Upside down gateau

With Kohlrabi, Chocolate and Candied Fennel

Candied fennel

300g fennel bulb
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt

Dissolve sugar in water and lemon juice. Simmer over a low-medium heat with the fennel bulb added until reduced. Add salt, and set aside.

Cakes

500g butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
8 eggs
2 cups cocoa
1 cup mixed berries
4 cups ground almond
3 tsp baking soda
2 cups grated kohlrabi (can be substituted with beetroot, carrot or zucchini)

Preheat oven to 160°C. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Place sliced candied fennel in bottom of one tin. Pour mixture into 2 greased and lined 23cm cake tins. Bake for 1 hour, or until skewer comes out clean.

Pear, cashew and fennel cream

500g bottled pears
250g raw cashews
15g fennel seed, crushed

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside in fridge to cool.

Berry sauce

120g mixed berry compote
1 tbsp lemon juice

Combine compote and lemon juice and blend until smooth.

Assemble

Once cakes are cool, slice them so you have 4 even cake layers. Layer cashew cream between the layers, finishing with the candied fennel layer on top (fennel showing). Pour berry sauce over the cake, letting some drizzle down the edge. Serve with chocolate shavings and fresh fennel fronds.

Recipe kindly supplied by

Chef Lewis Beattie
Orepuki Beach Cafe
33 Stafford Street, Orepuki
(03) 234 5211