A Japanese Gourmet in London

Olympic Cake -Green Tea Roll with Black Bean Cream

This is a very flurry and moist feeling cake. A combination of green tea flavour and the rich black-bean cream is indulging. Achieving the smooth sponge is decided with the quality of meringue.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoonfuls of powdered green tea (Maccha)
5 large eggs (in room temperature)
60g of plain flour
10g of Corn Flour
120g of caster sugar
40cc of vegetable oil
60cc of milk (microwaved for 30 seconds),

300g of double cream
20g of caster sugar
1 can of sweet black bean (180-200g)
5 colours of icing sugar

Maccha can be found in Japan Centre
or a Japanese confectionery Minamoto Kitchoan
Both shops locate in Piccadilly in London

A can of Sweet Black Bean (right)

Directions of Green Tea Sponge Cake

1. Place a baking sheet over a square cake pan. Heat the oven over 190c

2. Sift powdered green tea, plain flour and corn flour together
3. Separate eggs into white and yolk in a large bowl respectively

4. Add the half amount of sugar into the egg yolks and blend them till become whitish and creamy. Add oil and milk while blending the batter

5. Add the sifted green tea flour into 4. and mix well with a spatula

6. Wash the whisks and attach to the blender. Make thick meringue with egg whites while adding the remained sugar bit by bit

Whisk the meringue until shiny peaks form

7. Add 1/3 of meringue into the green batter (5.) and whisk them with the blender. Change the tool to a spatula and add the rest of meringue. Combine them well by lifting up the spatula from bottom to top while turning the bowl with the other hand. This process should be done very quickly but thoroughly before the foam of meringue disappear

8. Pour the batter into the cake pan and drop the pan from 20cm high horizontally to the ground for three times to remove air bubbles

9. Bake it in the oven for 17 mins

10. Take the sponge out from the oven, allow it cool then wrap it with cling film to avoid getting dry

Directions of rolling the Sponge Cake with Black Bean Cream

1. Whip the double cream

2. Remove syrup and then mash the sweet black beans roughly in a bowl and add the half portion of whipped cream to combine

3. Add sugar to the rest of the cream and mix well

4. Place the Green Tea Sponge in a baking sheet large enough to roll the cake up. Make lines on the surface of sponge in 3cm distance each with a knife (width wise in the finished shape)

5. Spread the Black Bean Cream and white cream over the sponge

6. Lift the front side of Black Bean Cream part with the sheet and start to roll it up to the end

7. Wrap the roll cake with the baking sheet and twist the edge to store in fridge.

Directions of Olympic Rings with icing sugar

Make two different size of circle papers. The larger is to cut out the outer and the smaller is for the inner circle of rings. Make 5 rings with each sheet of coloured icing sugar.