Rose's Heavenly Cakes (82 page)

Several recipes in this book call for beurre noisette, or clarified butter that has browned to the color of
noisettes
(French for "hazelnuts"). Beurre noisette offers a richer, more delicious flavor than melted or clarified butter. Clarified or browned butter will keep covered for months in the refrigerator, or just about indefinitely if frozen. It is the milk solids that can cause butter to become rancid relatively quickly. I always make extra clarified butter to have on hand. (The solids are excellent for adding flavor to bread dough.) Clarified or browned butter will be only 75 percent the volume or weight of whole butter. For example, if you need 3 tablespoons of clarified or browned butter, start with 4 tablespoons of butter. If using a cheesecloth-lined strainer, start with about 1 tablespoon more than that as the cheesecloth absorbs some of the butter.

When butter is clarified, its water evaporates and most of the milk solids drop to the bottom. The milk solids cannot begin to brown until all the water has evaporated. Butter that has a lower water content is ideal for clarifying because it sputters less. If sputtering does occur, cover the pot with aluminum foil and punch a hole in the top to allow steam to escape and keep the foil from popping off from the steam pressure. If the butter is frozen, allow it to defrost completely before clarifying in order to prevent burning.

To clarify butter:
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. When the butter looks clear, cook, watching carefully without stirring, until the solids begin to brown, about 20 minutes for 1 pound of butter. Move aside any foam that forms in order to check the progress of the solids. If the butter sputters during cooking, you can cover the pan with a splash guard or inverted strainer if it fits over the top of the pan. When the bubbling noise quiets, all the water has evaporated so the butter can burn easily. Strain the butter immediately through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth-lined strainer.

To make beurre noisette:
Allow the solids to turn deep brown. You can stir at this point in order to disperse the flavor of the browned solids throughout the butter. Strain the butter immediately through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth-lined strainer.

Clarified butter weighs a little less than whole butter because whole butter still contains water and milk solids which, for the same volume, weigh more than fat. One cup of whole butter weighs 8 ounces/227 grams; 1 cup of clarified butter weighs 6.8 ounces/195 grams.

Milk

When milk is called for in a recipe, use whole milk to obtain the ideal texture in the cake.

Cultured Buttermilk

Buttermilk offers a delicious, slightly tangy flavor to a cake. It is produced by treating skim or part-skim milk with a culture of lactic acid bacteria. The powdered form of buttermilk lacks the full flavor of the liquid version.

Heavy Cream

Heavy cream, also referred to as heavy whipping cream, contains 56.6 percent water and 36 to 40 percent fat (averaging 36 percent). Whipping cream has only 30 percent fat. The higher the butterfat and the colder the cream, the easier it is to whip and the more stable the whipped cream. Pasteurized cream, which is not heated to as high a temperature as ultra-pasteurized, is more flavorful and more stable. Ultra-pasteurized cream usually has various additives to enable it to whip adequately.

Though heavy cream will not whip when it has been frozen, frozen heavy cream can be used for making ganache. If the heavy cream available to you is difficult to beat and separates easily, you can increase the stability with cornstarch, cream cheese, or gelatin (see
Stabilized Whipped Cream
).

Commercial Stabilizers

Cobasan is a "miracle" product from Germany that stabilizes whipped cream. A tiny quantity added before whipping the cream emulsifies the fat so effectively that the whipped cream can hold up for as long as 6 hours at room temperature. It does not work with ultra-pasturized cream as the higher heat from this process alters the fat molecules. Cobasan is available from Albert Uster Imports (see
Ingredients Sources
). It seems to have an indefinite shelf life—mine is more than twenty years old.

There are stabilizers that also work with ultra-pasteurized cream: Sanifax, available from PatisFrance (see
Ingredients Sources
), is another excellent stabilizer from Germany. "Whip It," from Oetker in Canada, is available to consumers at some supermarkets and in specialty stores. It is a powder consisting of dextrose, modified food starch, and tricalcium phosphate. It makes the whipped cream a little less airy, adds a slightly ivory color, and gives it a slight sweetness.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

The ideal cream to purchase when whipping cream is heavy cream with a high butterfat content (not whipping cream). Most heavy cream is about 36 percent butterfat, but bakeries often have access to 40 percent butterfat cream that has not been ultra-pasteurized. Cream will whip most readily and have the best flavor if it has not been ultra-pasteurized.

All cream whips best if it is as cold as possible, so it helps to refrigerate the mixing bowl or mixer bowl and the mixer's beaters along with the cream. If you are whipping 1½ cups or less of cream, a handheld mixer works better than a stand mixer.

Cornstarch

The cornstarch-stabilized version is the lightest in texture and an excellent choice if the whipped cream will be refrigerated until shortly before serving; it will not hold up well at room temperature.

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is also an excellent stabilizer if the whipped cream will be refrigerated until shortly before serving time; it should not be held at room temperature. It results in a subtle mellow flavor and slightly denser texture. I like to add some crème fraîche or sour cream for tang.

Gelatin

If whipped cream has to stand at cool room temperature for several hours, use the gelatin version (see
Gelatin-Stabilized Whipped Cream
), which produces the most stable whipped cream. It will hold at a room temperature of up to about 75°F/23°C for as long as 8 hours. It is a little more dense than the cornstarch version, but it is not quite as dense as the cream cheese one.

Crème Fraîche

Crème fraîche is made by treating heavy cream with a culture of lactic acid bacteria, which thickens it. It contains much less liquid than sour cream and has a more subtle taste with a delicious tang. There are excellent commercial qualities available, such as the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company's brand, or make your own (see
Crème Fraîche
), which is also delicious, especially if you are using cream that has not been ultra-pasteurized.

Make the Cornstarch-Stabilized Whipped Cream

In a small saucepan, combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in ¼ cup of the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for a few seconds just until thickened. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and allow it to cool just to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla.

In a chilled mixing bowl, beat the remaining cream just until traces of the beater marks begin to appear. Add the cooled cornstarch mixture in a steady stream, whipping constantly. Whip just until stiff peaks form when the beater is turned off and raised.

Make the Cream Cheese-Stabilized Whipped Cream

In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Starting on low speed, gradually beat in the cream. Raise the speed to medium and whip until the mixture mounds softly when dropped from a spoon. Add the crème fraîche and continue beating until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised. Beat in the vanilla.

Make the Gelatin-Stabilized Whipped Cream

In a small saucepan, combine the powdered sugar and gelatin. Gradually stir in ¼ cup of the cream. Bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring constantly. It will thicken slightly. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and allow it to cool just to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla.

In a chilled mixing bowl, whip the remaining cream just until traces of the beater marks begin to show. Add the cooled gelatin mixture in a steady stream, beating constantly. Whip just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.

Make the Crème Fraîche

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, stir together the cream and buttermilk. Place the jar in a warm spot, such as the top of the refrigerator or near the range, and allow the mixture to sit undisturbed until thickened but still pourable, 12 to 14 hours, or as long as 36 hours for cream that is ultra-pasteurized. The crème fraîche will continue to thicken on chilling and will keep for about 3 weeks refrigerated. When ready to whip, add the sugar and whisk lightly until soft peaks form when the whisk is raised. You can also use a handheld beater on low speed.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Developed by Gail Borden in 1856, this delicious thick concentrate is made by evaporating 60 percent of the water in whole milk and adding 44 to 45 percent sugar to act as a preservative. In an unopened can, it can be stored in a cool dry place for up to 15 months. (If stored for long periods near heat, the milk may be thick and caramel colored, but the cooking quality will not be affected. Simply stir it briskly before pouring.) After opening, store condensed milk covered in its original container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Evaporated Milk

Evaporated milk is much less concentrated than condensed milk and it cannot be interchanged in recipes calling for sweetened condensed milk. It is made by evaporating enough water from whole or skim milk, under vacuum, to reduce the volume by half. No sugar is added. After opening, store evaporated milk covered in its original container in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days.

Sour Cream

Sour cream contains 18 to 20 percent fat and is soured by the addition of lactic acid. In recipes, it can be replaced with whole-milk yogurt, which has about 10 percent fat, without a significant difference in texture, but lower-fat sour cream or yogurt will yield a less tender cake and may give the cake a less delicious flavor. Crème fraîche contains about 39 percent fat, so it is not interchangeable with sour cream, except where specified.

Cream Cheese

Regular cream cheese contains 37.7 percent fat and 51 percent water. For my recipes, be sure to use a whole-milk variety, preferably Philadelphia brand, and not a reduced-fat or nonfat variety. Unopened, a package can be frozen for up to a year.

Whipped Cream Cheese

Whipped cream cheese contains 27.9 percent fat and 60.8 percent water. Unopened, it can also be frozen for about 6 months.

Mascarpone

This rich, creamy, slightly tangy cream cheese is mildly acidulated by lactic fermentation and then whipped to a thickened consistency. With about 55 percent fat, it is an indispensable component of the beloved
Tiramisù
. I find the flavor of the imported mascarpone most delicious. Any left over can be frozen for up to about 6 months.

Leavening

Baking Powder

Baking powders are mixtures of dry acid or acid salts and baking soda, with starch or flour added to standardize and help stabilize the mixtures. I use Rumford baking powder, an all-phosphate product containing calcium acid phosphate that is found in most supermarkets or health food stores. It lacks the bitter aftertaste associated with SAS baking powders, which contain sodium aluminum sulfate. (The supposed advantage of SAS powders is that they release a little more carbon dioxide during the baking stage than during the mixing stage, but I find I can interchange equal volume and weight of either type of baking powder.)