Pistachio and Olive Oil Cake with Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream

MAKE THE RASPBERRY RIPPLE ICE CREAM (make first — needs freezing):
1. Warm the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until pale. Slowly pour the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring with a silicone spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (82–84°C / 180°F). Do not boil. Strain through a fine sieve and chill over an ice bath until completely cold.
2. Blitz the raspberries with icing sugar and lemon juice. Pass through a fine sieve to remove seeds to yield approximately 100ml of vivid, sharp coulis. It should be intensely fruity and tart, not sweet. Set aside.
3. Churn the custard in an ice cream machine until thick and creamy. Spoon into a freezer container in layers, drizzling the raspberry ripple between each layer. Fold once only — do not overmix; the ripple should streak through the cream, not fully combine. Freeze for at least 3 hours until firm.

MAKE THE PISTACHIO AND OLIVE OIL SPONGE:
4. Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until finely ground to the texture of coarse almond meal. Do not over-process or the oils will release and you will make pistachio butter. Reserve 2 tablespoons of whole or roughly chopped pistachios for garnish.
5. Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F (fan 160°C). Line ring mould(s) with baking paper. Whisk the eggs and caster sugar together until pale and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking, then add the milk and vanilla. Fold in the ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined — do not overmix. Pour into the mould(s) and bake for 20–25 minutes for individual rings or 30–35 minutes for a large cake, until a skewer comes out clean and the top is golden. Cool in the mould for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before assembly.

MAKE THE PISTACHIO TUILE:
6. Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F. Mix the icing sugar, flour, egg whites, and melted butter together until smooth. Fold in the ground pistachio powder. Rest the batter for 15 minutes — this relaxes the gluten and produces a more even spread.
7. Measure the circumference of your cooled sponge before spreading any batter. Spread the batter very thinly on a silicone mat in rectangles long enough to fully wrap the sponge with 1–2 cm overlap. Bake for 6–8 minutes only, until just turning golden at the edges but still pale in the centre. Working quickly while warm and pliable, wrap each strip around the sponge, pressing the ends together firmly so they connect and adhere. If the tuile hardens before wrapping is complete, return to the oven for 30 seconds to re-soften. Hold in position until set.

MAKE THE RASPBERRY JELLY:
8. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. Blitz the raspberries and strain through a fine sieve to yield approximately 200ml of juice. Warm the juice with caster sugar and lemon juice over low heat until the sugar dissolves — do not boil. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine and stir into the warm raspberry liquid until fully dissolved. Add the kirsch and rose water. Taste: the jelly should be sharp and vivid, not sweet. Pour into a shallow tray to 5–8 mm depth and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until fully set. Cut into neat rounds or shards to serve.

MAKE THE ITALIAN MERINGUE:
9. Combine the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high without stirring until the syrup reaches 118°C / 244°F. Begin whisking the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a stand mixer on medium speed when the syrup reaches 110°C / 230°F.
10. When the syrup hits 118°C, remove from the heat immediately. With the mixer running on medium speed, carefully pour the syrup in a thin, steady stream down the inside of the bowl — never onto the whisk. Increase speed to high and whisk until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bowl is cool to the touch, about 8–10 minutes. The meringue should hold stiff, shiny peaks. Use immediately.

MAKE THE RASPBERRY COULIS:
11. Blitz the raspberries with icing sugar and lemon juice. Pass through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Taste — it should be sharp and intensely fruity. Reserve in a squeeze bottle or small bowl until plating.

ASSEMBLE AND PLATE:
12. Place the tuile-wrapped sponge at the centre of the plate. Pipe a generous dome of Italian meringue on top — the lightness of this element was specifically praised, so be generous. Torch lightly with a blowtorch if desired for colour and aroma. Place a sharp-cut piece of raspberry jelly alongside or partially underneath the cake where it can be seen. Add a small scoop or quenelle of raspberry ripple ice cream to one side — the vivid red ripple against the ivory cream provides immediate visual contrast. Add dots of raspberry coulis to the plate and scatter the reserved whole pistachios sparingly.