Almond Teff Cake
Compressed Black Plums, Jamaican Sorrel, Cardamom Ice Cream, Berbere-Spiced Pistachio Brittle
Pastry Chef Rachel Sherriffe of Marcus | Washington, D.C.
Adapted by StarChefs | May 2026 | Photo: Alexander Zeren
INGREDIENTS
Jamaican Sorrel:
Yield: 3 quarts
150 grams dried hibiscus, rinsed
100 grams skin-on ginger, sliced
10 whole cloves
10 allspice berries, crushed
1 stick cinnamon
800 grams simple syrup
Plum Sorrel:
Yield: 800 grams
Ascorbic acid
Citric acid
Berbere-Spiced Pistachio Brittle:
Yield: 2 quarts
428 grams granulated sugar
244 grams honey
4 grams kosher salt
400 grams toasted pistachios
28 grams butter
28 grams vanilla extract
3 grams baking soda
4 grams berbere
Cardamom Ice Cream:
Yield: 8 quarts
560 grams egg yolks
3.352 kilograms heavy cream
2.44 kilograms sweetened condensed milk
800 grams whole milk
28 grams vanilla extract
20 grams whole green cardamom pods, crushed
10 grams kosher salt
Almond Teff Cake:
Yield: 48 cakes
343 grams all-purpose flour
86 grams teff flour
10 grams kosher salt
7 grams baking powder
755 grams granulated sugar
686 grams almond paste
943 grams butter
21 grams almond extract
20 eggs
Sorrel plum slices
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Black plums
Xanthan gum
METHOD
For the Jamaican Sorrel:
In a stockpot over medium-high heat, bring 2.72 kilograms water to a boil. Add hibiscus, ginger, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. Let simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate 3 days. Once steeped, strain through a coffee filter-lined sieve into a nonreactive container. Stir in simple syrup. Set aside.
For the Plum Sorrel:
Place 800 grams Jamaican Sorrel in a mixing bowl. Season with ascorbic and citric acids. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Berbere-Spiced Pistachio Brittle:
In a tall stockpot over high heat, combine sugar, honey, salt, and enough water to create a wet sand-like consistency. Cook until light caramel color is achieved. Stir in pistachios. Continue cooking until dark amber color is achieved. Stir in butter, vanilla, and baking soda. Mix to combine. Add berbere. Remove from heat and transfer to a silicone-lined sheet tray. Using an offset spatula, spread into an even layer. Let cool. Once set, break into pieces and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until bite-sized pieces form. Sift and transfer to an airtight container with silica packets. Reserve.
For the Cardamom Ice Cream:
In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks. Set aside. In a stockpot over medium heat, bring remaining ingredients. To 194°F, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Temper egg yolks with cream mixture, then whisk back into pot. Cook until mixture reaches 178°F, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Let cool over an ice bath. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. The next day, process in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a nonreactive container. Cover and freeze.
For the Almond Teff Cake:
Heat oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, sift together flours, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a food processor, pulse sugar and almond paste until a sand-like consistency is achieved. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add butter and almond extract. Mix on low speed until just combined. Working in batches, add eggs, allowing mixture to fully emulsify before each addition. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Transfer mixture to piping bags. Set aside. Line semisphere silicone molds with sorrel plum slices. Pipe batter into molds, filling two-thirds full. Bake until golden brown. Let cool.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a vacuum bag, combine desired amount black plums and Plum Sorrel. Weigh and add 0.25-percent xanthan gum by weight of plum mixture. Let sit 20 minutes, reserving plums and soaking liquid separately. Place 1 Almond Teff Cake on the left side of a serving plate. Top with compressed black plums in desired shape and pattern. Pile desired amount Berbere-Spiced Pistachio Brittle alongside Almond Teff Cake. Top with 1 quenelle Cardamom Ice Cream. Finish with pour reserved Jamaican Sorrel plum soaking liquid.
