Gipsy Cake Recipes

Steps:

• To make the pastry, put the butter and caster sugar in a food processor. Add the egg and whizz for 30 secs, then tip in the flour and blitz for a few secs more until the dough just comes together - be careful not to overwork it.
• Dust your work surface with flour, bring the dough together with your hands and lightly knead, shaping the pastry into a flat disc. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Roll out the pastry to £1 coin thickness and use to line a deep 23cm tart tin, then return to the fridge for 20 mins or until the pastry is hard. Line the pastry case with baking parchment, fill with baking beans and bake for 20 mins. Remove the baking beans and return to the oven for 5-10 mins until the base is golden and the sides are set.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Whisk the milk and sugar together in a stand mixer (or use an electric hand whisk) until light and fluffy, about 20 mins. Pour into the pre-baked pastry case and cook for 15 mins until risen and the surface is tacky. Remove from the oven and leave to cool and set before serving.
• Pour the cream into a large bowl, add the lemon zest and lightly whip. Serve alongside the tart once cool.

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
• Mix sugar and butter until the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture is creamy. Slowly add the egg yolks. Mix in melted chocolate, almonds, cinnamon, cloves and lemon zest. Sift flour over mixture and carefully fold it inches.
• Grease the model for cake and spread little flour over so the dough will not stick.
• Preheat the oven on 180ºC.
• Beat the egg whites until very firm and fluffy. Fold it very carefully into the chocolate mixture and fill the model with it.
• Bake it for about 50 minutes.
• When baked remove the cake from the model and place it on a wire rack to cool down. That takes for about 6 hours.
• In the meantime, place the raisins into a bowl and pour over the rum. leave them soaking to achieve strong aroma for about 2 hours.
• Melt the couverture chocolate. Whip the cream with sugar until very firm.
• Cut the cake into two layers. Spread the whipped cream over the bottom layer and sprinkle it with well dried raisins. Place the second layer over.
• Spread the melted chocolate over cake and decorate it with whole almonds and sanding sugar to add shine.

Steps:

• To make the pastry cream, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a medium-sized bowl until they are thick and lemon colored. Whisk in the flour and the salt and reserve.
• Place one-and-a-half cups of the milk and the cinnamon stick in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Scald, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
• Remove the cinnamon stick from the milk and discard. Return the milk to the scalding point over medium-high heat and gradually whisk it into the egg yolk and flour mixture. Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking for at least two minutes, until the pastry cream thins slightly and the flour taste has cooked out of it. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, cover and cool.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Line a 17-by-11-by-1-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Brush with oil or melted butter and dust with flour.
• To prepare the cake, beat the egg yolks with three-quarters of the cup of sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, until the mixture is thick and lemon colored. Sift together the dry ingredients. Remove the whisk attachment and, using the mixer attachment, add the dry ingredients at low speed, mixing until just incorporated. Add the vanilla, mix quickly and thoroughly and reserve. The mixture will be quite thick.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they form stiff points. Add the remaining sugar and whisk until the egg whites become glossy, an additional 30 seconds. Fold one quarter of the egg whites into the flour and egg yolk mixture, then fold the remaining egg whites in, working quickly.
• Spread the cake mixture in the prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed, 8 to 10 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, sift one tablespoon of the confectioners' sugar on a clean tea towel.
• Remove the cake from the oven and immediately turn it over on top of the sugar-dusted towel. Peel the parchment paper from the cake and, working from the long side, gently roll the cake in the towel. Cool for about 30 minutes.
• When the cake has cooled, unroll it. Trim off the edges of the cake. If necessary, thin the pastry cream slightly with additional milk, to easy spreading consistency. Spread an even layer on the cake. Carefully reroll the cake and place it seam-side down on a serving platter.
• Mix together the remaining confectioners' sugar and the cinnanmon and sift it over the top of the cake. Serve immediately.