PRINSESSTÅRTA

 Thanks korena for this great challenge and another excuse to make cake! This variation combines white and dark chocolate with strawberry and vanilla. As for the marzipan (first time made from scratch) I used matcha powder and starwberry jam (a little bland but gives great scent). Delicious!

                                 Sponge cake
                                 4                                                                           eggs
                                 113gr                                                                     granulated sugar
                                 75gr                                                                       flour
                                 38gr                                                                       cornstarch
                                 40gr                                                                       butter, melted
                                 as preferred                                                           vanilla

                                 White chocolate mousse
                                 167gr                                                                      white chocolate
                                  40gr                                                                       water/liqueur
                                  93gr                                                                       heavy cream
                                  333gr                                                                     heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
                                  3,33gr                                                                    gelatin sheets soaked in the water

                                  Chocolate pastry cream 

                                  280gr                                                                      milk
                                  34gr                                                                        flour
                                  60gr                                                                        granulated sugar
                                  1                                                                             egg
                                  150gr                                                                       chocolate
                                  as preferred                                                             vanilla

                                  Marzipan                                                                  (about 400gr)

                                  33gr                                                                         glucose

                                  185gr                                                                       almond flour

                                  185gr                                                                       powdered sugar

                                  about 5Tbs                                                               simple syrup

 

                                  Simple syrup

                                  150gr                                                                        water

                                  150gr                                                                        granulated sugar

 

                                   as needed                                                                 strawberry jam

                                   about 10                                                                   small strawberries

 

 

For the sponge cake shift the flours together (along with vanilla powder if using) and beat the eggs with sugar to thick ribbon stage. Then fold in the flour mixture in two portions with a spatula as not to deflate the batter and meanwhile add and incorporate the melted butter. Bake in a 20cm-diameter ring and at a preheated oven to 190C for 20min. For the simple syrup just boil water with sugar for about 2min. Continue with the pastry cream by heating milk in a saucepan. In a separate bowl whisk the egg with sugar, flour and vanilla (add some of the milk if the mixture is too thick) until smooth and temper with one third of the hot milk. Combine the mixtures and put on heat stirring constantly. As soon as the cream has thickened and starts to boil remove from heat and add the chocolate. Set aside to cool and refrigerate until needed. Meanwhile heat the heavy cream needed for the white chocolate mousse just until hot and melt in the white chocolate. With the low heat left melt the gelatin mixture, stir it in the chocolate and let cool to about 30C. Then combine with the whipped cream and keep in fridge. Meanwhile cover a hemispherical (20x10cm) metal bowl with plastic wrap and mark about 4cm from the top to the bottom (that's where the layered cake will be placed in assembling).

Fill with white chocolate mousse until quite below that point and place the strawberries in the center (the mousse may have to be chilled and set at that point so that the strawberries are more stable). With the strawberries in place keep the bowl in the freezer and continue with the sponge cake. Cut it in four layers and trim the two down to 16cm-diameter. Put the small one on the bottom, moisten with syrup and spread some chocolate pastry cream. Spread some strawberry jam on the other small piece and put it on top of the chocolate with the jam facing down. Moisten with syrup and also spread some chocolate pastry cream. Keep in fridge and as soon as the molded mousse is quite set, put the layered sponge cake on top with the chocolate facing up. Fill the gaps between that and the bowl with the rest of the white chocolate mousse (now the bowled is completely full), spread some strawberry jam on a 20cm-diameter sponge layer and place with the jam side facing down on the top of the bowl. Moisten with syrup and freeze overnight. Finish with the marzipan which -if not store-bought- can be prepared simply by blending to coarse crumbs and kneading. Color (with matcha and strawberry jam in this case) it, shape the flower and for the rest roll and cut about 25 3x18cm and 3mm thick stripes with a pointy end. Cover the cake after unmolded and still well frozen.  

Fraisier

Fraisier is the first DB challenge I post on time after long and is once more quite changed from the original recipe to satisfy a taste for airy and exotic flavored cake with coconut, mango and of course strawberry. However it may not be admired from those who expect a dominant mango flavor, since its diacritical presence in the mousse is quite overshadowed by the yogurt and foamy meringue. Overall it's from the lightest cakes I've made and definately recommended.

       Coconut spongecake

       3                                                                   eggs
       150gr                                                             sugar
       1^1/4 cup                                                          shredded coconut
       50gr                                                               cornstarch and cake flour mixture
       1tsp                                                               baking powder


      Strawberry bavarian
      12gr                                                               granulated gelatin
      78gr                                                               water
      70gr                                                               sugar
      65gr                                                               yolks
      130ml                                                             milk
      240gr                                                              heavy cream
      as preferred                                                    vanilla extract
      140gr                                                              strawberry purée
      additional                                                       strawberries for decoration

       Mango mousse
      230gr                                                              yogurt, well strained and at room tenperature
      360gr                                                              ripe mango purée
      60gr                                                                egg whites
      100gr                                                              sugar
      40gr                                                                water
      13gr                                                                sheet gelatin, softened
      additional                                                       chopped mango

Start with the sponge cake by shredding the coconut into finer pieces with a food processor. Shift the flours, mix the dry ingredients together and whisk the eggs with the sugar to ribbon stage. Fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs with caution and divide the batter to two 20cm-diameter rings. Bake at preheated oven to 190C for about 10min and let cool. Cut the one cake round to a 17cm-diameter disc leaving a thin cake ring and place the other one on the bottom of a 20cm pastry ring. Cover its inner side with strawberry    

halfs and keep in fridge until the mango mousse is done. While preparing an italian meringue with the whites, water and sugar, melt the softened gelatin in a small amount of hot water and whisk it into the whites after adding the syrup. Combine yogurt with mango purée and pieces, fold it into the meringue and spread a layer of the mixture on the bottom of your prepared ring as well as between the strawberry halfs. Cover this layer with the leftover cake disc, quite pressing it down, and place the thin cake ring on top. Add another layer of

                                                                                                    mousse without reaching the top (some mousse

may be left) and keep in fridge. Meanwhile prepare the strawberry bavarian cream by soaking the gelatin into the water and lightly whisking the yolks with half of the sugar. Bring the milk with vanilla and the rest of the sugar to boil and temper with it the yolks while whisking them constantly. Bring the whole mixture to heat stirring with a rubber spatula and watch its temperature with a candy thermometer. As soon as it reaches 85C remove from heat and stir in the gelatin.Let the mixture cool completely and refrigerate until thick but not set stirring occasionally if needed. Then add the strawberry puree, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it into the custard. Refrigerate once more until it is thick enough to hold its shape when piped, and use a pastry bag to fill the space between the surface of the upper mango mousse layer and the sides of the cake piece you have placed on top. Before filling with the bavarian, spread a thin layer of the whipped cream on top of the cake ring and sprinkle some shredded coconut. After finishing with the strawberry cream refrigerate until completely set and garnish with fruit slises. If you prefer a moister cake make some syrup with 170gr water, 170gr sugar and 30ml coconut or berry scented liquor.

Chocolate cheesecake and strawberry tartlettes

I chose to include these kind of tartlettes in the same recipe in order to suggest a way of using common ingredients and a shortbread dough in two different ways. I also give a marmalade recipe which can be used to counterbalance the bitter chocolate and give a nice gloss.

      Shortbread tart shells
      400gr                                               flour
      4                                                     yolks, hard-boiled
      250gr                                               butter, room temperature
      175gr                                               powdered sugar
      70gr                                                hazelnut or almond flour
      as preferred                                    vanilla extract
      as needed                                       water

     Strawberry marmalade
     400gr                                               chopped strawberries
     280gr                                               granulated sugar
     1/2                                                  vanilla pod
      1/2                                                  lemon, juice
    
     Chocolate cheesecakes
     300gr                                               cream cheese, room temperature
     175gr                                               granulated sugar
     130gr                                               strained yogurt
     3                                                     small eggs, room temperature
     280gr                                               couverture and/or bitter chocolate
     50gr                                                 heavy cream
      4tsp                                                 cocoa

 

     

           

    For the shortbread, cream the butter with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and then beat in the yolks, pushed through a sieve. Stir in the vanilla and finally incorporate the flours without overmixing. If the dough is to too dry to come together, you may add some water. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour. Meanwhile prepare the marmalade by boiling strawberries with sugar and vanilla in a pan until the jam thickens and at the end add the lemon juice. Let the marmalade cool.
    Take half of the cold shortbread dough, divide it into 12 equal pieces and cover with each the inner of a 7,5cm tart or even muffin mold. As for the rest of the dough, make sure it is hard enough and grate it over a piece of parchment paper. Bake the formed shells and the crumbled dough in a preheated oven to 175C for 20min and let them cool.
                  
                 

  

     Grind the shredded shortbread in a food prossesor with the cocoa powder and optionally add some oil to moisten it. Press portions of the mixture on the bottom and sides of your 12 molds and prepare the filling. Melt 240gr of chocolate in a bain marie and in a separate bowl combine cream cheese with the yogurt and sugar. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and with the mixer on medium speed pour in the melted chocolate beating until it's fully incorporated. If you prefer, put 1tsp of marmalade on the bottom of the shortbread shells, fill them with the chocolate mixture and bake at a preheated oven to 170C for about 20min. Finally make a ganache with the rest of the chocolate and cream, cover with it the cheesecakes and decorate with strawberries.

    

  
    Strawberry tartletes

    200gr                                                 cream cheese, room temperature
    80gr                                                  granulated sugar
    60ml                                                 strawberry puree
    200ml                                                heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

     70gr                                                  couvertoure
    1/3cup                                              chopped pistachios
    additional                                         strawberries for decorating

For the strawberry tartlettes, melt the 70gr of chocolate in a bain marie, cover with it the edges of the shells, sprinkle on some pistachios (this part should be better done formerly so that the chocolate has time to harden) and put some marmalade on the bottom (to prevent the tart dough from moistening, you may spread some chocolate on the bottom as well). To make the filling, boil the puree with sugar for a minute and after it cools, incorporate it in the previously softened cream cheese. Then fold in the whipped cream and fill the ready shells. Finally refrigerate until the mousse is set, garnish with fresh strawberries and brush with glaze from the marmalade.

 

Chocolate tart with berries

                                                           

       Tart dough

       300gr                                             flour

       200gr                                             butter

       100gr                                             granulated sugar

       1                                                   egg

       1l                                                  strawberries, raspberries 

                                                           or other berries

      Raspberry ganache

      138gr                                             semisweet chocolate

      153ml                                             raspberry puree

      1/4 tsp                                           pectin

      23gr                                               granulated sugar

      30gr                                               butter

      Flourless chocolate spongecake

     60gr                                                egg whites (2)

     65gr                                                granulated sugar

     40gr                                                egg yolks (2)

     20gr                                                cocoa powder, shifted

     as desired                                        vanilla exctract

                                   

Starting with the tart dough, cream butter and sugar in a bowl of a mixer fitted with the papaddle attachment and add the egg.Then incorporate the flour without overmixing. The dough should firm and not sticky. When it's ready, wrap it in plastic and chill for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 180C and bake the dough for 15min in a tart form ( 20cm diameter) covered with beans or rice over a piece of aluminum foil. Carefully remove the foil and bake again until it gets a golden color.Set aside to cool. For the spongecake, beat the egg whites with 50gr sugar until stiff peaks form, and in a separate bowl whip the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar to thick ribbon. When the mixtures have the proper consistency, add the whipped yolks in two doses and fold them in the meringue without incorporating completely. Then add the cocoa powder and gently fold together until no streaks remain in the batter. Spread it on parchment paper at the bottom of a 17cm-diameter pan and bake at 180C approximately 20-25min, until the cake springs back when touched. (Do not open the oven the first 20min). Proceed with the ganache, warming the puree to 50C and whisking in sugar and pectin. Bring to a boil and use the mixture to melt chopped chocolate and butter, stirring until no lumps remain. To assemble the tart, place the spongecake on the botton and cover it with ganache. Refrigerate until stable and garnich with berries.