Wednesday, July 27, 2011



Fraisier is the first DB challenge I post on time after long and is once more quite changed from the original recipe to satisfy a taste for airy and exotic flavored cake with coconut, mango and of course strawberry. However it may not be admired from those who expect a dominant mango flavor, since its diacritical presence in the mousse is quite overshadowed by the yogurt and foamy meringue. Overall it's from the lightest cakes I've made and definately recommended.

       Coconut spongecake
       3                                                                   eggs
       150gr                                                             sugar
       11/4 cup                                                          shredded coconut
       50gr                                                               cornstarch and cake flour mixture
       1tsp                                                               baking powder


      Strawberry bavarian
      12gr                                                               granulated gelatin
      78gr                                                               water
      70gr                                                               sugar
      65gr                                                               yolks
      130ml                                                             milk
      240gr                                                              heavy cream

      as preferred                                                    vanilla extract
      140gr                                                              strawberry purée

      additional                                                       strawberries for decoration

       Mango mousse
      230gr                                                              yogurt, well strained and at room tenperature
      360gr                                                              ripe mango purée
      60gr                                                                egg whites
      100gr                                                              sugar
      40gr                                                                water
      13gr                                                                sheet gelatin, softened

      additional                                                       chopped mango


Start with the sponge cake by shredding the coconut into finer pieces with a food processor. Shift the flours, mix the dry ingredients together and whisk the eggs with the sugar to ribbon stage. Fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs with caution and divide the batter to two 20cm-diameter rings. Bake at preheated oven to 190C for about 10min and let cool. Cut the one cake round to a 17cm-diameter disc leaving a thin cake ring and place the other one on the bottom of a 20cm pastry ring. Cover its inner side with strawberry    


halfs and keep in fridge until the mango mousse is done. While preparing an italian meringue with the whites, water and sugar, melt the softened gelatin in a small amount of hot water and whisk it into the whites after adding the syrup. Combine yogurt with mango purée and pieces, fold it into the meringue and spread a layer of the mixture on the bottom of your prepared ring as well as between the strawberry halfs. Cover this layer with the leftover cake disc, quite pressing it down, and place the thin cake ring on top. Add another layer of
                                                                                                    mousse without reaching the top (some mousse
may be left) and keep in fridge. Meanwhile prepare the strawberry bavarian cream by soaking the gelatin into the water and lightly whisking the yolks with half of the sugar. Bring the milk with vanilla and the rest of the sugar to boil and temper with it the yolks while whisking them constantly. Bring the whole mixture to heat stirring with a rubber spatula and watch its temperature with a candy thermometer. As soon as it reaches 85C remove from heat and stir in the gelatin.Let the mixture cool completely and refrigerate until thick but not set stirring occasionally if needed. Then add the strawberry puree, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it into the custard. Refrigerate once more until it is thick enough to hold its shape when piped, and use a pastry bag to fill the space between the surface of the upper mango mousse layer and the sides of the cake piece you have placed on top. Before filling with the bavarian, spread a thin layer of the whipped cream on top of the cake ring and sprinkle some shredded coconut. After finishing with the strawberry cream refrigerate until completely set and garnish with fruit slises. If you prefer a moister cake make some syrup with 170gr water, 170gr sugar and 30ml coconut or berry scented liquor.


Saturday, July 16, 2011


 
  Recipe for the thickened cherry sauce of the photo is not included but a sour cherry jam can be used instead.

         Hazelnut sponge cake   
         65gr                                              butter
         85gr                                              sugar
         60gr                                              yolks
         90gr                                              egg whites
         40gr                                              cake flour
         50gr                                              ground hazelnuts
          as prefered                                   vanilla powder
            
         Chocolate marquise
        350gr                                             couverture
        4                                                   yolks
        4                                                   egg whites
        150gr                                             sugar
        130gr                                             butter, at room temperature
        130gr                                             heavy cream
       
        Marshmallows
        60gr                                              egg whites
        190gr                                            sugar
        48gr                                              corn syrup
        120gr                                            water
        12gr                                              granulated gelatin
        as prefered                                   vanilla powder 
        a handful                                      corn flour with powder sugar


Marshmallows are preferably made first and may be left overnight to set uncovered and unrefrigerated. Before getting started with the kind of italian meringue they are made of, combine the gelatin with 48gr of the water and set it aside for at least 5min. In a small saucepan bring the rest of the water with syrup and sugar to boil watching its temperature rise with a candy thermometer. A few minutes before it reaches 120oC start whipping the whites on low speed and as soon as it gets that hot remove from heat, add the gelatin and let it dissolve within a few seconds. With the mixer on high speed, pour the syrup alongside with the vanilla between the whip attachment and the sides of the bowl and into the quite foamed egg whites . Keep whipping until the bowl cools to slightly warm in the touch and finally spread the meringue on a silicone mat on the bottom of a 20x27cm frame or pan (for a thickness 2cm). Several hours later dust with powdered sugar and corn flour so that the marshmallows won't stick, and cut to small cubes. For the sponge cake beat butter until creamy, add 55gr of the sugar and then beat in the yolks one at a time. Mix the dry ingredients together and with the rest of the sugar whip the egg whites to stiff meringue. Fold the meringue and the flour mixture alternately into the butter, spread the batter on the bottom of a 20x24cm frame and bake at a preheated oven to 180o-190oC for 13min.


Continue with the marquise by melting chocolate in a bain marie, seperately beating the butter until soft and whisking the cream to soft peaks. Set them aside and prepare an italian meringue with the whites and 70gr of the sugar that may be moistened with the addition of a little water. Empty the bowl from the meringue and start whipping the yolks. Simultaneously prepare by the same way another syrup with the rest of the sugar and when it reaches 120C pour it into the egg yolks whipping on high speed until they completely cool down. Fold the whipped yolks into the butter and whisk in the chocolate. Finally incorporate the meringue and chantilly in several stages ,without deflating the mixture, and fill with the mousse a covered with plastic wrap on bottom 20x24cm frame. Freeze for a few hours. To assemble first spread cherry jam on the cake and optionally moisten with kirsch. You may either place the whole chocolate part on top, or cut it to individual pieces and roll them in cocoa powder as long as they're still frozen and hard. To complete, add the arshmallows on top and burn with a torch.