Rose's Heavenly Cakes (33 page)

Make the Passion Fruit Syrup

With a small sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half.

In a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, place the sugar. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar and rub them in with your fingers. Add the vanilla pod to the pan. Stir in ½ cup of the passion puree until all the sugar is moistened. (If using "Perfect Purée" concentrate, use only 5 tablespoons and dilute it with 5 tablespoons of water.) Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cover it at once and remove it from the heat. Cool completely. Transfer it to a measuring cup with a spout and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the passion puree. If the syrup has evaporated slightly, add water to equal ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons. Remove the vanilla pod just before applying the syrup. If not using the vanilla bean, stir in the vanilla extract.

Make the White Chocolate Custard Base

In a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the white chocolate and the butter, stirring often until smooth and creamy. (Don't let the bottom of the container touch the water.) Whisk the egg and yolk lightly to break them up and then whisk them into the melted white chocolate mixture. Continue whisking and heating until an instant-read thermometer registers 140°F/60°C. The mixture will have thickened slightly. Remove it from the heat, transfer it to a bowl, and allow it to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. It will take a minimum of 30 minutes. To speed cooling, cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes until cool to the touch. An instant-read thermometer should register 65° to 70°F/19° to 21°C.

Complete the Buttercream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until creamy. Beat in the crème fraîche until very smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Gradually beat in the white chocolate custard base and vanilla. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth, light, and creamy.

Compose the Cake

Use a long serrated knife and your fingertips to remove the top crust. Remove the parchment and scrape off any remaining bottom crust. Wash and dry the knife and split the génoise in half horizontally.

Brush the syrup evenly on the tops and bottoms of the cake layers. The génoise is now more tender and fragile and needs to be supported by a removable pan bottom or cardboard round when moved.

Spread a little buttercream on a 9-inch cardboard round or a serving plate and set a layer on top. If using the plate, slide a few wide strips of wax paper or parchment under the cake to keep the rim of the plate clean. Sandwich the layers with about ¾ cup/6.5 ounces/183 grams of the passion curd. Spread it almost to the edges; the weight of the upper layer will push it out a little. Frost the top and sides of the cake with about 2 cups/10.5 ounces/300 grams of the buttercream. With a small metal spatula, make swirls in the top. Refrigerate for about 1 hour to set the buttercream. Apply small dabs of any remaining passion curd and, with the metal spatula, swirl them into the buttercream. If using the paper strips, slowly slide them out from under the cake.

Plan Ahead

For best flavor, compose the cake 1 day ahead. Make the orange curd at least 3 hours ahead. Make the ganache a few hours ahead.

Make the Cake

Make one recipe for a génoise layer baked in a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan (see
White Gold Passion Génoise
).

Make the Syrup

In a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, stir together the sugar and orange juice until all the sugar is moistened. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cover it at once and remove it from the heat. Cool completely. Transfer it to a measuring cup with a spout and stir in the Triple Sec. If the syrup has evaporated slightly, add water to equal ¾ cup of syrup.

Make the Classic Seville Orange Curd

Have ready a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a medium bowl containing the orange zest.

In a heavy saucepan, whisk the yolks, sugar, and butter until well blended. Whisk in the orange juice and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until thickened and resembling hollandaise sauce, which thickly coats the spatula but is still liquid enough to pour. The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and begin to have an orange color on the spatula. Don't allow the mixture to come to a boil or it will curdle. Whenever steam appears, briefly remove the pan from the heat, stirring constantly to keep the mixture from boiling. When the curd has thickened and will pool thickly when a little is dropped on its surface, pour it at once into the strainer and press it through with the spatula. Gently stir to mix in the zest sitting in the bowl and allow the curd to cool for 30 minutes. Cover tightly and refrigerate until no longer warm, about 3 hours. The curd keeps in an airtight jar or container for 3 weeks refrigerated. (Longer storage dulls the fresh citrus flavor.)

Make the Dark Ganache

In a food processor, process the chocolate until very fine.

In a 1-cup microwavable cup with a spout (or in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often), scald the cream (heat it to the boiling point; small bubbles will form around the periphery).

With the motor of the food processor running, pour the cream through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process for a few seconds until smooth. Pulse in the Triple Sec and vanilla. Press the ganache through the fine-mesh strainer suspended over a small glass bowl and allow it to cool for 1 hour. Cover it with plastic wrap and cool for a few hours, or until the mixture reaches a soft frosting consistency.

Compose the Cake

Use a long serrated knife and your fingertips to remove the top crust. Remove the parchment and scrape off any remaining bottom crust. Wash and dry the knife and split the génoise in half horizontally.

Brush the syrup evenly on the tops and bottoms of the cake layers. The génoise is now more tender and fragile and needs to be supported by a removable tart pan bottom or cardboard round when moved.

Spread a little ganache on a 9-inch cardboard round or a serving plate and set a cake layer on top. If using the plate, slide a few wide strips of wax paper or parchment under the cake to keep the rim of the plate clean. Sandwich the cake layers with a full ¾ cup/7.7 ounces/222 grams of the orange curd.

Apply a very thin coat of the ganache to the top and sides of the cake. Allow the ganache to sit for about 10 minutes to thicken slightly. With a tablespoon or silicone spatula, drizzle fine lines of some of the remaining ganache back and forth over the top of the cake. Allow the remaining ganache to sit for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring gently and occasionally, until thick enough to lift with a small metal spatula. Use the spatula to swirl ganache onto the sides of the cake. Garnish with dried orange slices, if desired. If using the paper strips, slowly slide them out from under the cake.