Almond And Strawberry Gâteau
This stunning cake is the perfect combination of sweet and tart, with layers of moist almond cake filled with strawberry jam and covered with a delicious white chocolate rocher.
Ingredients
Almond Sponge Cake
- 200g or 2 cups Ground almonds
- 120 g or 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 40 g or 2 tbsp Powdered sugar
- 14 g or 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 5 Egg yolk (from large eggs)
- 120 g or 1/2 cup Whole milk
- 30 g or 1/8 cup Heavy cream
- 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 120g or 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
- 5 egg whites (from large eggs)
- 25 g or 1/8 cup White sugar
Rocher Glaze
- 340 g or 2 cups White chocolate chips
- 60 g or 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 38 g or 1/4 cup Almond nuts (chopped and blanched )
- Red chocolate coloring
Cream Chantilly
- 180 g or 3/4 cup Heavy whipping cream
- 60g or 3 tbsp Powdered sugar
Instructions
Almond Sponge Cake
- Preheat oven to 180’C / 356’F. Place almond flour into a mixing bowl and break it down with a spatula if there are any clumps. Sift in all-purpose flour, icing sugar, and baking powder. Add white sugar then mix everything using a spatula. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine, whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil then whisk everything together.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk everything until well incorporated. Set this mixture aside.
- Meringue is what makes this cake airy and spongy. And to make that, place egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat them using an electric mixer at low speed. When it forms giant air bubbles you can start adding the white sugar and egg replacer/cream of tartar powder mixture one teaspoon at a time, about 15 seconds in each addition. Turn the speed to medium-high when you finish adding the sugar mixture. Keep beating until you reach soft peaks.
- Add 1/3 of the meringue into the cake batter and fold them together. When everything is incorporated, add the rest of the meringue to the batter. Continue to mix them gently using a folding method to keep the meringue from deflating. Transfer this mixture to a baking 22 cm X 18 cm pan lined with parchment paper. Level the batter out with an offset spatula and gently tap the pan to release big air bubbles. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Stick a toothpick and when it comes out clean that means it’s ready. Let the cake cool on a cooling rack. Cut the sides of the cake using a serrated knife. Cut them into equal pieces about 2.5 cm by 8 cm. Place them in a container lined with plastic. Make sure that the cakes are not touching each other so they won’t stick. Cover them with plastic wrap and freeze them until they’re firm.
Rocher Glaze
- Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler. Add vegetable oil, chocolate coloring, and chopped almond nuts. Mix everything together to make the glaze and bring it to 28-30’C. Transfer this mixture to a deep rectangle container.
- Remove the cakes from the freezer. These cakes or gâteau will be covered with rocher glaze later. Unfortunately, you cannot refrigerate the gâteau after the glaze application as they will harden.
- So take out just as much as you need. See below notes on how to store almond cake.
- One at a time, dip the cakes into the rocher glaze. This could go messy real quick so what you can do is stick two toothpicks or a small knife on the top of each cake, but don’t poke them through. Use this as your holder when you dip the cakes into the glaze. Keep the top part of the cakes unglazed. Place the cakes in a pan lined with parchment paper. Now the gâteau is almost ready. Set them aside.
- Brush the top part of the cakes with strawberry jam.
Chantilly Cream
- Beat heavy whipping cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a pastry bag with saint honoré tip.
Assembly
- Place the pastry bag on top of the gâteau at a 45-degree angle. Start piping the cream with an S motion until you covered the top of the cake.
- Decorate with freeze-dried strawberry bits and dried edible rose petals.
- Serve and enjoy
Notes
Chef's Tip:
There are several reasons why meringue may not have reached soft peaks. It may be because you added the sugar too early or too quickly. It could also be because you did not beat the egg whites long enough or you may have overbeaten it. To make the meringue sturdy, use an egg replacer or cream of tartar powder. Ensure your mixing bowl is free of any liquids, fats, and oils. To make sure your bowl is clear of any of these, use a paper towel and a tiny bit of vinegar to wipe it. Wipe the whisk as well.
To store Almond cakes, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Transfer it to an airtight jar or container to store untouched Rocher Glaze. This can last up to a few weeks at room temperature. Just reheat and temper it back to 28-30’C whenever you need it.