Genoise Layer Cake With Rum Syrup And Whipped Cream Frosting Recipe 455

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter two 9-inch cake pans, line bottom with parchement paper and set aside.
• Wisk egg yolks and 1 cup sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar has desolved and mixture is warm, 3 to 4 minutes. attach bowl to mixer fitted with the wisk attachment. add vanilla and salt. Beat on mudium speed until the mixture is pale and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a latge bowl.
• Put egg whites into the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the wisk attachment. Beat egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. gradually add remailing 1/2 cup sugar. Beating until stif, glossy peaks form.
• Fold one-third of the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture. Fold in the remaining egg white mixture. fold in flour, then butter, until just combined.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, then remove the parchment paper. reinvert and let cool completely.
• For the syrup bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Cook, stiring consistantly, until sugar has dissolved. Stop stiring and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rum, let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: Put cream, sugar and vanilla into a clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the wisk attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until medium peaks form.
• Assemble the cake:.
• Put pastry cream into the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the wisk attachement. Beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Trim tops of cakes to be flat and halve each horizontally.
• Place 1 layer on a cake plate and brush top with syrup, then spred with half the pastery cream. top with the second cake layer, brush top with syrup. Top with 1/4-inch-thick layer of whipped cream. Top with the third cake layer. Bruch with syrup, then spread with remaining pastry cream. Top with final cake layer and brush with syrup. Insert a wooden skewer through center to hold layers together. Using kitchen shears, cup skewer flush with top of cake. Spread whipped crean all over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate 1 to 4 hours. Decorate cake plate with leaves, if desired. Discard skewer after slicing cake.
• PASTERY CREAM:.
• Bring milk, 1/4 cup sugar, the vanilla bean and seeds, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over mediun heat.
• Wisk egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. wisk in cornstarch, 1 tablespoon at a time. Ladle 1/2 cup hot milk mixture into yolk mixture, wisking. Add remaininf milk mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. pour mixture into a pan and heat. wisking constantly, until mixture comes to a simmer and has thickened, about 2 minutes. discard vanilla bean.
• Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter and mix on medium speed until butter has melted and mixture has cooled, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl and plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours (up to 2 days).

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk egg yolks and 1 cup sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm, 3 to 4 minutes. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add vanilla and salt. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is pale and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Put egg whites into the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture. Fold in remaining egg white mixture. Fold in flour, then butter, until just combined. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks; remove parchment. Reinvert; let cool completely. Make the syrup: Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in rum. Let cool completely. Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: Put cream, sugar, and vanilla into the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until medium peaks form. Pastry Cream: In a medium saucepan, combine milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla-bean scrapings and pod, and salt. Place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Using a measuring cup or a ladle, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg-yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Continue adding milk mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until it has all been added. Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture returns to a simmer and thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard the vanilla-bean pod. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter, and beat on medium until the butter melts and mixture cools, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer, and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream; this will prevent a skin from forming. Transfer to refrigerator until cold, at least 2 hours, and up to 2 days. Just before using, remove from refrigerator and return to mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and beat until smooth, or whisk by hand until smooth. Assemble the cake: Put pastry cream into the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Trim tops of cakes to be flat. Halve each horizontally. Place 1 layer on a 9-inch cake round. Brush top with syrup; spread with half the pastry cream. Top with second cake layer. Brush with syrup; top with a 1/4-inch-thick layer of whipped cream. Top with third cake layer. Brush with syrup; spread with remaining pastry cream. Top with final cake layer, and brush with syrup. Insert a wooden skewer through center to hold layers together. Using kitchen shears, cut skewer flush with top of cake. Spread whipped cream all over cake. Refrigerate 1 to 4 hours. Decorate cake plate with leaves, if desired. Discard skewer after slicing cake.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F, slide rack onto the lower-middle level, and prepare your pan (see below). Sift the flour with the 1 Tbs sugar and salt and reserve the clarified butter in a 2-quart bowl. Beat the eggs in your mixer bowl with the remaining sugar and the vanilla until you have "formed the ribbon." At once, rapidly sift on and fold in a quarter of the flour, then half the rest of the flour, and finally the last of it. Fold a large plop of this cake batter into the clarified butter, then fold the butter-batter back into the remaining batter. Turn batter into prepared pan, filling it to no more than 1/4 inch of the rim. Bang lightly on work surface to deflate bubbles, and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until puffed, lightly browned, and showing a faint line of shrinkage from sides of pan. Let cool 20 minutes before unmolding onto a rack. Let cool completely before filling and icing.
• SERVING SUGGESTION: WHITE MOUNTAIN CHOCOLATE-FILLED GÉNOISE. Prepare a double amount of the Italian meringue on page 102, and flavor half of it with chocolate, as directed. Using a long, serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally. Place bottom half on a rack set over a tray, and turn the top half cut side up. Sprinkle both surfaces with rum-flavored imbibing syrup (see page 101), and spread the chocolate meringue over the bottom half. Turn the top half cut side down over the filling, and frost the cake with the remaining white Italian meringue. Before serving, dust with a sprinkling of grated chocolate.
• CUP CAKES. Use the preceding génoise batter for cup cakes, following directions for almond cup cakes on page 98, which are some of my favorites with fruit desserts and tea.
• JELLY ROLL-ROULADE. Preheat oven to 375°F and set rack in lower middle. Grease the inside of an 11-by-17-inch jelly-roll pan with soft butter and line with a sheet of wax paper, leaving an extra 2 inches of it at each end; butter the paper where it lines the pan. Roll flour in the pan to cover inside and knock out excess. Spread in the génoise batter and bake about 10 minutes, until cake is lightly colored and top feels springy. Remove from oven. The following maneuvers are to prevent cake from cracking. Slice off 1/4 inch from each end of cake. Sprinkle top with confectioners' sugar. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and a slightly dampened towel. Set a tray over the top and reverse the two. Holding an end of the wax paper, lift off the jelly-roll pan. Then, very carefully, peel off the wax-paper backing. Sift a 1/8-inch layer of confectioners' sugar over the cake and roll it up in the damp towel; you may refrigerate it for a day or two. If frozen, be sure it has thoroughly defrosted before unrolling.
• Serving Suggestion: Apricot Roulade. Unroll the cake, sprinkle with imbibing syrup (see page 101), spread on the apricot filling (page 103), and frost with meringue butter cream (page 102).
• Smear inside bottom and sides lightly with softened butter. Cut a sheet of wax paper to fit bottom exactly, press it in place, and butter it. Pour 1/4 cup cake flour into pan, shake and turn in all directions to cover surface completely, turn pan upside down, and bang out excess flour.
• To avoid trouble, especially when making pastries, measure your flour accurately. For every recipe in this book, place the dry-measure cup on a large piece of wax paper. Scoop the flour directly into the sifter, and sift it directly into the cup until overflowing, then, using the flat edge of a big knife, sweep off excess flour level with the rim.
• When thoroughly cool, refrigerate in an airtight plastic bag for several days, or freeze for several weeks.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack set in the lower third. Spray a 9-by-3-inch round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; line pan with a parchment paper round and spray again. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a large bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind; stir in vanilla and keep warm (110 to 120 degrees).
• Lightly whisk together eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; set mixer over (but not touching) simmering water and heat, whisking constantly, until lukewarm to the touch. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until light, airy, and quadruple in volume, at least 5 minutes. Whisk 1 cup egg mixture into warm melted butter mixture; set aside.
• Sift together flour and cornstarch. Gently and quickly fold half the flour mixture into remaining egg mixture until all the flour is absorbed. Repeat process with remaining flour mixture. Fold in butter mixture to combine and transfer to prepared baking pan.
• Transfer pan to oven and bake until golden brown and starts to shrink slightly from the sides of the pan, 20 to 30 minutes. If possible, avoid opening the oven door until cake has baked at least 30 minutes, as cake is fragile and may fall. Remove cake from oven and unmold immediately onto a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before cutting into layers and frosting with buttercream.