Tres leches cake

 Thanks Inma for this month's challenge! It was so simple yet so enjoyable and unexpectedly flavorful. For my variation I decided to blend the milky flavors with coffee infused creme anglaise and add cocoa dusted cream cheese mousse in a tiramisu inspired combination. Delicious!

 

                             Cake

                             140gr                                                           cake flour

                             11gr                                                             baking powder

                              6                                                                 yolks

                             115gr                                                           granulated sugar

                              6                                                                 egg whites

                              Syrup

                              320ml                                                           sweetened condensed milk

                              275ml                                                           evaporated milk

                              365ml                                                           heavy cream

                              45ml                                                             dark rum

                              Coffee crème anglaise

                              5                                                                   egg yolks

                              125gr                                                             sugar

                              415ml                                                            milk

                              as preferred                                                    vanilla

                              6gr                                                                 Instant coffee

 

                              Cream cheese mousse

                              300gr                                                              cream cheese

                              6,4gr                                                               gelatin sheet

                              55gr                                                                water

                              28gr                                                                dark rum

                              135ml                                                              heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

                              3                                                                     egg whites, room temperature

                              145gr                                                               sugar

                              as preferred                                                     vanilla
                              as needed                                                        cocoa powder

Start with the syrup by simply combining all the ingredients in a bowl. For the cake shift flour with baking powder together and set aside. Then beat the egg yolks with 45gr of sugar until pale and thick and separately whisk the egg whites with the rest of the sugar to meringue. Fold one third of the meringue to the yolk mixture and gradually continue with the rest, adding simultaneously the flour mixture and gently incorporating with a spatula. Pour the batter in a lined 20x24cm pan and bake at a preheated oven to 180C for 30-40min until the cake is golden brown and bounces back when lightly pressed. While the cake is still hot, invert it on a deep plate and pick holes with a knife to enhance the absorption.

Then gradually pour the syrup with a ladle on the surface, let it cool and refrigerate. For the cream cheese mousse combine  20gr of the water with rum in a small pot and soak in the gelatin. Set aside and in a separate pot bring the sugar with the rest of the water to boil. When the syrup reaches 100C start whisking the egg whites and as soon as syrup temperature rises up to 115C, remove from heat and pour it in a thin string into the egg whites while whisking in high speed. Keep whisking until the meringue is relatively cool and stiff. Then with the heat left on the stove warm the gelatin mixture just until dissolved without overheating. Beat the cream cheese with the mixer until creamy without lumps and stir in the vanilla and melted gelatin incorporating well.

Fold in one third of the meringue and continue with portions of the rest along with the whipped cream. Refrigerate until quite set and ready to be piped and meanwhile prepare the creme anglaise. Warm the milk and vanilla until hot but not boiling in saucepan and whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a separate bowl until smooth. Temper the yolks with one third of the milk whisking well and combine the mixture with the rest of the milk on the stove. Warm in low heat and stir constantly until quite thickened without exceeding 85C. Then remove from heat, transfer in a cold bowl, dissolve in the coffee and set aside to cool. When the topping is ready, pipe it over the cake and dust with plenty of cocoa powder. Finally cut the cake and serve each portion over a layer of creme anglaise.

Lemon cheesecake roll

 

                              Cream cheese roll

                              93gr                                                                    granulated sugar
                              4                                                                         egg whites
                              4                                                                         egg yolks
                              25g                                                                      butter
                              167g                                                                    cream cheese
                              67ml                                                                    fresh milk
                              40g                                                                      cake flour
                              13g                                                                      corn flour

                              1/2                                                                      vanilla pod

                              Lemon curd

                              100gr                                                                   lemon juice
                              163gr                                                                   granulated sugar
                              1 Tbs                                                                   lime zest
                              100gr                                                                   eggs
                              150gr                                                                   butter, room temperature
                  
                              Italian meringue

                              3                                                                          egg whites

                             128gr                                                                    granulated sugar

                             64gr                                                                      light corn syrup

                             45gr                                                                      water

                             Chantilly
                             250gr                                                                     heavy cream
                             zest                                                                       from 1 lemon

For the lemon curd combine 50gr of the sugar with the juice and zest in a saucepan and bring to boil. In a metal bowl whisk the eggs with the rest of the sugar to homogenize and temper the mixture with one-quarter of the hot juice. Return to the heat and boil 1min whisking vigorously. Then let the curd come to room temperature and gradually add the butter, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Proceed with the cream cheese sponge and warm milk with butter, cream cheese and vanilla at low heat until just homogeneous. Given that the mixture is not too hot, combine it with the yolks and flours, mix well and pour it through a sheave to remove any lumps.
 

 

Start whisking the egg whites and gradually add the sugar after they become quite foamy. Whisk until stiff peaks and carefully fold the meringue in the yolk mixture in portions. Spread the batter on a paper lined 30x40cm pan and bake at 170C at start and later at 160C for about 30min or until light brown. Adjust the temperature while baking depending on the browning on top. When ready, let cool and separate from the bottom paper. For the meringue, heat the sugar with corn syrup and water and when they reach 100C start whisking the egg whites. When the temperature rises up to 115C, pour the syrup like a string between the whisk attachment and the bowl and into the egg whites while whisking at high speed.

 

 

Keep whisking at this speed for about a minute and then to medium until the meringue is cool. For the chantilly simply whip the heavy cream with the zest to stiff peaks and fold it in about half of the meringue. When the sponge has cooled, spread a thin layer of lemon curd on top followed by a layer of the previous mixture and roll lengthwise and tightly. Keep in fridge and well enfolded in parchment paper until set. Finally spread some of the remaining meringue on the surface and smooth it with a flexible plastic band dragged from the one side to the other. Optionally decorate with piped meringue and burn with a torch.   

Tiramisu

                              Ladyfingers
                              58gr                                                                        bread flour
                              3                                                                             eggs
                              85gr                                                                        granulated sugar
                              43gr                                                                        cornstarch
                              400ml                                                                      strong coffee
                              a few drops of lemon juice
                             
                              Cream cheese filling
                              4gr                                                                           gelatin
                              3                                                                              egg yolks, room temperature
                              50gr                                                                          tia maria
                              75gr                                                                          granulated sugar
                              25gr                                                                          water
                              28gr                                                                          powdered sugar
                              240ml                                                                        heavy cream
                              225gr                                                                         cream cheese
                              cocoa powder, vanilla powder

For the ladyfingers separate the egg yolks from the whites and whisk the last with one third of the sugar and the lemon juice to soft peaks. At this point and while still whisking add another third of sugar mixed with shifted cornstarch. Finish whisking to stiff peaks. Remove the meringue from the mixer bowl and whisk in the egg yolks with the remaining third of the granulated sugar until pale and thick. Combine the two mixtures without completely incorporating and shift in the flour. Fold the mixture gently with as few turns as needed for homogenisation and spread the batter on a 38x29cm rectangle of parchment paper. Bake at a preheated oven at 180C for about 15min, or until the sponge is golden on top and springs back when lightly touched. For the filling soften the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Keep the chantilly in fridge and start boiling the water with sugar watching the temperature with a candy thermometer. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks with the vanilla and as soon as the syrup reaches 120C pour it like a string into the yolks while whisking at high speed. Continue until the mixture has cooled down and is pale and thick.



 

Set aside, immerse the gelatin leaves in cold water to soften and fill the pot used for boiling the syrup with the tia maria. Return the pot to low heat and when the liquid is hot but not boiling add the softened gelatin. Stir to dissolve completely. Pour and mix have of it in the cream cheese and then fold in the whisked egg yolks. Add the last half of the gelatin mixture, stir well and combine with the whipped cream using a spatula. Keep in fridge until set enough to be spreadable. Trim the ladyfinger sheet to a 36x27cm rectangle and cut it lengthwise to 3 three 9x36cm pieces (or in any shape and size that can fit your cake frame). Put the first one on the bottom of a 9x36cm cake frame and moisten with the coffee. Spread one third of the cream on and shift cocoa powder on top. Cover with a second cake layer and moisten with coffee. Fill with cream, shift cocoa powder and place the last sponge piece. Add coffee as previously and keep in fridge with the remaining cream. When set and ready to serve, remove the frame, spread a layer of cream thick enough to hide the cake beneath and cover about 2/5 of the surface lengthwise using some parchment paper. Shift cocoa powder on top of the rest and remove the paper to reveal a two-stripe pattern. On the previously covered side pipe the remaining filling with a plain round tip. Finally cut to 9 individual pieces and keep refrigerated.

Sans Rival

 I have to admit going a bit too far with the changes on the original recipe, but since my sinfull desserts are not always much in request, I was compelled to cut down on fat and sugar. Thus I ended up with lemon and matcha sans rival where butter is mostly replaced by cream cheese but the flavor and texture are great. I also found the opportunity to try the tricky macaron for the third and rather most successful time and plan on modifying the recipe with more sugar reduction for these overwhelming cookies... 

                    Matcha dacquoise

                    70gr                                           finely ground nuts such as cashews or almonds

                    36gr                                           flour (or additional nuts for more chewy meringue)

                    30gr                                           powdered sugar

                    5 (140gr)                                    egg whites

                    80gr                                           granulated sugar

                    7gr                                             matcha powder (optional)

                    1                                                lemon zested

                    Lemon cream

                    400gr                                         cream cheese

                    320gr                                         milk

                    40gr                                           butter

                    30gr                                           flour

                    3                                                egg yolks

                    60gr                                           lemon juice

                    100gr                                         granulated sugar

                    50gr                                           powdered sugar

                    1                                                zested lemon

                    half                                            vanilla bean

For the dacquoise, grind nuts with the powdered sugar until very fine and shift the dry ingredients together. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whisk the whites with the ganulated sugar to meringue and fold in the dry ingredients in two doses adding also the zest. Finally spread the batter on a 20x33cm rectangle of parchment paper and bake at preheated oven to 180C for about 13min.

As the dacquoise cools prepare the filling by warming milk with vanilla, zest and half of the granulated sugar in a saucepan. In a separate bowl add the yolks with flour, lemon juice and the rest of the sugar whisking well to combine. As soon as the milk gets almost boiling hot, pour one third of it in the egg mixture stirring quickly and then return to the saucepan. Stir well with the whisker to avoid clotting and when the cream starts to boil remove from heat and add the butter.

Let the cream cool, beat the cream cheese with powdered sugar until soft and combine the two mixtures with a spatula. Finally cut the dacquoise into three 11x20cm pieces and place the first on the covered bottom of a 11x20cm rectangle pan. Fill it with the first cream layer and continue the same way with the rest. Refridgerate overnight and decorate with chopped and sugar dusted nuts. 





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.