Episode: #2
Airdate: 10th May 2020
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane & Caroline Taylor
Story Title: Custard Apple Ricotta Teacake

Cake Mixture

• 4 eggs
• 205g raw sugar
• 250g self-raising flour
• 250g butter
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1 custard apple (can substitute for an apple)
• 150ml vincotto or honey

Rhubarb Curd

• 400g long stalks of rhubarb
• 3 eggs, large
• 170g or ¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 3 teaspoon cornflour/corn starch
• 150g or ¾ cup caster sugar/granulated sugar
• A drop of pink colouring, optional

Recipe Cake Mixture

• Line a 20cm spring form cake tin with baking paper, pre-heat oven to 180c
• Melt butter until soft but not runny
• Mix flour, eggs, sugar and butter by hand, taking care not to overmix (otherwise it will toughen the mixture)
• Spread mixture into the cake tin, then poke the custard apple in like fallen dominoes. Be generous as the mixture can take it.
• Drizzle some honey over the top for extra flavor and moisture (you can also use vincotto or maple)
• Get it into the oven very quickly so that it has the best possible chance to rise
• Bake for approx. 40 mins, checking every 20 mins. No need to ice this cake as the fruit and honey should be enough.

Recipe Rhubarb Curd

• Wash and cut rhubarb stalks in 2 sections, put them in the bowl of a food processor and process until they turn into pulp.
• Push the rhubarb through a fine sieve with a spoon to extract all the juice, then discard the pulp. You should get about 300ml or 1 ¼ cup oh rhubarb juice.
• In a food processor or a blender mix your eggs, sugar and cornflour/corn starch until you have a homogenous mixture with no lumps remaining. Alternatively, you can do this step by hand using a bowl and a whisk.
• In a saucepan combine 1 cup of rhubarb juice, egg, sugar and corn starch mixture and cubed butter, set the pan over low heat and start cooking it while stirring with a whisk the entire time until butter melts and curd thickens. Do not turn into scrambled eggs and let the curd go lumpy.
• Take off the heat when the curd is the consistency of thick sour cream. You may push it through a fine sieve again to ensure there are no lumps and the curd is silky smooth. Add the remaining rhubarb juice to increase the tart flavor of the rhubarb and a drop of pink food colouring if desired as the curd loses its colour while it cooks.
• Chill in fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. The rhubarb curd will thicken when chilled.