Rose's Heavenly Cakes (24 page)

Cool and Unmold the Cakes

Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pans and the cakes, pressing firmly against the pans, and invert the cakes onto wire racks that have been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. To prevent splitting, reinvert the cakes so that the tops are up. Cool completely.

Melt the White Chocolate

Heat the chocolate until almost completely melted. Use a small microwavable bowl, stirring with a silicone spatula every 15 seconds (or use the top of a double boiler set over hot, not simmering, water, stirring often—do not let the bottom of the container touch the water).

Remove the white chocolate from the heat and, with the silicone spatula, stir until fully melted. Allow it to cool until it is no longer warm to the touch but is still fluid.

Make the Frosting

In a food processor, process the cream cheese, butter, and crème fraîche for a few seconds until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides. Add the cooled melted white chocolate and pulse it in a few times until it is smoothly incorporated.

Compose the Cake

Spread a little frosting on a 9-inch cardboard round or a serving plate. Set one cake layer on top. If using the plate, slip a few strips of wax paper or parchment under the cake to keep the rim of the plate clean. Spread the top of the layer with about ¾ cup of the frosting, stopping almost to the edges. The weight of the upper layer will push the frosting out a little. Set the second layer on top. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. If using the paper strips, slowly slide them out from under the cake.

Special Equipment

One Nordic Ware 2-piece 3D Pumpkin Pan (each half 5 cups) or one 10-cup fluted metal tube pan, coated with baking spray with flour

Preheat the Oven

Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.

Toast the Walnuts

Spread the walnuts evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes to enhance the flavor. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Turn the walnuts out onto a clean dish towel and roll and rub them around to loosen the skins. Coarsely break the walnuts into a bowl, scraping off and discarding as much of the skin as possible.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sift the flour mixture onto a large piece of parchment. Add the toasted walnuts.

Make the Batter

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the brown sugar, eggs, canola oil, and walnut oil on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until very smooth and lighter in color. Beat in the vanilla and then the pumpkin just until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat until completely moistened. Using a silicone spatula or spoon, scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface evenly with a small metal spatula. In the two molds, the batter will be almost 1 inch from the top.

Bake the Cake

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (35 to 45 minutes in the fluted tube pan), or until a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.

Cool and Unmold the Cake

Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto a wire rack that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Cool completely. Each cake will be about 2½ inches high (3¼ inches high in the fluted tube pan).

Make the Crème Anglaise

Have ready a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a medium bowl.

In another medium bowl, lightly whisk the yolks and set them aside, leaving the whisk in the bowl. (If not continuing with the recipe immediately, coat the yolks lightly with nonstick cooking spray.)

In a small saucepan, scald the milk (bring it to the boiling point; little bubbles will form around the periphery). Cover the saucepan to keep it hot.

In a medium heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar and the 1 tablespoon water until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook without stirring until deep amber. An instant-read thermometer will register 370°F/188°C or a few degrees lower because its temperature will continue to rise. Remove it from the heat and, as soon as it reaches temperature, slowly and carefully pour the hot milk into the caramel. It will bubble up furiously.

Return the pan to very low heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture is uniform in color and the caramel fully dissolved. Very gradually at first, whisk the caramel mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly.

Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until just below the boiling point. The mixture will start to steam slightly, and an instant-read thermometer will register 170°F/78°C. Strain immediately, scraping up any clinging to the bottom of the pan and pushing it through with the back of a spoon or silicone spatula. Cool, stirring occasionally, until warm. (To speed cooling, put the bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice water.)

Stir in the vanilla and set a piece of plastic wrap that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray directly on the surface of the crème to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or until ready to complete the buttercream.

Special Equipment

A handheld mixer works best when using only 1 egg white.

Make the Italian Meringue

Have ready a 1-cup or larger heatproof glass measure.

In a small heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, stir together the 3 tablespoons sugar and the water until all the sugar is moistened. Heat on medium-high, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling. Stop stirring and reduce the heat to low. (On an electric range, remove the pan from the heat.)

In a medium mixing bowl, with a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat the egg white until foamy. With the mixer off, add the cream of tartar. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised. Raise the speed to high and gradually beat in the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly.

Increase the heat under the syrup to medium-high and boil for a few minutes until an instant-read thermometer registers 248° to 250°F/120°C (the firm-ball stage). Immediately transfer the syrup to the glass measure to stop the cooking.

With the mixer on high speed, beat the syrup into the egg white in a steady stream, avoiding the beaters. Lower the speed to medium-high and continue beating for 2 minutes. Refrigerate the meringue for 5 to 10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 70°F/21°C. Whisk it after the first 5 minutes to test and equalize the temperature.