Two people I love are having a birthday this week and as much as I wanted to make something special for each of them, work decided to get in the way big time. Not complaining, just saying, and that’s why I am so late updating this week. Thus, I find myself asking them to share this Raspberry Rose Vanilla Cream Cake. I know they won’t mind because they already share so much. One is my wonderful mother and the other one is my (now) three year-old beautiful niece. Joyeux Anniversaire les filles!
It bugs me to say that I don’t see enough of my niece but a trip to France has not been quite feasible in the past couple of years. I do get to hear a lot about her and her personality through my mom’s reports and pictures my brother sends me. Her sister is just like me and she seems to be more like her dad. Oy! If they keep the ressemblance going, teenage years are going to suck for him big time because we were anything but pleasant to each other!!
While I did make a batch of saffron macarons for my mother, (which we devoured for her, eheheh!) I wanted to find something they could both enjoy, albeit virtually. Not sure little C. is ready for saffron yet, although given how talented a cook my brother is, I would not be surprised!
My mother makes me think of apricots and lavender and she is as soft and delicious as a raspberry mousse tarts (Yes, my mom is delicious). My baby niece on the other hand makes me think of cream and vanilla. Soft as a rose too. A Raspberry Rose and Vanilla Bavarian Cream Cake!
The cake is composed of almond dacquoise slightly enhanced with a bit of rose water and layered with layers of jelled raspberry puree and vanilla bean scented bavarian cream. I added a simple lemon glaze on top to bring forth all the flavors. While it may look complicated and time consuming it is not, I assure you. I made the dacquoise and the raspberry layers one evening and the bavarian cream and assembly the next day. The only difficult part would be to resist the bavarian cream before it actually makes it into the cake!
A year ago: Cashew Gateau With Coffee Cardamom Mousse
Raspberry Rose Vanilla Bavarian Cream Cake:
Serves 8 to 10
For the almond rose dacquoise:
1 1 /2 cups (160gr) almonds
1 cup (100gr) powdered sugar, unsifted
1/4 cup (30gr) all-purpose flour
6 egg whites
1/2 cup (100gr) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons rose water
For the raspberry layers:
2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
4 cups frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
For the vanilla bavarian cream:
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup (100 gr) sugar
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons powdered gelatin, sprinkled over 1/4 cup water
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
Lemon glaze: (prepare once the cake is set)
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
2 tablespoons (15gr) water
2 tablespoons (25gr) sugar
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin sprinkled over 2 teaspoons water
Prepare the dacquoise:
Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the oven.
In a food processor, pulse the almonds and the powdered sugar together until finely ground. Sift the flour over the mix and reserve. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the sugar while whipping the egg whites on high speed until stiff. Add the almond-flour mixture to the egg whites and fold gently with a spatula. Halfway through the process, add the rose water and continue to fold until smooth. Try to keep as much air as possible.
Line two quarter sheet pans with parchment paper, coast slightly with cooking spray and divide the batter among both pans and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Let cool. Inver the pans onto a cutting board and slowly peel off the parchment paper.
Prepare the raspberry layers:
Line two quarter sheet pans with parchment paper.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and reserve.
In a large saucepan set over medium low heat, bring the raspberrries and sugar to a simmer and cook until the berries are completely thawed and reduced to a puree (smash them down with a spoon if necessary) and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin, stirring until it completely dissoved in the raspberries. Pour over the prepared sheet pans. Let cool to room temperature and then freeze until firm.
Prepare the Bavarian cream:
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until very pale. In the meantime, in a large saucepan set over medium heat, bring the milk and the vanilla bean (split open and scraped over the milk) to a boil. Slowly pour the milk over the yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium low heat and cook until the cream coats the back of a spoon (as if making creme anglaise). Remove the vanilla bean. Add the softened gelatin and stir until melted completely into the cream. Let cool to room temperature.
Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it into the cooled cream base. Use immediately.
Prepare the lemon glaze:
In a small saucepan set over medium high heat, bring the lemon juice, water and sugar to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is hot. Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatin. Stir until it is completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
To assemble:
Line a 8×8 or 9×9-inch sqaure baking pan with enough plastic wrap to have about 2 inches overhanging on all sides (easier to pick up to unmold once the cake is set). By all means, use a square frame if you have one instead and build your cake directly in the frame set on a sheet pan.
Cut one of the dacquoise to fit inside the cake pan and place it at the bottom. Remove the raspberry jelly from the freezer and cut a piece to fit inside the cake pan also. Place it on top of the dacquoise layer. Pour a little less than half of the bavarian cream on top of the raspberry layer (you want to keep a little bavarian for the very top layer). Repeat with a layer of dacquoise, a layer of raspberry jelly, a little less than the other half of the bavarian cream. Use the remaining cake cut outs to form a final layer of dacquoise. Smooth the remaining bavarian cream in one thin layer on top. Refrigerate the cake until completely set, about 2 to 4 hours or overnight. Once it is firm, spread the lemon glaze on top. Place the cake back in the fridge and let it set for about 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. To plate, remove the cake from the pan by lifting all four corners of the plastic wrap and trim the edges.