Sexy Fish: matcha and ginger marble cake with gingerbread ice cream
This dessert is all about textures and it packs a punch on the flavour scale too. The matcha powder and ginger are offset by the more mild caramel and gingerbread ice cream. I’ve tried it in various different ways, and this is the definitive version!
SERVES
8
EQUIPMENT
2 large piping bags with size 8 nozzles
A non-stick loaf tin with these approximate measurements: 28cm long x 8cm x 11cm wide
INGREDIENTS
For the ice cream
250ml good quality vanilla ice cream
5 good quality stem ginger biscuits or cookies, crushed with a rolling pin in a sealed bag
For the cake
270g plain flour
180g rice flour
70g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp table salt
230g unsalted butter (room temperature)
230g caster sugar
6 free range medium sized eggs (room temperature)
2 vanilla pods, split and scraped (keep the empty pod for the toffee sauce)
2 oranges, zested
140g crystalised stem ginger, finely chopped
240g buttermilk
30g green tea powder (matcha) (available online)
For the caramel sauce
125g caster sugar
225g double cream (room temperature)
65g unsalted butter, cold and diced
To serve
1 Crunchie, crushed into pieces
4 hibiscus flowers in syrup (optional)
METHOD
We make our own gingerbread ice cream, but to make this easy, remove the ice cream from the freezer, allow to soften for half an hour, fold in the crushed ginger biscuits and re-freeze.
Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5.
Grease a non-stick loaf tin with butter or sunflower oil, coat with flour and tap off the excess.
To make the cake, combine the flours, ground almonds, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Place the sugar and butter into an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a hand-held mixer), and cream until light and fluffy.
At this point, slowly add the eggs one by one, allowing one to be mixed in before adding the next. Then add the vanilla pod seeds, orange zest and crystallized ginger. Turn the speed to a slow setting, and slowly add the buttermilk until smooth.
At this stage, slowly add the flour mixture bit by bit until the mixture is very smooth. Split the mixture into two – putting half into a piping bag (keep to one side), and the other half into a bowl, adding the matcha powder and mixing well until it goes a lovely grassy green colour. Put the green mixture into the other piping bag.
Fill the prepared cake tin by piping the mixture along the full length of the loaf tin, alternating lines of plain mixture and green mixture. When you have filled the base, start a new layer and pipe the opposite colour on top of the existing lines.
When the mixture is 4cm from the top of the tin, give the tin a firm tap to level the mixture and place into the preheated oven. Immediately turn the temperature down to 160C/gas mark 3.
Bake for an hour or until a knife comes out clean. Take out of the oven and set aside to cool.
For the caramel sauce, please be careful, as this may splash, especially when you add the cream. Place the sugar into a deep saucepan, over a high heat, and melt until it becomes dark a dark caramel colour.
At this point, gently stir in the cream, add in the reserved empty vanilla pod (for flavour) and reduce the mixture by half. This whole process should take about 10 minutes.
Take off the heat and slowly whisk in the cold butter, bit by bit, until you have a smooth shiny sauce. Remove the pod and discard; place the sauce into a warmed serving jug.
To serve, cut generous slices of the warm cake and put onto individual plates, pouring over some of the sauce and a scoop of ice cream. Top with Crunchie honeycomb pieces and fresh hibiscus flowers.
More recipes from Sexy Fish restaurant
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Sexy Fish: hot and sour prawns with new potatoes
Sexy Fish: seared tuna with pickled cucumber
Sexy Fish: whole baby chicken yakitori
Sexy Fish: vanilla rice pudding with banana and macadamias
