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Chefs Recipe: Ginger Cake, Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin by Michael Wignall
The old faithful ginger cake gets a Michelin makeover with the playful mastery of one of the UK’s most respected chefs, Michael Wignall from The Angel at Hetton. Here Michael shows you – weirdly (well, if you follow it very carefully) – how simple it can be:
Serves 8
For the Pumpkin Puree
INGREDIENTS
- ½ crown prince pumpkin
- Birch syrup, to taste
- Sugar, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Xantham Gum
METHOD
Remove all of the seeds from the pumpkin.
Cut into small pieces and place on a roasting tray, lined with parchment paper, to prevent sticking.
Place in the oven at 180c for 2 hours, or until soft.
Next scoop out flesh (while still hot) and place into a blender
Add a dash of birch syrup to get the mix blending.
Add a knife tip of xanthan gum while blending.
Add sugar and salt to taste
Once fully blended, pass through a sieve and leave to cool.
For the Chocolate Gel Namalaka
INGREDIENTS
- 340g 63% chocolate
- 200g milk
- 10g glucose
- 7g gelatin, soaked in cold water
- 400g crème excellence
METHOD
Melt the chocolate over a Baine Marie
Heat the milk and glucose together and bring to the boil
Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot milk and leave until melted.
Strain the mixture into the melted chocolate and mix until fully combined.
Pour crème excellence into the chocolate mixture little, by little, whilst stirring constantly.
Pour the mixture into a container and leave in the fridge for 24 hours.
For the Pumpkin oil jam
INGREDIENTS
- 3 egg yolks
- 185g Pumpkin oil
- 2g Salt
- 50g glucose
- 50g trimoline
METHOD
Add the glucose and trimoline to a pan and bring to a rapid boil
Place the yolks into a bowl and pour in the glucose and trimoline mixture, whisking continually
Once slightly whipped, transfer to a thermomix, with a whipper attachment, set the speed to 3 and gradually pour in the oil.
This can be done manually but just takes a bit more time. It’s similar to a mayonnaise recipe, emulsifying the oil to the egg and sugar mixture.
Finally, add your salt and pass through a fine sieve.
For the Ginger Cake
INGREDIENTS
- 225g self-raising flour, sieved
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
- 115g butter unsalted
- 115g soft brown sugar
- 230g golden syrup
- 1 egg
- 250g milk
- 85g stem ginger, grated
METHOD
Combine the flour, ginger, bicarb, and butter until breadcrumb consistency.
Melt the golden syrup, brown sugar and milk together.
Pour milk mixture into the flour mixture, little by little.
Add egg and stem ginger and mix for 3 minutes.
Pour into a lined cake tin.
Cook at 170c fan 3 for 30 minutes
Leave to cool completely before plating.
For the Set Custard
INGREDIENTS
- 500g crème excellence (UHT whipping)
- 100g egg yolks
- 35g sugar
- 2.25g pectin x58
- ½ vanilla pod
METHOD
Place the crème excellence and vanilla into a pan and start to heat.
Mix the sugar and pectin x58 together and then add to the cream when it is warm.
Bring the mixture to the boil and pour over the yolks, to temper them.
Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove lumps. Cling film and leave to chill.
PLATING THE DESSERT
Slice a piece of the ginger cake, approx. 15cm in length, 2.5cm wide and 2 cm high and place down the centre of the plate.
Pipe 4-5 varying size amounts of the chocolate namlaka on top of the cake and alternative amounts of the set custard. Then add 5 varying sizes of the pumpkin puree.
Lastly, follow the process with the pumpkin jam. You are looking for an even spread of colours across the cake.
Michael serves his with stem ginger ice cream but you could also use chocolate or vanilla.
***
Alternatively, book a table at Michael Wignall’s The Angel at Hetton – the stunning Michelin-starred gastropub with rooms in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales – and enjoy a variation of this dish from its creator, first-hand. Dine with the Luxury Restaurant Club and enjoy a glass of champagne with your lunch, see details here. To join the club, download the free Luxury Restaurant Guide app here and follow steps to join the club. Your table awaits!
