Rose's Heavenly Cakes (41 page)

Plan Ahead

Make the meringue a maximum of 30 minutes ahead of using it to fold into the bavarian cream mixture.

Make the Italian Meringue

Have ready a 1-cup heatproof glass measure.

Pour the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater or into a medium bowl and have ready a handheld mixer.

In a small heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, stir together the sugar and water until all the sugar is moistened. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Stop stirring and reduce the heat to low (if using an electric range, remove the pan from the heat).

Beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. With the mixer off, add the cream of tartar. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly.

Increase the heat and continue to boil the syrup 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.

If using a stand mixer, with the mixer off to keep it from spinning onto the sides of the bowl, add the syrup to the egg whites. Begin by pouring in a small amount of syrup. Immediately beat on high speed for 5 seconds. Add the remaining syrup the same way in three parts. For the last addition, use a silicone scraper to remove the syrup clinging to the glass measure and scrape it off against the beater. If the syrup has hardened before most of it has been poured, soften it to pouring consistency for a few seconds in the microwave.

If using a handheld mixer, beat the syrup into the egg whites in a steady stream. Don't allow the syrup to fall on the beaters or they will spin it onto the sides of the bowl.

Lower the speed to medium and continue beating for 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, or refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes, until 70°F/21°C. Whisk it after the first 5 minutes to test and equalize the temperature.

Complete the Bavarian Cream Filling

In a mixing bowl, pour the cream and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. (Chill the mixer's beaters alongside the bowl.) Whip the cream, starting on low speed, gradually raising the speed to medium-high as it thickens, until it mounds softly when dropped from a spoon. Cover and refrigerate it while chilling the apple custard.

Cool the apple custard by placing the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water (see
Water Baths
) with about 1 tablespoon of salt added to the ice water; the salt will speed chilling. Stir occasionally for the first 10 minutes and then constantly but gently for about 10 minutes. If you prefer, you can refrigerate the mixture and stir occasionally for the first 10 minutes and then every few minutes. When a small amount dropped from a spoon mounds very slightly before disappearing into the surface, and the mixture starts to set around the edges but is still very liquid, remove the bowl immediately from the ice water bath and, using a large balloon whisk, whisk in the Calvados. With the whisk, fold in the Italian meringue and then the whipped cream just until incorporated. The mixture will be billowy but soupy, like melted ice cream. Finish by using a silicone spatula to reach to the bottom. Pour the mixture at once into the lined ring and smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before applying the apple slices.

Make the Apple Rose Décor

Use a sharp thin knife to slice the poached apples lengthwise into 1/8-inch slices. Starting at the outer edge, but not overlapping the cake, place slightly overlapping rings of apple slices with the hollow cored side facing the center. Start with the larger slices and save the smaller slices for the center rows.

Make the Apple Glaze

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the poaching syrup and arrowroot and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from the heat and, with a clean artist's paintbrush or pastry feather, coat the apples lightly with the glaze. If the glaze doesn't go on smoothly, thin it slightly with a few drops of Calvados or hot water. Cover the pan with an inverted bowl or domed pot lid and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days. It can be frozen for up to 3 weeks.

Plan Ahead

For best flavor and texture, compose everything but the topping 1 day ahead. Make the raspberry cream topping up to 8 hours ahead.

Special Equipment

One 3- to 3½-quart (96 to 112 ounces) trifle bowl    |    Large pastry bag fitted with a large open star pastry tube (3/8 to 1/2 inch); optional

Make the Cake

Make one recipe for chocolate génoise layers baked in two 9 by 2-inch round cake pans (see
Moist Chocolate Raspberry Génoise
).

Make the Raspberry Syrup

In a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, bring the sugar and water to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Cover immediately, remove from the heat, and cool completely. Transfer the syrup to a 2-cup glass measure and stir in the Chambord. If the syrup has evaporated slightly, add enough water to equal 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of syrup. It keeps tightly covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours or for up to several weeks refrigerated.

Make the Crème Anglaise

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

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

In a small saucepan, place the sugar. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the sugar and rub them in with your fingers. Add the vanilla pod, salt, and yolks and, using a silicone spatula, stir until well blended.

Pour ¼ cup of the milk into a small bowl and combine with the cornstarch. Whisk or stir with a spoon to dissolve the cornstarch, and then pour the mixture into the yolk mixture, stirring to combine.

In a small saucepan (or heatproof glass measure if using a microwave on high power), combine the remaining milk with the cream and bring it just to a boil. Stir a few tablespoons into the yolk mixture and gradually add the remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly. Heat over medium-low just until below the boiling point (170° to 180°F/77° to 82°C), stirring constantly. Steam will begin to appear and the mixture will be slightly thicker than heavy cream. A finger run across the back of a spoon will leave a well-defined track.

Immediately pour the mixture through the strainer, scraping up the thickened cream that has settled on the bottom of the pan. With the back of a spoon or silicone spatula, press the mixture through the strainer into the bowl. Return the vanilla pod to the sauce until ready to assemble the trifle. Cool to room temperature, stirring very gently only once or twice. Coat plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray and set it directly on the surface of the crème to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.

Prepare the Raspberries and Preserves

If the raspberries are very tart, toss 6 cups of them with the sugar and macerate for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the preserves and Chambord until soft enough to spread easily.

Compose the Trifle

Use a long serrated knife and your fingers to remove the crust from the top of each cake layer, and remove the parchment from the bottoms. Scrape off any remaining bottom crust. Wash and dry the knife and use it to split each cake layer horizontally in half. Use the trifle bowl as a guide for trimming the layers to fit: invert the bowl over the layer and cut away the excess cake. (If the bottom of the bowl is smaller than the top, you will need to trim three of the layers slightly more to fit the bowl, but all layers should be slightly larger than the inside of the bowl to fit snugly. This will help control the amount of cream that seeps between the layers, keeping the outside edge attractive.

Place the four cake layers on a clean work surface. With a small offset spatula, spread each layer with 2 tablespoons of the raspberry preserves.

Place one cake layer preserves side down in the trifle bowl. Brush it evenly with one-quarter of the syrup (about ¼ cup). Pour about one-third of the crème anglaise over the layer and spread evenly with the back of a spoon, being careful to get as little cream as possible up the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the crème anglaise with 2 cups of the raspberries, making sure some land against the sides of the bowl for an attractive appearance.

Continue in the same way with the second and third cake layers, syrup, crème anglaise, and raspberries, remembering always to place the cake layers preserves side down. Top with the fourth cake layer and brush it with the remaining syrup. Press it gently on top. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.