Financial Times Europe - 19.10.2019 - 20.10.2019

38 FT.COM/MAGAZINEOCTOBER19/202019

O

urgatewaytoAmerican

bakingisourgoodfriend

andcolleagueBridget

Fojcik,whogrewupin

Seattle.Sheintroduced

ustotheproudbaking

traditionsoftheUnited

States,includingrecipes

withwholesomenamessuchasberrycrisp,

ricecrispytreatsandpumpkinchiffonpie.

Oneofthecrowninggloriesoft hisgreat

AmericantraditionistheGermanchocolatecake.

Itis agothiccreation,aWagneroperaofacake,

withlayersofchocolateyspongeandcoconut

buttercream,knobblybitsof pecanandanicingof

morechocolate,morecoconutandmorepecans.

IfnoneofthesecomponentssoundsveryGerman,

that’ sbecausethe yaren’t.Samuel Germanwas

anAmericanbaker,possiblyofE nglishorigin,

whode velopedbakingchocolateforTheBaker

Oncemore,withpassion

To makea22cm cake

Forthe cake mix

•200g coconut milk

•2eggs

•80g passion fruit flesh

(from 4-6 fruits,

depending on their size)

•175gsugar

•1tspbaking powder

•Pinch salt

•50g cocoa powder

•140gspelt flour(orplain

if youprefer)

•80g chopped dark

chocolate(weused 70

per cent)

•3tbs desiccated

coconut (30g)

•125g coconut oil(just

melted but not hot)

Forthe passion-fruit icing

•120gicing sugar

•20g passion-fruit pulp

(about 1-2)

1 —Heatyour ovento

170C (fan assist).

2 —Stir the coconut milk,

eggs and passion fruit

together and whisk to

combine.Mix the sugar,

baking powder,salt,

cocoa powder and spelt

flour inalarge bowl. Then

mix in thewetingredients

and stiralittle,but don’t

bother to combine until

youadd the chopped

chocolate,desiccated

coconut and melted

coconut oil.Nowfold to

an even mass but trynot

to over-mix,just combine.

3 —Transfer toalined

22cm springform baking

tin and pop into the

centreofthe ovenfor 20

minutes.Rotate the cake

foranevenbakeand cook

forafurther20 minutes.

Check the cake–itshould

star ttocrack. It will

probablytake another

10minut es to bakefully

but, depending onyour

oven, youmight want to

lowerthe heatabit if it

star ts getting too dark.

It is done when it seems

bouncybut not fully firm,

as the chocolate and spelt

flour willkeep it moist.

4 —Remove the cakefrom

the ovenand leavetocool

forafew minutes. Then

remove the side of the tin

and turn on toaflat plate,

leaving the base of the

tin to pressitdownfor

15 minutes.Remove the

base and let the cakecool

entirely beforeicing.

5 —Toice,simply mix

the icing sugar with

the passion-fruit pulp

until it becomesa

paste.Don’t add any

moreliquid unless

you’re really struggling

to turn it intoapaste.

Pour overthe top of the

cakeand smooth to the

edges.Letitset forabout

15 minutesbefor eserving.

38

Photographsby Patricia Niven

Adairy-freechocolate,

passion fruitandcoconutcake

ByItamarSrulovich. RecipebySaritPacker

honeyandco@ft .com

ChocolateCompanyinthe1850s.Therecipefor

thiscakecanbetrace dbackto Texasinthe1950s.

Ithas becomeanationaltreasure.

Weusuall yforgetBridget’s birthdaybutshe

neverforgetsours.Wheneverthereiss omething

tocelebrate,weknowshe’llstayupt henight

before,la yeringgo odwish esforusincoconut

andchoco late.

Butthi syearwed idmanagetogetouract

togethe randbak eacakeforherbirthday.

Itwasn ’tafoothighor layeredanditdidn’t

takeallnigh ttom ake–inf act,thiswa saquick

mix-and-bakenumber,achocolate-coconut

combobutwit hthenuts replace dbysharp

passionfruit.Itw asn’tGermanorAmericanor

anyotherna tionality,butitwasverygo od–

andafinewa ytocelebrateaclosefriend.