the MONTAGUE tree™ Plum Cake by Kirsten Tibballs

Vanilla Cake

Heat the oven to 160°C, fan forced.
Grease and line 4 round cake tins, 200mm in diameter.
Place the egg yolks, caster sugar, honey and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip on high speed for 10 minutes, then set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites together with the cream of tartar on medium speed until it reaches medium peaks.
Fold half of the egg whites through the yolk mixture, then fold in the sieved flour followed by the remaining egg whites.
Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared cake tins and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cake springs back when gently pressed.
Allow to cool at room temperature, then place into the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours.

Roasted Plum Compote

Heat the oven to 180°C, fan forced.
Place all the ingredients into a baking dish and mix to combine.
Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. Halfway through baking, quickly give the ingredients another mix.
Allow to cool at room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.

Plum Syrup

Vanilla Custard

Place the milk and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Meanwhile, place the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour into a bowl and whisk by hand to create a paste.
Pour the boiled milk over the paste while whisking.
Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and continuously whisk over medium heat until it begins to boil.
Pour the custard into a clean bowl. Add the butter, a piece at a time, whisking until completely incorporated after each addition.
Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard and place into the refrigerator for 2 hours to set.

White Chocolate Buttercream

Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and begin to whisk.
Meanwhile, place the water, sugar and vanilla into a saucepan and heat until it reaches 120°C.
When the egg whites reach a medium peak and the syrup has reached temperature, pour the syrup over the egg whites while continuously whisking to create a meringue.
Whisk on high speed until the meringue has doubled in volume.
While the meringue is still hot, add the butter, a piece at a time, and continue whisking until completely incorporated.
Pour in the melted chocolate and whisk to combine.
Set aside at room temperature until applied to the cake. The buttercream may need to be whisked again prior to use.

Assembly

Trim the top off each of the frozen vanilla cakes.
Place one cake onto a cake board, 200mm in diameter, and return the other 3 cakes to the freezer.
Brush the surface of the cake with the prepared plum soaking syrup.
Transfer the prepared buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 14mm round piping nozzle, then pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
Transfer the prepared custard into a piping bag fitted with a 14mm round piping nozzle and pipe a ring of custard inside the buttercream ring.
Spoon the roasted plum compote onto the cake, forming it into a ring inside the custard.
Repeat with another ring of each filling to cover the entire surface of the cake.
Repeat this process with another 2 layers of cake, syrup and fillings.
Place the final layer of cake on top and brush with plum syrup.
Cover the entire cake with a thin, even layer of buttercream. This is best done by placing the cake onto a turntable.
Place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm.
Return the cake to the turntable and cover with a second layer of buttercream, using a scraper or palette knife to spread it into an even, smooth finish.
Place into the refrigerator until ready to glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

Temper the white chocolate by placing it into a microwave-safe plastic bowl and heating in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until it is half liquid and half solids. Stir vigorously until the chocolate has completely melted.
Add the grapeseed oil to the tempered chocolate and mix to combine.
Place the cake onto an overturned bowl on top of a tray with sides.
Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, ensuring all surfaces are coated.
Immediately use a palette knife to swipe off any excess glaze from the top of the cake.
Allow to set, then use a small knife to cut any drips away from the base of the cake.
Transfer the cake onto a serving plate.

Finishing

Heat the block of white chocolate for 10-15 seconds in the microwave to soften slightly, then use a vegetable peeler down the length of the bar to create chocolate curls. Set aside until required.
Combine the red and purple oil-soluble colour powders together with the grapeseed oil.
With a fine paintbrush, brush thin lines over the set cake glaze to create a marble pattern.
Prior to serving, cut the plums into wedges.
Using double sided toothpicks, arrange the plum wedges so that they are centred on top and cascading down the side.
Garnish with the white chocolate curls and a touch of gold leaf.