I really dislike white chocolate.
Apparently though, I had just had the misfortune of eating rubbish white chocolate. It turns out the good quality stuff is actually really lovely and so I was inspired by Rococo's white chocolate and cardamom bar to make this cake to take to the JING office tomorrow and pair with a frothy and lively Matcha Tea.
Just follow the recipe for a normal sponge cake (below) but be sure to add a level tablespoon of crushed cardamom seeds to the flour before folding it into the mixture.
Icing quantities also below - I used M&S white chocolate for this rather than the Rococo bar, as I wanted to keep the cardamom subtle and fresh. As for the meringues, they're from M&S, too. Sometimes you just gotta cut corners.
Cake - Ingredients
225g butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 large free-range eggs
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed to a powder in a pestle and mortar
100ml milk
Cake - Method
Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease the tin/s, then line with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add the flour, baking powder, cardamom and milk and fold in carefully.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-minutes.
Buttercream
175 g (6oz) white chocolate, chopped
250 (9oz) unsalted butter, softened
500 g (1lb 2oz) icing sugar
3 tbsp milk
Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. When melted and smooth, lift off and set aside to cool for 15min.
Put the softened butter into a separate large bowl and sift over the icing sugar. Starting slowly, beat together using a handheld electric whisk until fluffy and combined. Beat in cooled white chocolate and milk.
