This particular cake, the first I've tried from the cookbook, is awesome. The almond cake is made with almond paste and is moist and flavorful. Richardson emphasizes beating the butter/sugar mix extensively and then showing restraint with the mixing as you add the flour and buttermilk. I was a little concerned as I beat together the almond paste, sugar, butter, etc., as I could see little flecks of the almond paste, and the butter/sugar mixture seemed very grainy, even after 7 minutes of mixing. But the final cake was silky and beautiful.
The lemon custard on top was delicious - tart and tangy. It reminds me a lot of the lemon curd I make for my mother-in-law's amazing Lemon Sour Cream pie, but I liked Julie Richardson's method and it made for a smooth custard without the harrowing process of heating the whole mixture and constantly worrying about raising the temperature too fast and having it curdle.
The final product - lemon custard atop a delicate almond cake - is like my mother-in-law's pie atop a cake, which would be the only way to improve upon her pie! I think, however, that this almond cake would be an incredible base for any number of toppings - a cognac spiked whipped cream or a chocolate ganache were the first to come to my mind.
It got eaten in quick order and was enjoyed by the dinner guests, from adults to boys and girls of all ages (including a 15-month-old who asked for more using baby signs!).
The slices, heavy on top with the custard, don't stand up well, so I resorted to serving them on their side.
One note about ingredients: I never buy buttermilk. You can make a substitute by placing a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, and then adding milk to bring it to one level cup. Stir, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then use what is called for in the recipe. I used to avoid recipes that called for buttermilk, but now I just make this replacement.
Lemon and Almond
Streamliner Cake
Custard
Grated zest of 2 lemons
¾ cup whole milk
½ cup sugar, divided
4 egg yolks
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup lemon juice (from approximately 3
lemons)
½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Cake
1¼ cup sifted cake flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup (6 ounces) almond paste, at room
temperature
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room
temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1.
To make the lemon custard, combine the lemon
zest, milk, and ¼ cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over
medium-low heat until just hot.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, thoroughly whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining
¼ cup of sugar, and the salt until well combined, then whisk in the cornstarch,
then the lemon juice. Slowly whisk a
third of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the hot milk and cook over
medium-low heat, whisking steadily, until the custard begins to thicken and
bubble for 1 minute (you will need to stop whisking for a moment to check if it
is bubbling).
2.
Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve
into a clean bowl and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, adding the next
once each piece has melted and been absorbed.
Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and
place in the refrigerator to cool about 2 hours. The custard is easiest to work with once it
has set.
3.
For the cake, center an oven rack and preheat
the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch
cake pan, and line it with parchment.
Butter again and dust the pan with flour. Tap out extra.
4.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt
in a bowl, then whisk the mixture to ensure that the ingredients are well
mixed.
5.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment,
combine the almond paste, butter, sugar, canola oil, and vanilla on low speed
until blended; gradually increase speed to high and cream until very light and
fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes, stopping the mixer frequently to scrape the paddle and
the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Blend in the eggs one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous
one has disappeared into the batter.
6.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour
mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, beginning
and ending with the flour. After each addition,
mix until just barely blended and stop and scape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour
has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula
to ensure you do not overbeat the batter.
7.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread
it evenly. Rap the pan firmly on the
counter to release any air bubbles.
Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the cake is a
deep golden color and a wooden skewer poked in the middle comes out just barely
clean, 42 to 45 minutes. The cake might crack
on the surface as it bakes; don’t worry, this simply provides a way for the
cake to soak up more of the lemon custard.
8.
Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 30
minutes. Gently invert the cake onto the
rack, leaving on the parchment paper until you assemble the cake. Flip the cake right side up and continue to
cool the cake on the rack until it reaches room temperature.
9.
To finish the cake, remove the parchment paper
and place the cake right side up on a flat plate. Using a metal spatula, spread a thin layer of
the lemon custard on the sides of the cake to seal the cake and give it a light
shine. Put the rest of the lemon custard
on top of the cake, spreading it just barely out to the edge. Use your spatula to make a swirly design in
the custard on top of the cake. Allow
the assembled cake (or really, the lemon custard) to set in the refrigerator
for 30 minutes.
10.
Bring the cake to room temperature before
serving (this will take about an hour).
Any leftover cake keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for
up to 3 days.
From Vintage Cakes
by Julie Richardson
No comments:
Post a Comment