apuginthekitchen

Vanilla Cake With Rhubarb Mousse and Whipped Cream Frosting

It has been a long time since I’ve posted anything on the blog, I mainly use Instagram and sadly have neglected my little blog. I hope everyone is well! The other day I bought some beautiful rhubarb, I usually roast it and eat with ice cream or make a tart, this time I wanted to do something a little different. A rhubarb mousse sounded great and I thought that making it the filling for a yellow (vanilla cake) would be different and delicious. I wanted the mousse to hold us as a filling and I researched several recipes online. I found one in the NYT that sounded good, it has strawberries in it and Kirsch so I made some changes and made this my own. I omitted the strawberries and Kirsch and added 1/4 c sugar to the whipped cream as rhubarb is quite sour. It is absolutely delicious. I used my go to yellow cake recipe and stabilized whipped cream frosting. The cake is light as a feather, creamy and moist, it’s not overly sweet. This just may be my new favorite cake.

Rhubarb Mousse

1 1/4 lb rhubarb- cleaned and cut into pieces

1 1/4 cup sugar (divided)

1 tbs gelatin

1/4 cup water

2 cups heavy cream

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the rhubarb in a casserole in one layer. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the sugar and mix to combine. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Puree the rhubarb along with the juices (withhold 2 tbs of the syrup if you like to make a soaking syrup for the cake) Place the puree in a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Add the 1/4 cup water to a saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin on top, stir with a fork and let sit for 10 minutes (you are blooming the gelatin) Heat the gelatin on a very low heat just until its dissolved.

In a large mixing bowl add the rhubarb puree, add the warm gelatin and mix thoroughly. Whip the cream and the rest of the sugar (1/4 cup) to stiff peaks and fold into the rhubarb mixture. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cake.

Yellow Cake

3 eggs (room temperature) separated

1 1/2 cups sugar – divided

2 1/4 cups cake flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup +1 tbs neutral oil

1 cup whole milk at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8 inch round cake pans (grease, flour, parchment round).

Beat egg whites until frothy and add 1/2 cup of the sugar a tbs at a time with mixer running until it is stiff and glossy. Set aside.

Sift the flour, remaining 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, milk, egg yolks and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes. Fold in the egg whites and divide into the pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, cake tester should come out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks.

Whipped Cream Frosting

2 cups heavy cream (divided)

2 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp vanilla powder

Add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream to a saucepan, whisk in the cornstarch and powdered sugar until there are no lumps. Cook on medium heat until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and spoon into a bowl, set aside to cool giving it a stir every few minutes.

Add the 1 1/2 cups (remaining) heavy cream to a mixing bowl or bowl of your stand mixer, add the cooled stabilizer and vanilla and mix until its a spreadable consistency (it will be thick with stiff peaks).

Elderflower Rhubarb Simple syrup

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup Elderflower Liquor

1 cup sugar

2 tbs reserved rhubarb syrup

Place the water, elderflower liquor and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat. Let it cook until all the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Separate about 1/4 cup of the elderflower syrup and add the 2 tbs of rhubarb syrup (you will only need about that much to brush on the cake). Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembling the Cake

Put bottom layer on cake stand or serving plate, brush some of the syrup on the cake, spoon on some of the mousse and repeat with each layer, NOTE: For the top layer the bottom of cake layer should be facing up.

Refrigerate at least an hour before frosting the cake.

Cake-Trying Something Different

I am really at a loss at times trying to think outside the box and post something a bit different. I had an idea for a cake with a variety of textures and flavors that I hoped would work out. I am happy to report that it did and its delicious. I love mixing prints, polka dots and stripes, paisley and floral, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t but I love the variety. The art I tend to gravitate to is mixed media, a mix of paint and interesting objects that are artfully placed in the painting and a big plus is if they tell a story. This cake is my food version of mixed media. The cake which I don’t even know what to name is chocolate layers with hazelnut almond Dacquoise ( meringue) layers and its frosted with a mocha Swiss buttercream. You get a layer of moist deeply chocolate cake and crunchy meringue, its a joy to eat. I don’t necessarily trust myself to critique so I delivered some to a friend who always gives me an honest and objective review and she gave the cake a resounding thumbs up! The recipes for the cake layers are already on my blog, I used the Hersheys Chocolate Cake recipe on the can of unsweetened cocoa and a few years ago I posted a recipe for Julia Childs Dacquoise. The buttercream I have posted as well, its my go to buttercream recipe by Stella Parks (Bravetart) but I will post the recipe with the changes I made to turn it into a luscious creamy mocha frosting.

The Buttercream

6 ounces egg whites (2/3 cup) whites of 5-6 large eggs

11 ounces (1 2/3 c)granulated sugar

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

10 ounces dark chocolate cut into pieces

2 tsp instant espresso powder

16 ounces (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature cut into tbs size pieces (when not adding chocolate use 5 sticks or 20 ounces of butter)

1 tsp vanilla

Bring about an inch and a half of water to a boil in a deep saucepan, when it boils reduce heat so that it simmers. Place the egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of your stand mixer and place over the simmering water. Whisk constantly until all the sugar has melted scraping the sides from time to time with a spatula, if using a thermometer the mixture should be 185 degree’s, I keep feeling for grains of sugar, you want all the sugar to be dissolved completely. Once it is ready move the bowl to your stand mixer and start whipping with whisk attachment until its glossy and stiff and cool to the touch. While its whipping temper your chocolate either using your microwave or over simmering water (be careful not to overheat and cook the chocolate it will seize) Add the espresso to the chocolate stir to combine and set aside.

With mixer running add the butter 1-2 tbs at a time combining with each addition until all the butter is incorporated. Slowly add the chocolate mixture and vanilla extract and continue whipping. If its a bit soupy that’s ok, put it in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes and then return to the mixer and whip until it is a spreading consistency. Use immediately or you can also refrigerate up to two weeks or freeze up to several months. To use it bring to 72 degree’s (room temperature) and re whip.

Tips for Meringue (Dacquoise)

The meringue layers are baked free form on parchment. I drew 8 inch circles and piped it within the circles. Hint: spray the parchment with cooking spray it will make the release so much easier. Because the cake is round the meringue and cake layers should sit flush and the meringue is baked free form so its not perfectly aligned and the edges are not clean. I used a vegetable peeler to shave away the edges making a clean edge and perfect size to fit the cake layers. Once thing I didn’t do which I will do next time is smooth the top of the layer with a flexible offset spatula before baking.

Mushroom Wellington With Port Wine Reduction And A Roulade

Happy New Year! I hope you all are doing well, staying healthy and weathering this pandemic. 2020 Has been a rough year, there is no glossing over that. My hopes and wishes for everyone is that 2021 will be a year of health and happiness and prosperity for you all. The holidays this year were different to say the least, most of the time was spent alone, well thank goodness I have Jenna Rose, she is always good company, even when she is sleeping which is most of the time. I baked cookies for friends and clients and Jenna and I delivered them, on Christmas Day a dear friend came over and I made dinner. She is vegetarian, I wanted to make something special and thought a Wellington would be nice so I researched and zeroed in on 4 recipes, I took bits and pieces from each, added my own touches and voila, a delicious mushroom Wellington. It may sound imposing but actually its quite simple, especially when you can buy amazing pre made puff pastry (Dufour’s). The filling can be made in advance and putting it all together before baking is a simple process. The port wine reduction is in my opinion what takes this over the top.

Dessert was a roulade, I used Erin Mcdowells recipe on Food52 and for the first time ever I had a beautiful roulade without any significant cracks. I saved her recipe for both chocolate and vanilla sponge, and both recipes are keepers. Its a simple non fussy dessert, chocolate sponge with a whipped cream filling served with a warm fudge sauce. I was on the fence about the dessert until Christmas morning, after deciding to give this a go I literally made it in the morning and served at dinner. Quick and easy!

Mushroom Wellington With Port Wine Reduction

Serves 6

Port Wine Reduction

1 shallot chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 1/2 c good port wine

1 1/2 cup mushroom stock

1-2 sprig of fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbs butter

Chop shallot and garlic and saute in olive oil until soft and tender. Add the port and mushroom stock, season with sat and pepper and put the sprig of thyme in. Bring to a boil on high heat and then reduce to medium and continue to gently boil until it is reduced to about 1 cup of liquid, it should be thick and look like syrup. Pour through a sieve and save the shallot and garlic you will use that for the Wellington. I recommend making this the day before serving. When ready to serve add to a sauté pan and cook it reducing even more so that it is thick and yields a bit more than 1/2 cup, add the butter.

The Wellington

3 leeks, cleaned well and sliced ( only white and light green parts) save the rest for stock but clean it well, leeks are full of grit.

16 oz of assorted mushrooms, sliced. I used Baby Bella, cremini, oyster, chanterelle

1 packet of frozen spinach drained, all the liquid should be squeezed out.

2 oz cream cheese or soft goat cheese

1 heaping cup fresh bread crumbs

Reserved shallot and garlic from port wine reduction

6-8 tbs butter

1 sheet puff pastry

1 egg beaten with a splash or water or cream for egg wash

Put most of the butter in a heavy skillet and melt on medium high heat. Add the leaks and sautés until softened, add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until there is no liquid and the mushrooms are lightly browned. Remove to a bowl.

Add remaining butter and the breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown, add to the bowl with the leeks and mushrooms. Add the drained spinach, reserved shallot/garlic from reduction and cream cheese and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Lay a long sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface and spoon the mixture onto it shaping into a log, Wrap it well and refrigerate at least an hour preferably overnight.

Putting it together

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the chilled puff pastry, place the log on the short end with a 2 inch overhang. You should have enough pastry so that the ends can be turned in so the filling does not fall out. Brush the edges with the egg wash. Bring the 2 inch overhang up on the log and start rolling until the end. Place on parchment lined baking sheet seam side down. You can make shallow cross pattern on top being careful not to slice through all layers of the puff pastry or decorate with cut out leaves or whatever you like. Brush with egg wash and bake for about 45 minutes or until the Wellington is golden brown. Serve with the reduction.

Vanilla Bean Bourbon Pecan Praline No Churn Ice Cream

Gee, it’s been a while and I hope all are doing well, this pandemic has cause so much uncertainty, I do hope that you are healthy and have been able to maneuver and cope through the lockdown. So many things have changed and it seems like a much different world and I crave normalcy.

I recently tried some vanilla from a wonderful start up company Indo Vanilla. The vanilla beans are lovely, soft and loaded with seeds that add an incredibly intense vanilla flavor. Summer is winding down but I couldn’t resist as sort of a last hurrah making ice cream,  its still very hot out and I didn’t want to cook so this simple recipe is exactly what I wanted.  I saw a recipe on Food52 from Nigella Lawson for a creamy no churn Coffee ice cream, it looked so good I had to give it a try but changed the flavor adding the vanilla, bourbon and pecan praline. It is truly delicious,  simple to make, very creamy and it comes together so quickly. I changed a few things adding a little more heavy cream because sweetened condensed milk is very sweet and in Nigella’s recipe the coffee which is bitter mitigates the sweetness.

Vanilla Bean Bourbon Pecan Praline No Churn Ice Cream

Makes approximately 1 1/2 pints of ice cream

Quick Pecan Praline

1 heaping cup pecan halves

1/4 cup loose brown sugar

2 tbs honey

3 tbs melted butter

Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl, pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degree’s for 15 minutes. Let cool before chopping or breaking into bite size pieces. Note: You can toast pecans and just add plain pecans instead of making the praline. It’s just as good!

 

Ice Cream Base

1 1/2 c heavy cream

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

Seeds from 2 vanilla beans

2 tbs bourbon

pecan praline or toasted pecans approximately 1 cup

Place all ingredients except pecan praline into chilled mixing bowl. Beat using electric mixer or whisk until soft billowy peaks form. Fold in the pecans or pecan praline. Spoon into freezer safe container, I used a loaf pan. Cover and freeze at least 6 hours or overnight.