Nettle and citrus cake
1 Blanch the nettles in a pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes until wilted, then transfer to a bowl of iced water. Once cooled, drain the leaves in a sieve or colander, then use the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer the nettles to a food processor along with the vanilla essence, cirtus juice and zest, then whizz to a smooth purée.
2 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, then butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with circles of baking parchment. Whisk the sugar and butter together in a mixing bowl until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl, then fold in the nettle puree and creamy egg batter. Divide the mixture between the two tins, then bake for 25 minutes until risen, springy in the middle and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack then set aside to cool completely.
3 Use a bread knife to level off the cakes; cut the risen tops off but keep hold of the trimmings. Place one of the cakes on a plate or cake stand, cut side facing downwards.
4 Mix the buttercream ingredients together until smooth, then spread a layer onto the base cake. Sit the second cake on top of the buttercream (cut side down), then spread the remaining buttercream over the two tiers. Aim for a smooth finish and fill in any gaps where the two cakes meet.
5 Whizz the offcuts together briefly in a food processor, then treat the buttercream as a glue of sorts to cover the cake with the crumbs. Try not to pack them down too much, as you’re looking to achieve a textured, moss-like finish.
I want to eat this in my Royal Orchard Sahiwal. Looking very tasty.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI would love to enjoy this dish at my Royal Orchard in Sahiwal. It looks incredibly delicious!