Peach, Sugar Plum and Blueberry Bavarian - Daring Bakers July 2011

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

Since this is a massive recipe, I'll keep my introduction short and sweet!

This was a very fun challenge for the summer. We no longer have native strawberries available, but there are tons of other options for beautiful summer fruit this time of year in CT so I chose to make a mixed summer fruit bavarian instead of a fraisier. I used juicy peaches, sugar plums and blueberries. Yummy! It made for a very beautiful, colorful cake, but really you can use just about any fruit you like.

This recipe seems very complicated, but if you just break it down and take it one item at a time, it really is just the matter of assembling several very simple recipes into one cake. You can even do it over the course of several days if you like. I hope you give it a whirl!

Chiffon Cake

1 cup + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt, preferably kosher
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
3/4 tsp lemon zest, grated
5 large egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons of sugar, and all of the salt. Stir to combine.

3. In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.

4. Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment  until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.

5. Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack. To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Can be refrigerated for up to four days.

Pastry Cream

1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 tsp gelatin
1/2 Tbsp water
1 cup heavy cream


1. Pour the milk, vanilla and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boil, stirring occasionally. 

2. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs to the sugar/cornstarch and whisk until smooth.

3. When the milk is ready, gently and slowly pour the hot milk down the side of the bowl into the sugar/egg mixture with the mixer on. Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil, and coats the back of a spoon.

4. Remove from the heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Once slightly cooled, cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream one piece at a time until smooth. Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap against the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator.

5. In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes to soften. Put two inches of water into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

6. Measure 1/4 cup of the chilled pastry cream into a small stainless steel bowl that will sit over the sauce pan with the simmering water without the bottom of the bowl actually touching the water. Heat the cream until it is 120F. Add the gelatin and whisk until dissolved and smooth. Remove the cream from the water back and whisk into the remaining chilled pastry cream in two additions.

7. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream.

Simple Syrup

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
3 Tbsp dark rum

1. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil until the sugar dissolves.

2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the rum.

Assembly

1 baked 8 inch chiffon cake
1 recipe pastry cream filling
1/3 cup simple syrup
~2 lbs mixed summer fruit (peaches, sugar plums, blueberries were my choice)
confectioner sugar for dusting
1/2 cup almond paste

1. Line the sides of an 8 inch spring form pan with plastic wrap. Do not line the bottom fot he pan.

2. Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two even layers. Fit the bottom layer into the prepared spring form pan. Moisten the layer evenly with the simple syrup. When the cake has absorbed enough syrup to feel like a squishy sponge, you have enough.

3. Peel and slice enough pieces of peaches to arrange around the sides of the pan to be exposed. Arrange with the slices pressing against the sides of the pan.

4. Pipe some of the cream in between and over the peaches, and a thin layer across the top of the cake.

5. Cut the rest of the fruit into bite sized pieces and arrange them around the center of the cake. Cover the fruit entirely with all but 1 Tbsp of the pastry cream.

6. Place the second cake layer on top and moisten with the simple syrup as you did with the bottom cake layer.

7. Lightly dust a work surface with confectioners' sugar and roll out the almond paste into a 10 inch round, 1/16th inch think. Spread the remaining 1 Tbsp of pastry cream on top of the cake and cover with the round of almond paste, cut off the excess. Pour the pineapple glaze over the top (recipe follows). Chill for at least 4 hours. 

8. To serve, release the sides of the spring form pan and peel away the plastic wrap gently. Serve or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Pineapple Glaze

1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp rum
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp gelatin

1. Combine the water, rum and lemon juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over the mixture to soften. 

2. Place the pineapple juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour over the gelatin mixture and whisk to dissolve gelatin. Place over a bowl of ice water and allow to cool until syrupy and beginning to thicken, stirring occasionally. Do not let it gel. When the mixture is syrupy, pour a 1/16th inch over the top of the cake. Chill until set.