the face of Rooibos 2018

Rooibos Day website:
Face of Rooibos 2018