Whether a momentous occasion or mere morning, indulge in this cake, forged with love and layered with heritage.
SERVES 12
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 25 cm diameter cake tin, stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments or hand-held electric beaters, palette knife.
I love hibiscus. It reminds me of home a lot, especially of my grandma – aba – who used to wear them every day. We call them kukuwams in our language – the women on Mer Island always have kukuwam in their hair.
There are different types and they grow really naturally up in the Straits. Every time I go home and see them, I think to myself, “This is home.” Making this hibiscus cake is a way for me to bring in that island flavour from home and the bright colours that my aba, aunties, and uncles all like to wear – all the rainbow, all in one. It represents, I think, the smile that we try to carry with us. The hibiscus gives its natural colour and vibrancy, and its unique zesty tartness, which makes for an absolutely delicious cake.
Ingredients
For the cake
For the meringue
For the strawberry gum cream frosting
To decorate (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional). Grease a 25 cm diameter cake tin with butter and line it with baking paper.
- To make the cake, cream the egg yolks, caster sugar, and salt in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or using hand-held electric beaters, on low–medium speed until the mixture turns pale yellow. Add the milk, oil, pepperberry, ground hibiscus, and lemon zest. Mix well.
- Sift in the flour and cornflour, mix on low–medium speed to combine and set aside.
- If you don’t have another mixer bowl or hand-held electric beaters, transfer the cake batter to a separate bowl and wash the mixer bowl well.
- FOR THE MERINGUE: Using the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium–high speed until fluffy, then add the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.
- With the mixer on low, or whisking by hand, mix half the meringue into the cake batter until partially combined. Using a spatula, gently fold in the rest of the meringue.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- FOR THE STRAWBERRY GUM CREAM FROSTING: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand-held electric beaters, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the pepperberry, vanilla, strawberry gum, and sugar and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high speed for 2 minutes. If you’d like your frosting thicker, add a little more icing sugar.
- Cover the cake with the strawberry gum cream frosting, spreading it out with a palette knife but keeping it rough and organic. Decorate with fresh figs and blackberries if you have them.
RECIPE: Nornie Bero
This recipe was originally published in the article Fig & Fancy in Issue 50 – Marking a Milestone.
