Radicchio cake with white chocolate icing – Tessa Kiros

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
• about 1 litre (4 cups) water
• 2 tablespoons sugar + 100g (3½ oz) extra
• 150g (5½ oz) trimmed, round radicchio (½ a small one)
• 100g (3½ oz) butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind (yellow part only)
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a good grating of nutmeg
• 125g (4½ oz) plain all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• icing: 150g (5½ oz) white chocolate, chopped