Berbere Sponge Cake with Coconut Milk Sorbet

“More forks, please!” your guests will request, ready to dive into this latest dessert from Detroit Chef Ben Robinson. Who could turn down a savoury combination of fresh from scratch sponge cake, Thai Kitchen® Coconut Milk, house-made sorbet and hazelnuts spiced by McCormick Culinary®  Coriander and Cinnamon highlighted in our Berbere Spice seasoning blend. As an extra tasty treat, garnish each plate with remaining cake pieces, hazelnuts and fresh cilantro.

Ingredients

Procedure

For the Berbere Sponge Cake:

1. Bring coconut water and milk to a simmer. Hand blend in methylcellulose and cool.
2. Cream together powdered sugar and coconut oil, slowly incorporate eggs.
3. Whisk coconut mixture into the oil and eggs.
4. Add in flour, berbere spice and McCormick Culinary® Sea Salt, Mediterranean Fine Grind and whisk until smooth, then strain through a chinoix.
5. Load batter into a 1 pint ISI canister and charge twice.
6. Fill paper cups halfway and "bake" in microwave for 45 seconds, or until set.

For the Coconut Milk Sorbet:

1. Bring water to a simmer.
2. Mix together sugar and stabilizer and whisk into water.
3. Return water to a simmer and mix in invert sugar and glucose powder.
4. Bring mixture to a boil for 30 second.
5. Cool syrup and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
6. Mix together syrup, Thai Kitchen® Coconut Milk, and McCormick Culinary® Pure Vanilla extract very well.
7. Process the sorbet according to the instructions on your machine.

For the Spiced Candied Hazelnuts:

1. Toast coriander then grind with McCormick Culinary® Cinnamon, Ground Korintji.
2. Combine sugar and water and boil until sugar starts to turn golden brown.
3. Immediately add hazelnut and stir until well coated in sugar.
4. Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil to prevent the nuts from sticking to each other.
5. Spread nuts onto a tray and dust with the spice mixture then allow to cool.
6. Once cool gently chop nuts into half size pieces.

For Serving:

1. Sprinkle a small amount of Berbere spice at the bottom of each bowl.
2. Gently break each cake into 1 large piece and 3-4 smaller pieces. Place large pieces of cake on the left side of the bowl.
3. Place a spoonful of hazelnuts to the right of the cake.
4. Scoop coconut sorbet and place on top of the nuts, slightly resting on the cake.
5. Garnish the plate with the remaining pieces of cake, hazelnut pieces, and fresh cilantro.