Adaptrix
Cocoa
Ingredient list changes to this: 500 g
(1 lb 2 oz) egg white, 380 g (13½ oz)
caster (superfine) sugar and 5 g (⅛
oz) cream of tartar. Weigh 140 g
(5 oz) flour with 30 g (1 oz) Dutch
(unsweetened) cocoa powder, 10 g
(¼ oz) baking powder, 3 g (⅒ oz)
bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
and 2 g (1⁄16oz) salt. Omit all the
spices. This is great with the Crisp rye
streusel – Chocolate crumb Adaptrix
(page 274).

Pfeffernüsse
Make an homage to the greatest
German cookie ever. Omit the
ganache and streusel. After releasing
the cake from the tin, top the crown
(leave the sides) with Fluffy yoghurt
frosting (page 259) flavoured with
lemon zest or Tiff’s zingy lemon stuff
(page 289).

To release the cake, run a thin knife or metal offset spatula around
the edge of the tin. This may take a little practice. Start where one of
the legs is soldered on and shimmy the knife down alongside the rivet
(if it’s easier, lay the tin on its side to do this). Make sure the knife is
super close to the tin and then, with the knife blade at a slight angle to
the tin, drag it around the side of the tin to the next leg point. Repeat
this action at each leg point. Lightly run a knife around the centre
tube, then turn the angel food cake out onto the serving plate and cut
it from the base plate. If there will be a delay between unmoulding
and icing, wrap the cake in plastic wrap to prevent it drying out.

To ice the angel food cake, make the Milk chocolate (reverse) ganache,
then arm yourself with an offset spatula (and a cake turntable if you
have one). The aim is a thickly coated top and thinly coated sides, so
blob the ganache on top of the cake in three portions. Hold back a
small blob in case you need to cover any bald patches later. With an
offset spatula, working in small sections and swiftly so the ganache
doesn’t harden*, push a little ganache across the top, then push some
to slightly tip over the sides. As it tips over, guide the ganache down
the cake side and smooth evenly, covering the side thinly. Repeat this
action until the top and sides are covered. Swirl some ganache down
the inner hole too.

Hold and hover the cake over the tray of streusel crumb, then take
handfuls of streusel and press against the side of the cake, leaving
the top un-crumbed.

If the ganache has set too firm before you can put the rye crumb on, warm
gently with a blowtorch, or warm your spatula and run it over the sides again.

For extra dessert additions, serve with fresh raspberries (ridiculously
good with ginger) and whipped crème fraîche.

* If the ganache hardens and loses spreadability during icing, stop and warm the
ganache slowly over a double boiler.