Lime, Jasmine Blossom and Cardamom Leaves Mini Cakes

Ingredients - Makes 10 mini cakes of 45g mix each in 5cm individual cake rings

Ingredients for the cake

• 150g butter/margarine
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g self-raising flour
• 130g whole egg - whisked
• 15g lime juice
• Zest from 1 lime

Ingredients for the buttercream (15g per layer, 30g per cake inside)

• 1 pkt cardamom leaves – dried in the microwave and blitzed to a powder
• 300g icing sugar
• 150g butter
• 20g lemon/lime juice

Ingredients for the lime curd

• 50g egg yolks
• 20g lime juice
• Zest of 1/2 lime
• 45g sugar
• 20g butter

Ingredients for the crystallised lime curls

• 2 limes
• 40g caster sugar
• 20g water

Ingredients for decoration

• Jasmine Blossoms
• Icing sugar
• Cardamom leaves powder
• Crystallised lime curls
• Whole fresh cardamom leaves for serving

Method

Method for the cake

• Prepare 10 x 5cm diameter, 5cm high mini individual cake rings by lining with oiled parchment.
• Pre-heat the oven to 160C.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add the egg a little at a time, beating the mix well between each addition.
• Fold in the flour gently to retain the air, then fold in the zest and lime juice.
• Pipe 45g of the mix into each of the cake rings.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until well risen and golden brown and 84C in the centre.
• Let cool slightly in the cake rings. Level off the tops (which will be the bottom of the cake when presented), and turn out of the rings on to a cooling rack.

Method for the buttercream

• Cream the butter and icing sugar until light in colour and fluffy.
• Add the cardamom leaf powder and citrus juice and beat well. Add a little more icing sugar if
• required for firm pipable icing.
• Set aside at room temperature until required.

Method for curd

• Place the egg yolks, lime juice and sugar in microwavable bowl.
• Heat for several seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring in-between each burst with a whisk,
• until the curd thickens and reaches 75C.
• Add the butter and stir in.
• Immediately pour curd through a sieve into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until required.

Method for the crystallised lime curls

• Pare off the zest in long pieces from a lime.
• Julienne very finely.
• Bring to boil in cold water, refresh in cold water, repeat 2 more times to reduce bitterness and make more tender.
• Place sugar and water in a pan, add the lime curls, bring to boil until a light syrup. Drain (reserve the syrup – can be used for moistening the sponge cakes or as a decorative drizzle mixed with icing sugar and a few drops tartaric acid) and toss the julienne of lime in caster sugar.
• Dry these in a dehydrator at 80C until the desired texture (approx 45 mins to an hour).

Method for finishing

• When cakes are cool, slice into 3 layers horizontally (freeze lightly if they are hard to cut neatly).
• Spread some curd thinly on each of the two inside layers.
• Pipe the buttercream in neat blobs using an 8-9mm plain nozzle on each of the inside layers (5 blobs around the layer and one in the middle).
• Lay each cake on a cardamom leaf, decorate with jasmine blossoms, lime curls, icing sugar and cardamom powder, fresh lime if wanted (and if you have a drizzle icing made from the syrup).

Chef: Shona Sutherland