Three-Milk Cake with Pistachio and Raspberry - Chef Recipe by Neil Perry

Ingredients

Three-milk cake:

300 g (2 cups) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of fine salt
6 eggs, separated
275 g (11/4 cups) caster sugar
125 ml (1/2 cup) milk
30 ml dark rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
375 ml (11/2 cups) pouring cream
550 ml evaporated milk
500 ml (2 cups) condensed milk


Meringue:

100 ml water
2 tsp lemon juice
300 g caster sugar
180 g egg whites (from about 4–5 eggs)
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp rose water

Three-milk sauce:

280 ml evaporated milk
240 ml condensed milk
140 ml pouring cream

Finely grated lime zest, roasted flaked almonds, roasted unsalted pistachios and fresh or freeze-dried raspberries, to serve

Method

To make three-milk cake:

Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter and flour a 30 cm × 20 cm Pyrex dish or cake tin.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then whisk in the sugar. Add the egg yolks one at a time, ensuring each is well incorporated before adding the next. Alternately fold in spoonfuls of the milk and flour mixture, mixing to a smooth batter. Finally, fold in the rum and vanilla. Pour into the prepared dish or tin and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven, but leave it in the dish. Use a skewer to prick the cake all over.

Mix together the cream, evaporated milk and condensed milk to make the three milk sauce, then pour over the cake. Leave to cool, then cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

To make meringue:

Place the water, lemon juice and all but 3 Tbs of the sugar in a small non- reactive saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook the syrup without stirring until it reaches 120°C on a sugar thermometer.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then whisk in the remaining sugar and the cream of tartar to make a meringue. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in a quarter of the sugar syrup and whisk to combine.

Continue adding the syrup in this way, whisking well each time, until it is all incorporated, then add the rose water and whisk on medium speed for a few minutes until smooth and glossy.

Cut the cake into 7 cm squares and place a square on each plate, then pour the sauce around the cake. Scoop a large spoonful of the meringue onto the top of each cake square and garnish with grated lime zest, flaked almonds, pistachios and raspberries.

Credits: Recipe from the book Spice Temple by Neil Perry with photography by Earl Carter, published by Lantern, RRP $69.99

Photo Credits: Recipe from the book Spice Temple by Neil Perry with photography by Earl Carter, published by Lantern, RRP $69.99