Cakes

French Meringue Cake Merveilleux

May 7, 2020 · 22 Comments

Enjoy this delicious, crowd-pleasing French meringue cake Merveilleux by sandwiching two meringue layers with a luscious mascarpone whipped cream. The dessert covered with rich dark chocolate shavings is absolutely decadent and worth every bite.

Sliced French Meringue Cake Merveilleux with a cup and spoons on background

If you are looking for a perfect meringue cake, don't look any further than a dessert family Merveilleux. Start from little bundles of joy, individual meringue dessert Merveilleux that is simply delightful.

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And while exploring the meringue world, don't hesitate to make the ultimate version - the French meringue gateau Merveilleux.

Meringue cake Merveilleux

Both strawberry meringue cake and Vanilla Meringue Cake seem to be the most common meringue cakes. But a French meringue layer cake Merveilleux with mascarpone frosting and covered with chocolate shavings takes the experience to a whole new level.

The cake's stature is astonishing, the texture is airy, and the taste is irresistible. It is extraordinary in every bite.

French Meringue Cake Merveilleux covered with chocolate shavings: Close up

Why you should try this recipe

The cake is gluten-free, meaning it will please everyone without restrictions.

The meringue cake recipe is easy to make with a perfect baking shortcut: make the meringue layers one day in advance.

Coffee-flavored mascarpone whipped cream will please coffee lovers.

Decorating this cake is a breeze - no special skills are required. The meringue spirals can be imperfect, and the cream balls are dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Any imperfections will be hidden.

Finally, the cake is perfect for birthday parties and other special occasions.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Egg whites: Use large whole eggs to make the cake. Take chilled eggs out of the fridge, separate egg yolks from egg whites, and let egg whites come to room temperature for about 30-54 minutes.

Sugar: Use a caster or baker's sugar to make the meringue. Or use a food processor to pulse granulated sugar for a few seconds to get superfine sugar. And if you need icing sugar, use a coffee grinder at home.

Dark chocolate: Use a top-quality 70% dark chocolate like Valrhona dark chocolate.

Heavy cream: Opt for heavy or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content.

Mascarpone cheese brings a beautiful tang flavor and stabilizes the whipped cream.

Instant coffee: Use powdered instant coffee, which is much more effective in making coffee-flavored whipped cream.

Cocoa powder: Opt for unsweetened cocoa powder to dust the cake.

Recipe variations

Layers of meringue: Add unsweetened cocoa powder to the meringue mixture to create a chocolate meringue cake.

Flavorings: Replace instant coffee with cocoa powder. Or add Biscoff cookie spread to make Biscoff whipped cream.

Add-ins: Elevate the meringue cake further by adding juicy slices of fresh strawberries or other fresh fruit between cake layers. For a simple yet satisfying filling, go with plain mascarpone frosting.

Decoration: Swap dark chocolate for milk or white chocolate. Or cover the entire cake with Lotus Biscoff crumble to create the iconic Biscoff cake.

A slice of the cake Merveilleux with a fork up and a cup on background

How to make meringue cake

Making the meringue cake consists of a few steps, including preparing meringue layers, making mascarpone whipped cream and chocolate shavings, and assembling the cake.

Make the meringue

Preheat the oven to 210°F (100°C). Use a stainless steel circle or a plate 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter as a template, and draw two discs on two sheets of parchment paper. Turn them over and place them on two baking sheets.

In a large bowl, place egg whites with a good pinch of salt. Beat with an electric mixer at medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes.

Switch the mixer speed to high, and gradually add caster sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Whisk until sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form (photo 1).

Add the sifted powdered (icing) sugar and gently mix with a rubber spatula (photo 2).

Photo 1: Beaten egg whites with sugar in a metal bowl Photo 2: Ready meringue in a bowl — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

Place the meringue in a pastry bag with the cut end or Ateco plain pastry tip 809. Draw two spiral meringue disks on the parchment paper starting from the center of the circles (photo 3).

Pro tip: Alternatively, divide the meringue evenly between two 7-inch (18 cm) circles drawn on the prepared baking sheets. Use a spatula to spread it out.

Bake the meringue cake layers for about 2 hours. Let them cool completely (photo 4).

Photo 3: Piped meringue spiral on the parchment paper Photo 4: Baked meringue disk on parchment — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

Make mascarpone whipped cream

Consult the mascarpone frosting recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Place cold heavy cream, cold mascarpone, icing (powdered) sugar, and powdered instant coffee in the chilled bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk the cream until stiff peaks (photo 5).

Transfer the cream to a piping bag with the end cut about ½ inch (1 cm) or fitted with Ateco tip 809.

Make chocolate shavings

Use a vegetable peeler, scraping across a chocolate bar, to get medium-sized delicate curls. Make large chocolate shavings by scraping the chocolate with a knife if desired.

Assemble the meringue cake

Place the first meringue layer on a cake board or a serving plate and pipe the mascarpone whipped cream in a spiral. Place the second meringue disk top-down, and spread a thin layer of the cream.

Smooth the surface evenly with a bent spatula, mask, and smooth the sides of the cake. Push the cream, making balls over the entire surface of the cake (photo 6).

Photo 5: Ready coffee whipped cream in a metal bowl Photo 6: Piped cream balls on top of the assembled dessert — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

Cover the surface and sides of the cake with chocolate shavings and sprinkle the entire cake with confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder (photos 7-8). Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours before serving.

Photo 7: Cake generously sprinkled with icing sugar and cocoa powder on parchment Photo 8: Ready cake on the parchment paper — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

Expert Tips

Create cute meringue kisses by piping the rest of the meringue around circles.
Don't open the oven door during baking.
Make-ahead option: Bake the meringue in advance, and store airtight, but assemble and serve the cake on the same day: mascarpone whipped cream tends to dry out.

Storing and freezing

Store the meringue cake under a cake dome in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Can you freeze it? You can not freeze the assembled meringue cake, but you can freeze the meringue layers. Freeze each layer for 3 hours or more. Then, place them in a freezer-safe bag with parchment paper between each layer. Seal, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw, bring the meringue to the kitchen counter for 2 to 3 hours. Then make the cream and assemble the cake.

Recipe FAQ

How long to bake meringue

To achieve perfect meringues, bake it at a low oven temperature, around 90 to 110 C, for a long time, up to 2 hours.

Can you make the meringue in advance?

You can bake the meringue and store it tightly wrapped in plastic or an airtight container for several days. Avoid humid days for storage.

How long can you store meringues?

You can store meringues, also Pavlova meringue shells, at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month.

Does meringue need to be refrigerated?

The meringue doesn't need to be refrigerated. Instead, store it at room temperature or cool place for up to 3 weeks. Keep it in an airtight container, placing a sheet of parchment paper between layers.

Love classic cakes? Try these next!

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from https://www.femmeactuelle.fr. It was originally published on February 22, 2019. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.

Lychee Cake With Pink Biscuits

Apr 27, 2020 · 10 Comments

Try this wonderfully flavored lychee cake (aka litchi cake) with pink biscuits. It is a lovely lychee dessert where pink color and tropical flavor make a fancy touch to finish your perfect dinner. Go pink, fresh, and cool!

A slice of lychee cake on a white dessert plate: Close up

Lychee cake with pink biscuits is a new pink dessert. It looks so girly that it is perfect for a girl's birthday party.

It is one of the top to-make cakes for Mother's Day and Valentine's day celebrations, too. If you have not tried making a lychee cake recipe, you should!

The exotic flavor of lychee and the melt-in-your-mouth Bavarian cream will bring you to heaven. Moreover, you will fall in love with the French pink biscuits.

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Pink biscuits

Pink biscuits, Champagne biscuits, or Biscuit rose de Reims in French are traditional French biscuits.

They were created in 1960 in Reims, which is the biggest city in the Champagne region in France.

The French enjoy pink biscuits dunked in the Champagne; today, pink biscuits accompany a simple teacup.

Now you might get an idea to purchase a bottle of Champagne with pink biscuits as a gift for a Champagne lover.

Lychee cake belongs to the group of desserts called charlotte.

Lychee cake tied with a baker's twine with glasses, a Champagne bottle, and flowers

What is charlotte cake?

Charlotte is a French dessert layered with a sponge cake or biscuits and filled with Bavarian cream or fruit puree.

There are two main types of charlottes: charlottes with Bavarian cream and fruit charlottes filled with a fruit puree combined with whipped cream.

The separated type of charlottes is a Russian charlotte with a Bavarian cream lined with ladyfingers outside. Royal charlotte is lined with Swiss roll.

Bavarian cream: what is it?

Bavarian cream, or crème bavaroise in French, is a dessert made with milk thickened with eggs and gelatin and then added to whipped cream. It could be served in molds, unmolded, or used to make charlottes.

A slice of cake, a fork, and whole lychee on a white plate: Close up

Why you should try this recipe

Lychee cake is an all-year-round dessert since the canned lychees - one of charlotte's main ingredients - available at any time of the year.
Pink-colored dessert is perfect for girls' birthday parties, Mother's Day, and Valentine's Day.
This fruit dessert is full of tropical flavors due to lychee.
The cake filled with Bavarian cream is light enough, even for those on a diet.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Pink Champagne biscuits: you will need 14 biscuits. Enjoy the rest of them with a glass of Champagne.

Pink-colored Italian sponge cake: follow this recipe and add a few drops of red food color to the cake batter.

Lychee in syrup: the recipe calls for canned lychee: you will need two cans.

Gelatin sheets: use sheet gelatin (gold) with a strength of 200 bloom. To substitute sheet gelatin with powdered gelatin, take into consideration that 3 ½ gelatin sheets equal one envelope of powdered gelatin. Use ¼ cup (60ml) of cold water per envelope.

Shredded coconut: you can easily replace it with desiccated coconut.

Granulated sugar, whipping cream.

How to make lychee cake

To make the sponge, follow the Italian Sponge Cake Recipe. Add about 5 drops of red food color to the ready batter and bake as directed (photo 1).

Check the biscuit's readiness with a toothpick: once you remove the clean toothpick out of the sponge, the biscuit is ready (photo 2).

Photo 1: Batter in a cake pan Photo 2: baked biscuit in a pan — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

Adjust a mousse cake mold to 7 inches/17-18 cm in diameter, line it with the acetate cake collar, and place it on parchment paper.

Even one of the ends of pink biscuits with a serrated knife and arrange them all around the ring (photo 3).

Cut the sponge Genoise in two halves crosswise using a serrated knife or a cake lever. Place aside one half and cut a biscuit disc out of another half.

The disk's diameter has to be enough to place it at the bottom of the mousse ring lined with biscuits (photo 4).

Photo 3: Mousse mold with pink biscuits Photo 4: Sponge in the bottom of the mold — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

Drain lychees and keep the syrup. Soak the biscuit base of the cake with the lychee syrup.

To make the Bavarian cream, soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes.

Crush the drained lychee (do not forget to keep one whole lychee for the decoration) in a food processor (photo 5). You will get 1 ¾ cup (400 ml) of the lychee puree.

Heat the lychee puree with sugar in a saucepan till the sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove the pan from heat, add drained gelatin sheets, and mix with a hand whisk (photo 6).

Cover the mixture with plastic film in contact and refrigerate until it colls down.

Photo 5: Lychee puree in a bowl Photo 6: Puree mixture in a saucepan — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

Whisk the whipping cream to get the whipped cream (photo 7).

Once the lychee preparation is cold, add the whipped cream, mixing with the hand whisk. Add shredded coconut and mix to combine (photo 8).

Photo 7: Whipped cream in a metal bowl Photo 8: Ready Bavarian cream in a bowl — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

Pour the Bavarian cream into the mousse mold (photo 9) and refrigerate the charlotte for at least two hours, better overnight.

Remove the mousse mold with the acetate film. Make pink crumbs from the remaining half of the pink sponge genoise, using a fork or your hands.

Decorate the top of the cake with crumbs and arrange the whole lychee on top (photo 10).

Photo 9: Bavarian cream into the mold Photo 10: Cake topped with biscuit crumbs and lychee — **PHOTO 9 PHOTO 10**

Expert tips

Flavor the sponge with a few drops of rose water while making the cake batter, if you prefer.
Make the sponge cake one day in advance, wrap it in a plastic film, and refrigerate.
Drain lychee puree with a mesh strainer to obtain lychee juice and follow the same recipe to make the Bavarian cream. You will get the cream smoother than that with the lychee puree.
Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries or mini marshmallows if you prefer.

Love cakes? Try these next!

Recipe card

Lychee Cake With Pink Biscuits

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5 from 5 reviews

Author: Irina Totterman
Total Time: 3 hours
Yield: 7 1x
Category: Cakes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale

For charlotte:

For the Bavarian cream:

500 g canned lychee (2 cans of lychee in syrup)
⅓ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (100 g) sugar
4 gelatin sheets
1 cup + 4 teaspoons (250 g) whipping cream
0.5 oz (15 g) shredded coconut

For the decoration:

1 drained lychee

*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!

** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

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Instructions

To make the sponge, follow the Italian Sponge Cake Recipe. Add about 5 drops of red food color to the ready batter and bake as directed. Check the biscuit's readiness with a toothpick: once you remove the clean toothpick out of the sponge, the biscuit is ready.
Adjust a mousse cake mold to 7 inches/17-18 cm in diameter, line it with the acetate cake collar, and place it on the parchment paper. Even one of the ends of pink biscuits with a serrated knife and arrange them all around the ring.
Cut the sponge Genoise in two halves crosswise using a serrated knife or a cake lever. Place aside one half and cut a biscuit disk out of another half. The disc's diameter has to be enough to place it at the bottom of the mousse ring lined with biscuits.
Drain lychees and keep the syrup. Soak the biscuit base of the cake with the lychee syrup.
To make the Bavarian cream, soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes. Crush the drained lychee (do not forget to keep one whole lychee for the decoration) in a food processor. You will get 1 ¾ cup (400 ml) of the lychee puree.
Heat the lychee puree with sugar in a saucepan till the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from heat, add drained gelatin sheets, and mix with a hand whisk. Cover the mixture with plastic film in contact and refrigerate until it colls down.
Whisk the whipping cream to get the whipped cream. Once the lychee preparation is cold, add the whipped cream, mixing with the hand whisk. Add shredded coconut and mix to combine. Pour the Bavarian cream into the mousse mold and refrigerate the charlotte for at least two hours, better overnight.
Remove the mousse mold with the acetate film. Make pink crumbs from the remaining half of the pink sponge genoise, using a fork or your hands. Decorate the top of the cake with crumbs and arrange the whole lychee on top.

Notes

Flavor the sponge with a few drops of rose water while making the cake batter if you prefer.
Make the sponge cake one day in advance, wrap it in a plastic film, and refrigerate.
Drain lychee puree with a mesh strainer to obtain lychee juice and follow the same recipe to make the Bavarian cream. You will get the cream smoother than that with the lychee puree.
Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries or mini-marshmallows if you prefer.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 338
Sugar: 37.9 g
Sodium: 26 mg
Fat: 13.4 g
Saturated Fat: 7.9 g
Carbohydrates: 49.8 g
Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 7.1 g
Cholesterol: 75 mg

The recipe was adapted from https://www.meilleurduchef.com/. It was originally published on February 07, 2019. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.

Raspberry Lava Cake (Mi-cuit au Chocolat)

Apr 15, 2020 · 10 Comments

Sink your spoon into this chocolate raspberry lava cake - an indulging molten chocolate cake with a running chocolate center.

It takes only 30 minutes to whip up the five-ingredient batter and serve cakes right from the oven from start to finish.

Chocolate molten lava cake with the poured raspberry sauce on top served on a dessert plate

Today is the turn for a rich, fudgy and delicious raspberry lava cake with a warm, gooey chocolate center.

This cozy dessert warms up on cold days. It brightens up any, even sunny day.

Have you ever thought that due to the "masculine" chocolate center of the lava cake, it deserves to be served on Father's Day?

This cake has some inner strength. What could be stronger than lava in nature that can change the Earth's landscape?

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What is lava cake?

Lava cake (aka molten chocolate cake) is a popular dessert with a pouring delicious chocolate center.

It is called mi-cuit au chocolat in French, meaning "half-cooked chocolate" in English.

The lava cake batter resembles brownie batter - that is why sometimes the dessert is even called brownie lava cake or lava brownies.

Lava cake history

It is considered that the American chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten invented a lava cake in 1987.

Although the French chef Jacques Torres argues that the lava cake (mi-cuit au chocolat in French) already existed in France.

Yes, once again (after Tarte Tatin on my blog), the great dessert came up to live as a baking mistake.

Chef Vongerichten was making a chocolate sponge cake. He took the cake from the oven before it was ready and found that the center was still liquid and runny.

However, it was warm and had an incredible texture. So, the lava cake, or lava brownie, was born.

Dar chocolate lava cakes served in ramekins

How to serve lava cake

Impress your guests with a final touch to the classic lava cake. Accompany it with a scoop of ice cream, custard, or whipped cream.

Sprinkle the dark chocolate lava cake with toasted nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios) or shredded coconut.

Serve the dessert with pomegranate seeds, fresh raspberries, or cherries to add a tangy note.

Sprinkle cakes with fleur de sel before serving to enhance the flavor of chocolate.

Dust lava cakes with powdered sugar or cocoa powder, and serve them in ramekins if you prefer not to flip them.

Bake cakes in ovenproof cups, filling them up to half instead of traditional ramekins. Sprinkle with some toasted nuts, pipe the whipped cream and sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Lava cake variations

Experiment with lava cake ingredients to make the dessert original and personal.

Serve a lava cake with raspberry sauce (recipe for dark raspberry lava cake below)

Try the milk chocolate version for more indulgence.

Add ground cinnamon and chili powder to the cake batter to get the Mexican chocolate twist - Mexican "Hot" Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes.

Top each lava cake with peanut butter before baking and make Peanut Butter Chocolate Lava Cakes.

To enjoy a runny dulce de leche center, follow the recipe for Molten Caramel Cakes.

Make Chocolate-Espresso Lava Cakes if you are a coffee-lover.

Add Grand Marnier and orange zest to make these unique Grand Marnier Molten Chocolate Cakes.

Play with adding red food color to the batter and enjoy Red Velvet Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes.

Add your favorite liquor to make Molten Chocolate Liquor Cakes.

Surprise your guests with Molten Chocolate Cakes with Matcha Tea and Black Sesame Seeds Filling.

Add Nestle Butterscotch Morsels and enjoy these flavorful little Butterscotch Spice Molten Cakes With Cream Sauce.

Nutella lovers will surely appreciate Chocolate Nutella Lava Cakes.

Flourless Chocolate Lava Cakes will please those on a gluten-free diet.

Raspberry lava cake dusted with icing sugar on a white plate with a wine bottle, glasses

Why you should try this recipe

The recipe is easy to make and is ready in under 30 minutes.
Dark chocolate lava cake is perfect for Valentine's Day celebration and a great option to serve at parties.
Making ahead and freezing option save time in making lava cakes.
There is no chilling time for the dessert: serve it right from the oven.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Butter: the recipe calls for unsalted butter.

Dark chocolate: use high-quality dark chocolate such as Scharffen Berger dark chocolate, Valrhona dark chocolate, or Lindt Excellence dark chocolate. Dot use chocolate chips.

Eggs: use large whole eggs at room temperature.

Sugar: use granulated white sugar.

Flour: a bit of all-purpose flour is needed for this recipe.

Raspberries: Use fresh or frozen berries interchangeably to make the raspberry sauce and let it cool while baking lava cakes.

Pistachios: chopped toasted pistachios bring color, texture, and taste to the dessert.

How to make raspberry lava cake

Preheat oven to 425 F/218 C. Butter and flour three individual ramekins and set aside.

To make the raspberry sauce, pour water and sugar in a saucepan, add raspberries and cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add chopped pistachios at the last moment and remove them from the heat. Let it cool down (photo 1).

To make the cake batter, melt chocolate and butter in a bain-marie/water bath.

Using an electric mixer, whip eggs, and sugar until the mixture whitens (photo 2).

Add flour and melted chocolate with butter, and mix with a rubber spatula (photo 3).

Photo 1: Sauce in a saucepan Photo 2: Eggs mixture Photo 3: Batter in a bowl — **PHOTOS 1-3**

Fill ramekins with the batter up to halfway and place a chocolate piece in the center. Finish filling the molds (photo 4).

Bake for 12 minutes. Remove lava cakes from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes (photo 5).

Photo 4: Ramekins filled with the batter Photo 5: Baked desserts in ramekins — **PHOTO 4 PHOTO 5**

Place a dessert plate on top of the ramekin. Flip the dish and ramekin together to remove the cake from the mold.

Sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar, pour raspberry sauce on top of each cake, and serve immediately.

Expert tips

Use fresh or frozen berries to make the raspberry sauce and let it cool while baking lava cakes.
Ensure to use high-quality dark chocolate such as Scharffen Berger dark chocolate, Valrhona dark chocolate, or Lindt Excellence dark chocolate. Please, do not use chocolate chips.
Be sure to read how to melt chocolate before you begin.
Add a pinch of salt or use salted butter to intensify the flavor of chocolate.
The baking time is the key to making this dessert. You might need to use a toothpick to test the cakes' center to make sure that they are not over-baked.
To release cakes, use a knife to loosen them from the edges. Then let the ramekin sit upside down for a few seconds after the flipping movement.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to eat a lava cake?

Yes, it is safe to eat lava cakes even while pregnant. First, the cakes are baked all the way through. The cakes pouring part is melted chocolate put in the middle of each cake before baking. Second, some recipes do not call for solid chocolate to insert into each cake before baking. There is no concern that the egg-containing "lava" center is undercooked in this cake either. Eggs baked at 425 F/218 for 12 minutes are safe to eat.

Can you bake lava cakes in a muffin pan?

Yes, if you do not have ramekins, use a muffin pan instead. Butter and flour muffin pan cups, fill up with the chocolate batter, and bake at 425 F/218 C for 8 to 10 minutes. To release the cakes from the mold, use a spoon.

How to make a gluten-free lava cake

To make the gluten-free version of a lava cake, replace wheat flour with corn starch or a gluten-free flour blend.

How to make a vegan lava cake

To make vegan molten lava cake, remove all the eggs and butter from the recipe and replace them with a mix of applesauce and almond puree.

How to prepare a lava cake in advance

Make the chocolate batter one day in advance. Pour it into prepared ramekins, cover them with a plastic film and refrigerate. The next day, uncover the molds and bake as directed.
You can also freeze the batter in ramekins for up to 3 months. Once you are ready to make and serve it, increase the baking time by a couple of minutes.

What wine to pair with a lava cake

Accompany the dessert with any natural sweet wine, which will be perfect with chocolate.

Love chocolate desserts? Try these next!

Recipe card

The recipe was adapted from http://gourmand.viepratique.fr/. It was originally published on June 15, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.

Coconut Dacquoise Cake Recipe

Apr 12, 2020 · 27 Comments

Follow this Coconut Dacquoise Cake recipe to make a fruity showstopper dessert full of summer flavors. Gorgeous and tasty, the cake will surely become your new favorite. Just give this recipe a go!

Summertime is colorful and tasteful, and it brings delicious fruity desserts. There is no doubt that strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries have always been a part of my life and recipes, especially when I live with an endless supply of berries in stores all year round.

Coconut dacquoise cake with red fruit is a total crowd-pleaser. What is an essential thing while serving a cake at a party? It is to please everyone without any restrictions and limitations. So, this cake has a gluten-free option by replacing all-purpose flour with the almond flour.

The dacquoise cake recipe calls for the diplomat cream, which is a mixture of pastry cream with whipped cream. It might sound complicated, but in reality, the delicious and rich cream is easy to make.

As a final touch, the cake is loaded with tons of red fruit. It gets such a gorgeous presentation that I can not help but love it!

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Coconut Dacquoise Cake with a cutting board and fruit on background: Overhead view

What is dacquoise?

Dacquoise is a French cake made with layers of nut meringue (mostly almond and hazelnut meringue) and whipped cream or buttercream. The dessert takes its name from the French word dacquois, meaning 'of Dax', which is a town in southwestern France.

According to food historians, dacquoise originated in the 17th century, when the dessert was created as a sumptuous cake for the people of the French royalty. Over the years, the recipe became popular in England, when some French chefs moved there to serve the upper class.

Coconut dacquoise cake topped with red fruit and sprinkled with icing sugar on a cake platter

Why coconut dacquoise cake recipe works

This cake, loaded with lots of red fruit, is full of summer flavors.
Bright colors of fruits give a showstopping presentation to the dessert.
Replacing all-purpose flour with almond flour transforms the cake in a gluten-free treat.
Experimenting with coconut and other fruit (mango, pineapple) combinations allows the creation of different toppings for the cake.
The cake made in a bit over an hour can be served immediately: no chilling required.

How to make coconut dacquoise cake step by step

To make the coconut dacquoise, preheat the oven to 345 F/175 C. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites with one pinch of salt and gradually add granulated sugar until the meringue is firm and glossy (photo 1).

Mix almond flour, coconut flour, sifted icing sugar, and all-purpose flour in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to the beaten whites and combine with a rubber spatula (photo 2).

Photo 1: Ready meringue in a metal bowl Photo 2: Ready dacquoise preparation in a bowl — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

Butter an 8 inches/20 cm round cake ring and place it on the parchment paper.

Transfer the preparation to a pastry bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 809 and make a spiral at the bottom of the cake ring.

Begin piping in the center and end at the edges of the ring. Pipe large balls in the direction towards the center (photo 3). Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until slightly browned (photo 4).

Photo 3: Piped preparation inside a cake ring Photo 4: Baked cake in a ring — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

To make the diplomat cream, mix egg yolks with sugar and corn starch, using a hand whisk (photo 5). Bring milk in a saucepan to boil, and add the boiling liquid to the egg yolks mixture, continually stirring.

Bring the preparation back to the pan and cook over medium heat, continuously whisking until the cream thickens (photo 6). Pour the cream on a shallow plate, cover it with a plastic film in contact and let it cool down.

Photo 5: Egg yolks/sugar, corn starch mixture in a bowl Photo 6: Ready pastry cream in a saucepan — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

Whisk the whipping cream (photo 7) and mix it with the cooled cream (photo 8).

Photo 7: Whipped cream in a metal bowl Photo 8: Ready diplomat cream in a bowl — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

To assemble the coconut dacquoise, sprinkle the cake with powdered (icing) sugar. Using a pastry bag with the same plain tip, push the diplomat cream in a spiral on top of the dacquoise (photo 9).

Arrange red fruit on top of the cream (photo 10) and sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar.

With a silicone brush, apply the apricot preserves all around the cake base and sprinkle with the shredded coconut.

Photo 9: Diplomat cream in a spiral on top of the cake Photo 10: Ready decorated cake topped with red fruit — **PHOTO 9 PHOTO 10**

Expert tips

To make the cake gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour as 1:1 with almond flour, but NOT with coconut flour.
Sprinkle red fruit with powdered (icing) sugar right before serving the cake.
Mix red fruits with one can of raspberry jam and place the fruit mixture on top of the cake if you prefer. Omit powdered sugar sprinkled over fruits in this case.

More delicious cake recipes you will love

Recipe card

The recipe was adapted from http://avenuedesdelices.over-blog.com/. It was originally published on July 24, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.

Easter Bundt Cake (Gâteau Bundt de Pâques)

Apr 7, 2020 · 12 Comments

This is our favorite Easter bundt cake, a table masterpiece to finish Easter dinner. It consists of three layers of airy biscuits, mousseline cream, and toasted almonds sprinkled all over the cake. Crunchy, yummy, and delicious!

A slice of Easter bundt cake on a red plate: Close up

Have you ever thought of how to upgrade a humble fluted (bundt) cake into a showstopping dessert - Easter bundt cake (gâteau bundt de Pâques)?

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Easter bundt cake recipe

This Easter bundt cake recipe is super easy and fun. All you do is cover the bundt cake with cream, sprinkle on some toasted flaked almonds, and top it with white chocolate strands that look like a bird's nest.

I have been making this bird nest cake every Easter since 2018, and I don't think we will stop anytime soon. Once you try it, you will get why: it tastes amazing and is one of the coolest, genius Easter bundt cake ideas.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Corn starch lowers gluten formation in the all-purpose flour by softening the flour proteins.
Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature.
Baking powder is one of the leavening agents used in the recipe.
Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract, or replace it with lemon or coconut extract and some lime or lemon zest. Or, substitute vanilla extract for one tablespoon of Kirsch (cherry brandy) or any other fruit-based brandy.
Milk: Use whole milk or replace it with low-fat milk.
Butter: Use unsalted, softened butter. Take it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before you start.
Flaked almonds: Use store-bought toasted flaked almonds or toast raw sliced almonds in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10 to 15 minutes.
White chocolate: Use Lindt white chocolate or Callebaut white chocolate interchangeably when making filaments.
Edible decorations: Use small chocolate eggs, jelly beans, or your favorite Easter candy on top of the cake.

How to make Easter bundt cake

To make cake batter, preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Use a flour sifter to sift flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.

Break the eggs and separate the egg yolks from the whites. Whisk egg yolks with 50 g granulated sugar until they become whitish (photo 1).

In a separate large bowl, whisk egg whites with an electric mixer until they are mounted. Gradually pour in the remaining sugar (100g) and whisk until the egg whites are firm and glossy. Add the vanilla extract and beat for a few seconds (photo 2).

Photo 1. Egg yolks/sugar in a bowl Photo 2: Whisked egg whites in a bowl — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

Use a rubber spatula to gently mix the egg whites with the yolks/sugar mixture (photos 3-4).

Photo 3: Egg whites/yolks mixture in a bowl Photo 4: Eggs mixture in a bowl — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

Add the sifted dry ingredients and gently mix (photo 5). Butter and flour a fluted cake pan and pour the batter into the mold (photo 6).

Photo 5: Cake batter in a bowl Photo 6: Cake butter in a fluted cake pan — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes. Test its readiness with a knife: a sharp tip should come out dry (photo 7). Let the cake cool on a cooling rack.

To make the sugar syrup, heat water, sugar, and vanilla extract in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool, and place it aside.

To make the pastry cream, mix egg yolks, 50g of milk, sugar, flour, and cornstarch (photo 8).

Photo 7: Baked cake in a cake mold Photo 8: Pastry cream mixture in a bowl — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

Bring 150 ml of milk to a boil. Pour hot milk into the mixture and bring it to a boil again, stirring constantly. Once the cream thickens (photo 9), pour it on a shallow plate and cover it with a plastic film in contact. Cool the pastry cream at room temperature.

To make the extra buttercream, heat sugar and water in a saucepan to 250°F (120°C).

Break the egg into a bowl and pour the syrup over the egg, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk for about 10 minutes until the mixture becomes whitish (photo 10).

Photo 9: Pastry cream in a saucepan Photo 10: Whisked eggs/sugar syrup in a bowl — **PHOTO 9 PHOTO 10**

Add the softened butter and vanilla extract and beat the cream for 10 to 15 minutes with an electric mixer to aerate it as much as possible (photo 11).

Heat it a little bit if it is too compact, or cool it if it is too soft. The cream should be smooth and homogeneous.

To make the vanilla mousseline cream, add the pastry cream, little by little, to the extra buttercream and whisk (photo 12). Place aside.

Photo 11: Ready extra buttercream in a bowl Photo 12: Ready mousseline cream in a bowl — **PHOTO 11 PHOTO 12**

To assemble the Easter cake, cut the cooled biscuit into three equal and regular parts with a serrated knife.

Using a silicone brush, soak each slice of the biscuit with the sugar syrup.

Spread the vanilla mousseline cream in the middle of the first biscuit and smooth it with a bent spatula. Cover with the second part of the biscuit, soak again with the syrup, and cover with the cream.

Spread the remaining mousseline cream with the bent spatula. Smooth the edges of the biscuit while turning the spatula around the cake (photo 13). Apply the toasted flaked almonds over the entire cake (photo 14).

Photo 13: Cake with cream on a board Photo 14: Cake with almonds on a board — **PHOTO 13 PHOTO 14**

To make chocolate filaments, melt white chocolate in a bain-marie/water bath (or microwave), taking care not to overheat it (it should reach a maximum 104°F (40°C) or be warm to the touch).

Stir it to bring the temperature down to 85°F (30°C): you should not feel any difference in the temperature when touching your finger. Place the chocolate in a pastry bag and cut the end.

Freeze a plate and take it out of the freezer. Place the plate upside down on the work surface. Holding the pastry bag, make a few round trips on the back of the plate. Let the chocolate freeze for a few seconds over the plate (photo 15).

Peel off one of the sides using a bent spatula or a knife. Arrange chocolate filaments on top of the cake.

Photo 15: White chocolate spiraled over a plate Photo 16: Cake with chocolate eggs on top — **PHOTO 15 PHOTO 16**

Repeat the process as often as you like, using a very cold plate each time. Stick a few eggs with the remaining melted chocolate (photo 16).

A single slice of Easter nest cake on a board with a plant in the background

Expert Tips

Make the biscuit one day in advance, cool it, wrap it in a plastic film, and refrigerate it. Finish the cake the next day.
Bake the cake in a tall fluted cake pan (aka kouglof mold), or use your favorite bundt pan.
To toast flaked almonds, place nuts in the oven at 355°F (180°C) for 10 to 15 minutes. If you use store-bought toasted flaked almonds, toast them at 300°F (150°C) for 5 to 7 minutes to obtain a more intense color.
Replace white chocolate with milk or dark chocolate to make chocolate filaments.

Recipe variations

This Easter egg cake is made from scratch, but if you are a novice baker, you can use a cake mix to prepare a bundt cake.

While mousseline cream is the most delicious cream to fill many pastries, including Paris-Brest to luscious Strawberry Pistachio Tart, if making it scares you, there is a simple solution. Whip a Chantilly cream or cream cheese frosting and fill your bundt cake.

If you wonder how to decorate a cake for Easter, here is a fun part of the recipe.

Cover the entire cake with flaked almonds, coconut flakes, or other chopped nuts.

Use tempered chocolate to make a chocolate nest. Or follow another interesting technique for making chocolate bird nests offered by St. Croix Chocolate Company. Or use caramel to make a fancy-looking caramel nest. Finally, create a bird's nest out of noodles and melted chocolate by watching a Cookies Cupcakes and Cardio's video.

Decorate the top of the cake with chocolate or candy eggs.

Storing & Freezing

Store this bundt cake with mousseline cream in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Can you freeze it? It isn't recommended to freeze cakes with mousseline cream, but you can freeze the undecorated bundt cake.

Let it cool completely and wrap it in plastic. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months. To thaw, bring the wrapped cake to the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Recipe FAQ

What is mousseline cream?

Mousseline cream is a pastry cream enriched with softened butter. With the typical ratio of the pastry cream and butter being 2:1. Mousseline cream is used in the same way as the buttercream: to layer and finish cakes and pipe the choux pastry.

What's the difference between a bundt cake and a regular cake?

Bundt cake has a fluted edge with a hole in the center, unlike a regular cake baked in a standard round or rectangular pan. Also, the donut shape of a bundt pan reveals more of the cake to high oven temperature than a regular cake. So making a bundt cake moist is a more tedious task than making moist a normal cake.

Love Easter desserts? Try these next!

Recipe card

The recipe was adapted from http://www.elle.fr, and was originally published on March 29, 2019. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.

Savoy Cake (Easy and Quick Recipe)

Apr 3, 2020 · 36 Comments

Savoy cake is the ultimate easy and quick French sponge cake. An absolute delight, this soft and airy light cake is made in 45 minutes. No wonder kids and adults love it.

Sliced Savoy cake on a cake serving board.

What is Savoy cake?

Savoy cake is a fatless sponge cake traditionally baked in a copper mold and sprinkled with icing sugar. The cake was invented in the 14th century and named for the Savoy region of France. It is believed to be one of the oldest Western pastries enjoyed today.

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Savoy region is actually shared between France, Italy, and Switzerland. So it is tough to claim a country of the cake's origin, although the Savoy cake, or Gâteau de Savoie, is more considered a French dessert.

It used to be baked in copper molds, but nowadays, the cake is baked in metal bundt pans and Kougloff molds.

I have made the cake in different bundt cake molds, but I have never used silicone molds. Unfortunately, they just don't work for this type of cake.

Savoy cake recipe

As a light, fat-free cake, it is perfect for kids and adults.

Savoy cake recipe is easy and quick: it takes about 25 minutes of hands-on time.

The cake does not require decoration: sprinkle the cake with powdered (icing) sugar and serve.

Different bundt cake pans allow you to customize and personalize the cake and make it for birthdays and any holiday.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Eggs: The recipe calls for large eggs. Use an egg separator to separate the egg whites from the yolks while the eggs are chilled. Then, bring them to room temperature.
Sugar: Use caster or superfine baker's sugar. If unavailable, use granulated sugar instead.
Flour: The recipe calls for regular all-purpose flour.
Corn and potato starch: Adding starches to the recipe facilitates gluten development and creates the most tender cake texture.
Baking powder: Use fresh aluminum-free baking powder.
Vanilla beans: Use the top-quality Madagascar vanilla beans that are the most flavorful.
Oranges: Opt for organic, untreated oranges, and use a zester grater to make fresh zest. Replace orange zest with lemon zest, a common flavoring for Savoy cake.
Salt enhances the flavors of the cake.
Cream of tartar helps stabilize egg whites. Replace ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar with ½ teaspoon of lemon juice.

A single slice of savoy cake on a dessert plate.

How to make Savoy cake

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C). To prepare the mold, use a pastry brush and well-softened unsalted butter to grease a bundt pan (a decorative fluted tube pan).

Pro tip: Make sure to grease the sides of the pan with its intricate patterns (little nooks and crannies) and the central funnel.

Savoy pan greased with butter and sprinkled with sugar.

Step 2. Swirl the baking pan with granulated sugar to coat it. Shake off the excess sugar. Refrigerate the mold until ready to use.

Beaten egg yolks on mix beaters over the bowl.

Step 3. To make the cake batter, sift plain flour, corn starch, potato starch, and baking powder in a large bowl and mix with a hand whisk. Place egg yolks and ½ cup + ½ tablespoon (120 g) of granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixer bowl. Using a stand or an electric mixer, beat until the mixture whitens and leaves a ribbon-like trail once lifted.

Step 4. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg yolk mixture and mix on low speed. Add the scraped seeds of vanilla beans and orange zest and mix again.

Meringue in a metal bowl with a hand whisk.

Step 5. In a separate bowl, whisk room-temperature egg whites with a pinch of salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar (60 g) and whisk to get stiff peaks of the firm glossy meringue.

Step 6. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the main preparation with a rubber spatula.

Step 7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin up to two-thirds. Tap it on the table a few times to release large air bubbles and fill the decorative pattern of the mold.

Step 8. Bring the pan into the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 320°F (160°C). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. Check for doneness with the blade of a knife or a cake tester: if it comes out dry, the cake is ready.

Step 9. Let the cake rest in the pan for a few minutes and unmold it on a wire rack to cool.

To serve, sprinkle the cooled Savoy cake with powdered (icing) sugar.

French Savoy cake on a platter with slices on smaller plates.

Expert Tips

Choose a metal bundt cake and ensure that you prepare it well. This will result in an impeccable sugar crust.
Grease the cake mold with clarified butter, which does not contain milk solids. It will provide an even biscuit-like crust while baking the cake.
Make the baking time adjustments as needed. It may vary based on your oven and the quality of the mold.
If the cake turns brown quickly, cover it with buttered parchment or foil during baking.
Don't open the oven door during baking; otherwise, the cake will collapse.
The recipe is for a 10-cup bundt cake mold, which will fit into a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan.

Recipe variations

Flavorings: Replace orange zest with other citrus zests (lemon, lime, grapefruit) or add vanilla extract, rose water, or orange blossom water to the batter.

Fillings: Cut the cake into two layers and fill with French pastry cream, mascarpone frosting, jam, chocolate ganache, or Chantilly cream with fresh fruit.

How to serve it

Sprinkle Savoy cake with icing sugar or serve it with creme Anglaise, French pastry cream, jam, hazelnut praline paste, or your favorite spread.

Fill the center of the cake with Chantilly cream and decorate with fresh berries. Then enjoy a cake slice surrounded by airy light cream and half-strawberries or other red fruits on the side.

Cut the Savoy cake in half and spread your favorite fruit jam and Chantilly cream. Arrange halved strawberries, and place the second half of the cake on top.

Storing and freezing

The cake is best eaten on the day of baking. Store Savoy cake covered with plastic film or aluminum foil at room temperature for 1-2 days. Bring it to the refrigerator to store longer, up to 4-5 days.

Refrigerate the Savoy cake immediately if it is garnished with cream filling.

Can you freeze it? You can freeze the whole Savoy cake or individual slices. Wrap the cake or slices with plastic film, then aluminum foil, and freeze for three months.

Recipe FAQ

Is Savoy cake the same as Angel food cake?

Savoy cake uses whole eggs, while Angel food cake uses only egg whites.

What is a characteristic of the Savoy cake?

Savoy cake is a fat-free molded sponge cake with an airy, light texture and a gorgeous sugar crust.

Can you bake Savoy cake in a silicone mold?

If you don't have a metal mold, you can use a Kougloff-style silicone mold instead. However, keep in mind that the crust may not be as perfect.

Love cakes? Try these next!

Recipe card

The recipe was adapted from https://www.femmeactuelle.fr/ and originally published on April 15, 2019. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.

Ottolenghi Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Mar 29, 2020 · 66 Comments

Here is the best carrot layer cake, with a twist on the recipe for the Yotam Ottolenghi carrot cake. It is beautifully moist and filled with carrots, walnuts, warm spices, and a delicious cream cheese frosting.

Sliced Ottolenghi carrot cake on a serving plate

If you have been looking for the best carrot cake recipe, here is the answer. This carrot cake is dried fruit-free, not overspiced, and incredibly moist.

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But if you want to try something new and interesting but still hold on tightly to your taste for comfort cake, this Italian carrot cake is another option. It is warm-spice-free and represents all the carrot cakes' simplicity and Italian authenticity.

What is carrot cake?

Carrot cake is a moist cake filled with grated carrots, warm spices, and cream cheese frosting. Its first recipe was probably published in 1827. The cake came to the States during the 1960s and became one of the most famous American classic desserts.

National Carrot Cake Day is celebrated annually on February 3 in the United States. Carrot lovers worldwide celebrate International Carrot Day annually on April 4th.

Ottolenghi carrot cake recipe

This walnut and carrot cake is so simple that you will want to make it for your birthday, as an afternoon snack, or anytime.

It is super moist due to the sunflower oil and grated carrots, which provide prime moisture for the cake. Read more about how to make cakes moist.

The cake has a make-ahead option, and its maximum flavors are released the next day.

It is incredibly easy and doesn't require any special skills.

A single slice of carrot cake on a dessert plate with a fork

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

For cake batter:

Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda help raise the cake.
Spices: Use a mix of ground cinnamon and ground cloves.
Eggs: Use chilled eggs and an egg separator to separate the yolks from the whites. Then, bring the eggs to room temperature, as per the recipe.
Sunflower oil brings moisture to the cake. Replace it with flavorless grapeseed oil if desired.
Sugar: The recipe calls for granulated or caster sugar.
Nuts: Use raw walnuts or pecans interchangeably.
Coconut: Use shredded coconut or replace it with the same amount of raisins.
Carrots: Grate carrots finely using a small grater or the fine shredding attachment on a food processor. Avoid store-bought shredded carrots, as they are thick and dry. Keep grated carrots in the fridge until you are ready to use them. You can make this step yourself a day ahead of time.
Salt enhances the flavors of the cake.

For cream cheese frosting:

Icing sugar: Make it yourself with a coffee grinder, or use store-bought powdered sugar.
Cream cheese: Make sure to use cream cheese (not cream cheese spread) at room temperature.
Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 1 hour before you start.
Honey: Use any honey you prefer, excluding buckwheat honey, for its intense flavor. Opt for acacia honey, which is known for its neutrality. Read on how to liquify honey.

Sliced layered carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on a plate

How to make carrot cake

Step 1. Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease and layer the bottom and sides of an 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.

Step 2. To make cake batter, sift the dry ingredients-flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices-into a large bowl and set aside.

Step 3. Whisk the whole egg with one egg yolk in a separate small bowl. Place sunflower oil and granulated sugar in a stand mixer or mixing bowl using an electric mixer. Beat for one minute at medium speed (photo 1).

Step 4. Decrease the speed and add beaten eggs. Add chopped walnuts, desiccated coconut, grated carrots, and sifted dry ingredients and combine (photo 2).

Photo 1: Oil and sugar mixture in a bowl Photo 2: Halfway ready batter in a bowl — PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2

Step 5. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt until firm (photo 3). Carefully add the whites to the main preparation in three additions and mix them with a rubber spatula (photo 4).

Photo 3: Beaten egg whites in a bowl Photo 4: Ready cake batter in a bowl — PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4

Step 6. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan (photo 5) and bake for about 1 hour.

Step 7. Check the cake's doneness with a toothpick or a cake tester: it is ready if it comes out dry. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool (photo 6).

Photo 5: Cake batter in a cake pan Photo 6: Baked carrot cake in the pan — PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6

Step 8. To make a cream cheese frosting, place room-temperature cream cheese in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer.

Step 9. Whisk softened butter, icing (powdered) sugar, and honey in a separate bowl. Add this mixture to the cream cheese and whisk again (photo 7).

Step 10. To assemble the cake, remove the cooled cake from the pan and cut it horizontally with a serrated knife or a cake leveler.

Step 11. Place the first cake layer on a cake board or a serving plate. Spread half of the cream cheese frosting.

Step 12. Place the second cake layer and cover the remaining frosting, making waves on top. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts (photo 18).

Photo 7: Cream cheese frosting in a bowl Photo 8: Cake topped with frosting and nuts — PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8

Expert Tips

Use this simple cake pan calculator to recalculate the ingredients for a different pan size.
Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts getting dark during baking.
Make sure the cream cheese (not cream cheese spread) is at room temperature.
Make-ahead option: Bake the cake one day in advance, wrap it in plastic film, and refrigerate. The next day, assemble the cake and let it chill for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Recipe variations

A single layer of the carrot cake featuring a classic cream cheese frosting is a traditional carrot cake. But how can you make a carrot cake without cream cheese?

Try sugar-free whipped cream or crème Chantilly as a cream cheese frosting alternative.
Choose vanilla buttercream if whipped cream isn't your thing.
Experiment with creating a carrot cake with chocolate frosting.
Make your lemon glaze for a lighter taste. Mix 1 cup plus three tablespoons (150 g) icing sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of water.
Finally, dust your carrot cake with a veil of powdered sugar and arrange candied carrots on top.

Storing and freezing

Store unfrosted carrot cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. If refrigerated, enjoy it longer, up to 7 days. Store frosted cake under a glass dome in the fridge for about a week.

Can you freeze carrot cake? It isn't recommended to freeze frosted cake, but you can freeze unfrosted one for up to 2-3 months.

Cover the cake with double plastic wrap and place it in a freezing bag or an airtight container. To thaw, leave the cake in the refrigerator overnight.

Recipe FAQ

Who invented carrot cake?

The exact inventor of the modern American carrot cake remains mysterious, but a carrot pudding cooked in a Medieval palace began carrot cake history. There are several stories about how this pudding became a cream cheese-filled American favorite.

What does carrot cake taste like?

Carrot cake tastes like a spice nut cake, a blend of flavors topped with cream cheese frosting. Its flavors come mainly from carrots and warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.

Love carrot desserts? Try these next!

Recipe card

The recipe was adapted from https://ottolenghi.co.uk/. It was originally published on November 10, 2019. This recipe has been updated and may differ from what was initially published.

Orange Upside-down Cake Recipe

Mar 25, 2020 · 15 Comments

Delight your family and friends with this Orange upside-down cake. It is a French dessert with a sponge Genoise soaked in orange syrup with a hint of Grand Marnier, diplomat cream, and a luscious layer of candied oranges. It is a real orange intense!

Orange cake served on a black plate: Side view

This orange cake is one of the prettiest cakes I have ever made. I laid my eyes on the cake while surfing through the baking site of Madam Mercotte. Since she mentioned that chef Gaston Lenôtre created the original recipe, I decided to try to find his recipe.

The only way to get the recipe was to watch the old video masterclass by the chef in French. I wrote down all the ingredients, watched the video, made some changes, and voila!

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A slice of orange upside-down cake on a board with the rest of the cake on background

History of orange cake

This French orange upside-down cake is called "Rosace à l'Orange", which means "Rosette with orange" in English.

It is a creation of the French chef Gaston Lenôtre, who presented the cake in the program "La grande cocotte" in 1977.

The cake recipe was published in the pastry book the house Lenôtre "La pâtisserie/ Grands Classiques et créations."

The orange upside-down cake is exceptional. Simplicity and elegance - it is all wrapped in one cake! It is absolutely decadent and perfect for any celebration.

Give it a try and taste the citrus freshness. I will not be surprised if you become obsessed with the cake.

Cake covered with candied oranges on a black plate: Close up

Why orange cake recipe works

Since the citrus season is almost all-year-round, the cake is a dessert to enjoy whenever you want.
The dessert is full of bright citrus flavors that boost the mood and make you feel happier.
Caramelized oranges give a distinctive signature look to the cake after flipping it on a serving plate.
The cake is so petty that it becomes a fabulous and impressive dessert.

How to make orange upside-down cake

To make candied oranges, cut oranges into thin slices. Place them in a saucepan and add granulated sugar (photo 1).

Bring it over low heat, cover the pan, and cook for 1.5 - to 2 hours (photo 2). Drain the candied oranges through a fine-mesh sieve to get the orange syrup.

Add one tablespoon of Grand Marnier to the syrup and set aside. Cool the orange slices down.

Photo 1: Orange slices with sugar in a saucepan Photo 2: Candied oranges in a pan — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

To make the Genoise biscuit, preheat the oven to 392 F/200 C. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggs and powdered (icing) sugar in a bowl, and add the vanilla sugar (photo 3).

Bring the mix into a warm (not hot) bain-marie/ water bath to warm up the preparation and continue to whisk.

Once the temperature of the eggs/sugar mixture reaches 113 F/45 C (warm to touch), remove the saucepan from the bain-marie/water bath and beat until the mixture doubles in size and cools down (photo 4).

Photo 3: Eggs/sugar mixture in a metal bowl Photo 4: Whisked eggs/sugar mixture in a bowl — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

Pour about three tablespoons of the cream-like mixture into a separate bowl with the melted butter and mix (photo 5).

Add the sifted flour to the main mix and gently mix with a rubber spatula. Add the buttered mixture to the main preparation and combine, using the spatula (photo 6).

Photo 5: Battered mixture in a glass bowl Photo 6: Ready cake batter in a metal bowl — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

Butter and flour a cake pan 7 inches/18 cm in diameter. Pour the batter into the pan (photo 7) and bake for 20 minutes.

Check the readiness of the biscuit with a knife: if it comes out dry, the biscuit is ready. Let cool on a wire rack or parchment paper (photo 8).

Photo 7: Cake batter in a pan Photo 8: Baked biscuit on parchment paper — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

To make the diplomat cream, bring milk to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar until the mixture becomes whitish. Add the sifted flour and mix (photo 9).

Pour the boiling milk into the egg mixture and stir. Bring it back into the saucepan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, continually whisking until the cream thickens.

Transfer the ready pastry cream to another bowl and beat with a hand whisk to cool down (photo 10). Add the liquor Grand Marnier and vanilla extract.

Photo 9: Egg yolks/sugar/flour mixture in a bowl Photo 10: Pastry cream in a bowl — **PHOTO 9 PHOTO 10**

Butter a round cake pan 8 inches/20 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with granulated sugar.

Line the pan with orange slices, going in a circle and overlapping them in half (photo 11). Refrigerate.

Cut the rest of the candied oranges into small pieces (photo 12)...

Photo 11: Cake pan lined with candied orange slices Photo 12: Chopped candied oranges on a wooden board — **PHOTO 11 PHOTO 12**

and add them to the cooled pastry cream and mix with the spatula (photo 13). Cover the cream with a plastic film in contact and refrigerate.

Whisk whipping cream to get whipped cream. Add whipped cream to the cooled pastry cream and gently mix with the spatula (photo 14).

Photo 13: Pastry cream with added chopped candied oranges in a bowl Photo 14: Ready diplomat cream in a bowl — **PHOTO 13 PHOTO 14**

To assemble the cake, fill an 8 inches/20 cm pan layered with the orange slices with half of the diplomat cream (photo 15).

Cut Genoise sponge in half in the direction of the thickness, using a serrated knife. Place a biscuit disk on top of the cream (photo 16) and soak with the orange syrup.

Photo 15: Cream on top of candied oranges in a pan Photo 16: Biscuit on top of the cream in a cake pan — **PHOTO 15 PHOTO 16**

Cover with the rest of the diplomat cream. Soak another biscuit disk with the orange syrup and cover the cream with the soaked surface down (photo 17). Refrigerate the cake for at least two hours.

To unmold, place the pan with the cake over medium heat for a few minutes. Place a serving plate on top of the cake and flip it over with the fast movement (photo 18).

Photo 17: The second half of the biscuit on top of the cream in a cake pan Photo 18: Flipped orange cake on a black plate — **PHOTO 17 PHOTO 18**

Expert tips

Make the Genoise biscuit in an 8 inches/20 cm pan and cut it to fit (if necessary) while assembling the cake.
Bake the biscuit one day in advance, wrap it and refrigerate. It will be easier to slice the sponge the next day.
Make the biscuit in an 8 inches/20 cm pan and cut it to fit (if necessary) while assembling the cake.
Use whatever oranges you have - Navel oranges, Valencia Oranges, or even Blood oranges, but buy organic, if possible.
Experiment with mixing Navel and Blood oranges for the prettiest cake effect.
Omit Grand Marnier to make the cake kids-friendly.
Serve the cake immediately or enjoy it within the next 48 hours.

Frequently Asked Question

What is diplomat cream?

Diplomat cream is a combination of pastry cream with whipped cream. Sometimes gelatin is added to stabilize the cream. The standard ratio of pastry cream to whipped cream is usually 1:1, although ratios as 2:1 to 3:1 also exist. Diplomat cream is used to fill choux pastries, tarts, and mille-feuilles.

More delicious cake recipes you will love

Recipe card

The recipe was taken and adapted from the video master class of Gaston Lenôtre. It was originally published on October 18, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.

French Meringue Dessert Merveilleux

Jan 28, 2020 · 63 Comments

If you run to the kitchen right now, I will not blame you: this meringue dessert Le Merveilleux is to die for! It is a crunchy meringue sandwich filled with a layer of whipped cream and covered with chocolate chips. Simply, it is a white sugar cloud of deliciousness.

French meringue dessert Merveilleux with a fork on a dessert plate.

Have you ever seen a line to get into a pastry shop in the 21st century? Does this really ever happen? Yes, there is a unique place with heavenly meringues in Paris. It is called "Aux Merveilleux de Fred".

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This is the place where you can try the original Le Merveilleux (pronounced "mair-vè-y-eu" in French), meaning 'wonderful' or 'marvelous' in English.

Aux Merveilleux de Fred

The first impression of Aux Merveilleux de Fred visitors tasting Merveilleux, a "delicious fusion of meringue and cream," is that it was to die for. As per the customers, it is a "totally addictive meringue cake. You start, and the only way to stop is when it is all gone."

This meringue dessert typically doesn't survive beyond 10 minutes from the time it was purchased; it is usually eaten inside the pastry shop or a few steps outside of the bakery.

Merveilleux originated in Belgium. In 1985 the French confectioner and chocolatier Frederic Vaucamp brought an old classical dessert back but added a large variety of flavors.

Since 1997 the chef has opened seven sweet boutiques in Paris, also all over France, in London, Brussels, Berlin, Geneva, and New York. Some of his locations have an open floor plan where customers can see each step of making these meringues.

Is there a Merveilleux recipe?

There is no doubt that I made a few attempts to find Frederic Vaucamp's original recipe, but it is a well-kept secret to this day.

I was lucky enough to find another version of the recipe created by the Belgian chocolatier, the World champion Pâtissier (1995), Pierre Marcolini. He describes his Merveilleux as "a very modern cake, the marriage of crispness and mellowness..."

I made some changes to the recipe to make it work in a home kitchen. I increased the amount of ingredients for the whipped cream while omitting 25 ml of cold coffee Ristretto as per Mr. Marcolini.

Actually, I found that adding liquid coffee to the cream makes it harder to assemble the meringues since the cream becomes more liquid.

Moreover, I replaced the chef's recommended Pacari Ecuadorian chocolate Los Rios with Trader Joe's dark chocolate. And you will need many more chocolate chips to wrap the meringues than the original recipe recommends!

Merveilleux cut into bite pieces with a fork and a dried rose on a grey plate

Would you like a new birthday party idea? Just make a batch of meringues Merveilleux and serve them on a large serving platter!

This is the second year when my son asked me to make these cute cakes for his birthday. I ended up with eighteen meringues Merveilleux, each with a candle on top. As you can imagine, every year brings an additional cake with a candle :).

Why this meringue dessert recipe works

Easy meringue-based recipe results in a heavenly delicious dessert.
Making numerous cakes serves as a great birthday party idea.
Rolling meringues in white chocolate chips, pink chocolate curls, or chopped Pink Praline makes beautiful and tasteful ideas for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, a baby shower party, or a wedding.

How to make Merveilleux

Preheat oven to 195°F (90°C). Draw circles 2.5 inches (6 cm) on parchment paper. Turn the paper over so that the circles are facing down.

To make the meringue, open a capsule of Ristretto and place ground coffee aside. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat egg whites (at room temperature), gradually add granulated sugar, and whisk till the meringue becomes glossy (photo 1).

Once egg whites are set, add powdered (icing) sugar and ground coffee and mix with a rubber spatula (photo 2).

Photo 1: Meringue in a bowl Photo 2: Meringue mixed with icing sugar and ground coffee in a bowl — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

Place the meringue in a pastry bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 806 and pipe small spirals/rosettes onto drawn circles (photo 3). Bake meringues for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues with the door closed for another one hour (photo 4).

Photo 3: Meringue spirals on parchment paper Photo 4: Baked meringues on parchment — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

To make the sweetened whipped cream, whisk cold heavy cream, gradually adding granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer to whip the cream until stiff (photo 5).

Pro tip: Refer to the French Chantilly cream recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

To assemble sandwich meringues, pipe the whipped cream on the meringue rosette. Finish with another meringue on top, placing it upside down (photo 6).

Photo 5: Ready Chantilly cream in a bowl Photo 6: Meringues sandwiched with the cream held in hand — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

Garnish the edges (photo 7) and cover the top (photo 8) of sandwiched meringues with the cream. Smooth their sides and top using a bent spatula. Place meringues in the freezer for about 10 minutes before rolling them in chocolate chips.

Photo 7: Meringue with smoothed edges on a marble board Photo 8: Meringues covered with the cream on a wooden board — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

To make chocolate chips, scrape a chocolate bar with a large knife, or a vegetable peeler or use a mandoline slicer. Place chocolate chips in a large dish. Roll each meringue sandwich in chocolate chips (photo 9), except the bottom (photo 10). Refrigerate.

Photo 9: Chocolate chips with the meringue in a glass dish Photo 10: Meringues Two Sandwich Meringue Merveilleux on a marble board covered with chocolate chips on a wooden board — **PHOTO 9 PHOTO 10**

Expert Tips

Process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to make superfine sugar. It dissolves quicker and easier while whisking.
Replace 1 capsule of coffee Ristretto with 1 ½ teaspoon (5 g) of your favorite ground coffee.
Prepare meringue rosettes one day in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make about 12.3 oz. (350 g) of medium-sized chocolate chips to facilitate rolling the meringues.
Roll meringues in white chocolate chips, pink chocolate curls, crumbled speculoos, crispy crepes gavottes, chopped Pink Praline, or nuts to play with tastes and flavors.
If you want to add a tangy note, hide a raspberry inside while assembling the meringues. This version is far from the original recipe, but there is always a place for experimentation.
Whisk 1 cup (230 g) of heavy cream with 1 ½ tablespoon (23 g) of granulated sugar until medium peaks and decorate the top of each meringue cake with a swirl of the whipped cream, using an open star pastry tip.
Serve the dessert right away to keep the crispiness of the meringues since the longer you keep the assembled cakes, the softer the meringues become.

Watch the video of how the meringues Merveilleux are rolled in chocolate chips at "Aux Merveilleux de Fred" in Paris.

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French Meringue Dessert Merveilleux

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5 from 26 reviews

Meringue dessert Merveilleux is a crunch meringue sandwich filled with a layer of whipped cream and covered with chocolate chips. Simply, it is a white sugar cloud of deliciousness. It is a dessert to die for!

Author: Irina Totterman
Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (plus resting time)
Yield: 20 1x
Category: Cakes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale

For the coffee meringue:

⅔ cup + 2 ½ tablespoon (200 g) egg whites
⅔ cup + 3 ½ tablespoon (200 g) granulated sugar (see note #1)
1 ½ cups + 5 teaspoon (200 g) powdered (icing) sugar
1 capsule of coffee Ristretto (see note #2)

For the sweetened whipped cream:

3 cups + 4 tablespoon (750 g) heavy cream, 30% fat
⅓ cup (75 g) granulated (caster) sugar

For the decoration:

5.3 oz (150 g) Trader Joe's dark chocolate (see notes)

* If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 195 F/90 C. Draw circles 2.5 inch/6 cm on parchment paper. Turn the paper over so that the drawing is facing down.
To make the meringue, open a capsule of Ristretto and place ground coffee aside. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat egg whites (at room temperature), gradually add granulated sugar and whick till the meringue becomes glossy. Once egg whites are set, add powdered (icing) sugar, ground coffee and mix with a rubber spatula. Place the meringue in a pastry bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 806 and pipe small spirals/rosettes onto drawn circles. Bake meringues for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues with the door closed for another one hour.
To make the sweetened whipped cream, whisk cold heavy cream, gradually adding granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer to whip the cream until stiff.
To assemble sandwich meringues, pipe the whipped cream on the meringue rosette. Finish with another meringue on top, placing it upside down (flat side up). Garnish the edges and cover the top of sandwiched meringues with the cream. Smooth their sides and top using a bent spatula. Place the meringues on a board and cover the top of each meringue with the cream. Place meringues in the freezer for about 10 minutes before rolling them in chocolate chips.
To make chocolate chips, scrape a chocolate bar with a large knife or a vegetable peeler or use a mandoline slicer. Place chocolate chips in a large dish. Roll each sandwiched meringue in chocolate chips, except the bottom. Refrigerate.

Notes

Process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to make superfine sugar. It dissolves quicker and easier while whisking.
Replace 1 capsule of coffee Ristretto with 1 ½ teaspoon (5 g) of your favorite ground coffee.
Prepare meringue rosettes one day ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make about 12.3 oz. (350 g) of middle-sized chocolate chips to facilitate rolling the meringues.
Roll meringues in white chocolate chips, crumbled speculoos, crispy crepes gavottes, pink chocolate curls, chopped Pink Praline, or nuts to experiment with tastes and flavors.
Whisk 1 cup (230 g) of heavy cream with 1 ½ tablespoon (23 g) of granulated sugar till medium peaks and decorate the top of each meringue cake with a swirl of the whipped cream, using an open star pastry tip.
If you want to add a tangy note, hide a raspberry inside while assembling the meringues. This version is far from the original recipe, but there is always a place for experimentation.
Serve the dessert right away to keep the crispiness of the meringues since the longer you keep the assembled cakes, the softer the meringues become.

Nutrition

Calories: 245
Sugar: 27.5 g
Sodium: 29 mg
Fat: 13.8 g
Saturated Fat: 8.8.g
Carbohydrates: 29.4 g
Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 43 mg

The recipe was adapted from https://www.femmeactuelle.fr. It was originally published in May 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.

Easy Brownie Birthday Cake

Jan 20, 2020 · 69 Comments

This brownie birthday cake is intensely chocolatey, soft yet fudgy, with white chocolate whipped cream and red fruit on top. If you are a chocolate lover, this new twist on the brownie is just for you.

A slice of decorated brownie cake with blackberries on a white plate

What a great idea to make a brownie birthday cake instead of simple homemade brownies or a traditional birthday cake. It keeps the classic fudgy brownie taste combined with chocolate whipped cream.

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These sliced birthday brownies have such a gorgeous presentation that the dessert becomes a winner of the table once it is served. Moreover, this delicious dessert will surely please brownie lovers.

Why you should try this recipe

Made with simple ingredients, this brownie cake recipe is a great recipe, also easy and quick.

The cake is decorated with white chocolate whipped cream and fresh fruit and is perfect for a birthday party, Christmas, Valentine's Day, or another special occasion.

Sliced in squares or triangles, these homemade birthday brownies are rich and fudgy: they are just for chocolate lovers.

A couple of brownies decorated with cream and fresh fruits on a marble board

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Heavy cream: Opt for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content.

Red fruit tea: Use loose fruit leaf tea or replace it with tea bags, but calculate how many bags you need to infuse whipping cream.

White chocolate: Use Lindt white chocolate or Callebaut white chocolate. Try to avoid chocolate chips for making chocolate whipped cream.

Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted butter for the best results, but you can replace it with canola oil, rapeseed oil, or other types of vegetable oils.

Dark chocolate: This brownie recipe is made with real chocolate, not unsweetened cocoa powder. Top-quality dark chocolate is the key to making chocolate brownies.

Use 70% dark cacao chocolate: Scharffen Berger dark chocolate, Valrhona dark chocolate, or Lindt Excellence dark chocolate. You can replace half of the dark chocolate with milk chocolate if desired.

Dark brown sugar brings a beautiful caramel taste and flavor, but you can replace it with light brown muscovado sugar or even more powerful dark brown muscovado sugar.

Eggs: The recipe calls for whole large-sized eggs at room temperature.

Flour: Use all-purpose flour, the same as plain flour in the UK.

Cacao powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe.

Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavors of this brownie cake.

Icing sugar is used to decorate the cake. Use homemade icing sugar made with a coffee grinder or purchase powdered sugar.

Fresh berries: Use only fresh red fruit like raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Try to avoid frozen fruits. Instead, decorate the cake with chocolate vermicelli sprinkles, duo chocolate curls, or chocolate thins.

Red fruit preserves are optional, but even a few drops on top of the cake bring the perfect finishing touch.

Recipe variations

Don't you have time during your hectic weekdays? No problem. Whip up a delicious brownie mix to make this brownie birthday cake.

Don't have fresh fruit on hand to decorate the cake? No worries. Add some fun and color to your creation with rainbow sprinkles.

Don't you like whipped cream? Skip it and cover your brownie cake with a luscious chocolate glaze. Then serve it with your favorite ice cream or delicious creme Anglaise.

A single brownie slice topped with Chantilly cream and fresh red fruit on a dessert plate

How to make brownie birthday cake

To make chocolate whipped cream, pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, then remove it from the heat.

Place loose-leaf fruit tea in a tea mesh strainer and infuse heavy cream for 3 minutes (photo 1).

Meanwhile, break the white chocolate into small pieces. Pass whipping cream through a mini-sieve and discard tea leaves. Pour warm cream over white chocolate and mix with a hand whisk (photo 2).

Cover the preparation with plastic film in contact and refrigerate overnight.

Photo 1: Tea strainer in a bowl with cream Photo 2: Cream mixture in a bowl — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

To make the brownie batter, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Place butter and dark chocolate broken into pieces in a large microwave-safe bowl and melt it in a microwave for a few seconds.

Place brown sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk for 2 minutes (photo 3). You can use an electric mixer instead.

Continue to beat and add the melted butter and chocolate mixture with dry ingredients (flour, cacao powder, salt), and mix (photo 4).

Photo 3: Eggs/brown sugar mixture in a bowl Photo 4: Brownie preparation in a bowl — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

Pour batter into a greased (use softened butter or a non-stick spray) rectangular tart pan (photo 5) and bake for 20 minutes.

Take the ready brownie out of the oven, let it cool for 30 minutes (photo 6), then remove it from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Photo 5: Brownie preparation in a tart pan Photo 6: Baked brownie in a tart pan — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

To decorate the brownie cake, whisk the cream preparation to get chocolate whipped cream. Then, dust the top of the cooled cake with powdered (icing) sugar (photo 7).

Place one part of the ready cream in a pastry bag fitted with Ateco plain pastry tip 809 and pipe large balls along the cake's centerline.

Place another part of the cream in a pastry bag fitted with Ateco plain pastry tip 806 and pipe small balls on both sides of the central line.

Warm a watermelon or melon fruit baller spoon or a mini teaspoon up in a bowl with hot water and gently press on top of large cream balls.

Drop raspberry jam or preserves into each second large ball (into their cavity) and decorate the brownie cake with fresh berries (photo 8). Store in the refrigerator. Happy birthday!

Photo 7: Cake with icing sugar on a board Photo 8: Served brownies with cream, berries — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

Expert Tips

Use tea bags instead of loose-leaf tea, but calculate how many bags you need to infuse the cream.
Omit drops of raspberry jam or preserves while decorating the cake. Arrange more fresh berries on top of the dessert.
Cut brownie cake into small squares or triangles using a regular knife, wiping it down after every cut.
Make-ahead option: Bake the cake one day in advance and decorate it the next day.

Storing and freezing

The decorated brownie birthday cake is best eaten on the day of making. Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Can you freeze a brownie cake? You can freeze an undecorated brownie cake for up to three months. Let it cool completely, wrap it with plastic, then with foil, and freeze.

To thaw, unwrap the brownie cake and let it come to room temperature on the countertop, then decorate it.

Recipe FAQ

What is the difference between a chocolate cake and a brownie?

Brownies are made with less flour and more cocoa than chocolate cake. This creates a richer and more intense chocolate flavor in brownies compared to their counterpart. Moreover, while a chocolate cake requires baking powder and baking soda, brownies do not use these ingredients in their recipe.

Love chocolate cakes? Try these next!

Satisfy your sweet tooth with our delicious selection of the best chocolate cakes on the web, from rich chocolate cake to elaborate chocolate Charlotte.

Recipe card

The recipe was adapted from http://madame.lefigaro.fr/. It was originally published in May 2019. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.

Raspberry Pistachio Roulade (Pistachio Swiss Roll)

Dec 21, 2018 · 40 Comments

Raspberries, pistachios, and white chocolate cream are delightful in this easy raspberry pistachio roulade (aka pistachio roll cake). Make the recipe: you will never want a store-bought cake roll again. A cake ready in an hour is what you will love during the busy holiday season.

Sliced pistachio Swiss roll on a white cake board

Ottolenghi pistachio roulade, or pistachio Swiss roll, is a classic example of how to upgrade a regular cake roll to a decadent dessert that becomes a winner of the table.

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Enhance a cheese cream frosting with white chocolate. Arrange fresh red berries on top of the creamed biscuit. Cover the cake with the delicious frosting, top the roll with chopped nuts and red fruit, and serve.

Finally, download a complimentary 10-page fruit flavor pairing chart and learn to create your own mouthwatering and unexpectedly delicious flavor combinations.

Pistachio roulade recipe

This pistachio Swiss roll requires minimal work (it is made in one hour) and yields ten substantial servings.

Ground pistachios add additional flavor, texture, and a beautiful soft green color to the cake.

Raspberries are nicely married to pistachios, creating one of the best flavorful combinations in the French pastry world.

Easy cake decoration does not require pastry tips and piping decoration skills.

Finally, it is the best pistachio log cake during Christmas time.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Pistachios are the stars of this decadent dessert. Use raw pistachios to grind them in a food processor.

Eggs: Use chilled eggs and separate the whites from the yolks with an egg separator. Afterward, let them come to room temperature.

Sugar: Use granulated or caster sugar.

Flour: Choose between store-bought self-rising flour or homemade. For homemade, just add two teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt for every 1 cup (125 g) of plain or all-purpose flour. Sift together in a bowl before using.

Salt enhances the flavors of the cake.

Almond extract boosts an additional nutty flavor, but you can omit this ingredient if unavailable.

Icing sugar: Make it yourself with a coffee grinder or use store-bought.

Raspberries: Use fresh raspberries to make the roulade recipe, but you can replace them with sliced fresh strawberries if desired. Please, avoid frozen red fruit.

White chocolate: Use Lindt white chocolate or Callebaut white chocolate callets.

Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted softened butter. Make sure to bring it to room temperature 1-2 hours before you start.

Cream cheese is used to make white chocolate cream. It is essential to bring cream cheese to room temperature.

Heavy cream: Use your favorite brand of heavy or heavy whipping cream (30% fat content).

A slice of pistachio roll cake on a white dessert plate

Recipe variations

This simple pistachio roll cake recipe is a great starting point for customization by adding other fresh fruit or different types of nuts.

Replace raspberries with fresh strawberries cut in quarters and leave the rest of the recipe unchanged.

Pair raspberries with milk or dark chocolate, switching the white chocolate in the cream recipe for the chocolate of your choice.

Replace pistachios with almonds. Then, decorate the cake with roasted flaked almonds and fresh berries.

Finally, raspberry and hazelnut are other possible combinations.

Sliced pistachio roll cake on a white serving platter

How to make raspberry pistachio roulade

Step 1. Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C). To make the cake batter, grind pistachios in a food processor until fine and set aside.

Step 2. Place egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about 4 minutes until the mixture becomes whitish.

Step 3. Pour the hot water along the sides of the bowl, add ground pistachios, and gently mix with a rubber spatula.

Step 4. In a separate bowl, sift flour with salt, add to the egg yolk preparation, and combine with the spatula (photo 1).

Step 5. In a clean bowl, place the egg whites and beat till soft peaks. Add the beaten egg whites to the pistachio mix in a few additions, and mix. Add almond extract and mix again (photo 2).

Photo 1: Egg yolk pistachio mixture in a bowl Photo 2: Cake batter in a bowl — PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2

Step 6. Pour the batter onto a non-spill baking sheet or a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Pro tip: If using a large baking sheet, give the batter the shape of a rectangle about 12 x 16 inches or 30 x 40 cm.

Step 7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Step 8. To roll the cake, sprinkle the top of the baked cake with 2 teaspoons (10 g) powdered (icing) sugar and cover with a kitchen towel.

Step 9. Flip the cake over so the towel is now down on the table. Next, peel away the silicone baking sheet or parchment. Dust the surface of the cake with the rest of the powdered (icing) sugar (photo 3).

Step 10. Take the short end of the cake and roll it up with the kitchen towel inside (photo 4). Cool the biscuit down for 10 minutes, being rolled up.

Photo 3: Baked cake on parchment paper Photo 4: Cake rolled in a towel . — PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4

Step 11. Unroll the sponge and let it rest at room temperature. The sponge might have curly ends or surface cracks, which is acceptable.

Pro tip: Read more about how to make roll cakes.

Step 12. To make the cream frosting, cut white chocolate into pieces, melt it in a bain-marie or double boiler, and set aside to let it cool down.

Step 13. Meanwhile, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds, add cream cheese at room temperature, and whisk until smooth (photo 5).

Step 14. Add melted white chocolate and continue to whisk until creamy. Finally, add the cold heavy cream and almond extract, and whisk on medium-high speed until soft peaks (photo 6).

Photo 7: Butter cheese mixture in a bowl Photo 8: White chocolate cream in a bowl — PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6

Step 15. To assemble the cake, spread two-thirds of the white chocolate cream on the surface of the unrolled cake and even with the bent spatula.

Pro tip: Include a 1-inch (2.5 cm) gap on one end of the sponge. When rolling the cake, this area will be filled with cream.

Step 16. Arrange fresh raspberries (leave about 15 raspberries for the decoration) over the cream (photo 7). Roll the cake from bottom to top, starting from the short end of the cake covered with the cream.

Step 17. Cover the cake with the cream and spoon it with the back of a tablespoon or the end of the bent spatula (photo 8).

Photo 7: Raspberries over the cream and sponge Photo 8: Roll cake covered with cream — PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8

Step 18. Sprinkle the top of the cake with chopped pistachios and arrange 15 fresh raspberries. Transfer the rolled cake to a serving platter. Refrigerate.

Assembled pistachio roulade on a white cake board with raspberries in the background

Expert Tips

Refer to the post about how to make a cake roll to learn all the tips and tricks for rolling cakes.
Make-ahead option: Prepare the white chocolate cream one day in advance and keep it covered with plastic wrap in the fridge. Take it out 30 minutes before use.
Take the cake out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving for the cream to soften.

Storing and freezing

Store the assembled pistachio roll cake in the refrigerator for up to one day. Can you freeze it? It is not recommended to freeze the cake.

Love roll cakes? Try these next!

Nutella Cake Roll (aka Nutella Swiss Roll)
Rosewater Meringue Roulade
Chocolate Raspberry Swiss Roll
Or browse all the cake recipes

Recipe card

The recipe was adapted from https://www.nigella.com. It was originally published in December 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.

Nutella Swiss Roll Cake (Nutella Roulade)

Nov 24, 2018 · 42 Comments

Nutella Swiss roll cake filled with rich chocolate Nutella is the ultimate dessert for chocolate lovers. This easy-to-make cake roll is the perfect alternative to boring jelly rolls. Don't miss out on one of the best desserts you can try.

Slices of Nutella Swiss roll on a wooden board lined with parchment.

What is Nutella Swiss roll?

Nutella Swiss roll is a vanilla or chocolate sponge cake rolled and filled with chocolate Nutella. It is made with pure Nutella but can also feature Nutella-based creams and chopped hazelnuts.

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Nutella is a world-renowned chocolate spread that has been known since 1964. Its lovers live in 160 countries, but the French seem to consume the most Nutella.

And how many Nutella desserts have been created over the last decades: cookies with Nutella filling, banana Nutella crepes, bars, doughnuts, etc.?

Nutella-based cakes include layered cakes, cheesecakes, cake squares, and roll cakes. But what is the easiest Nutella dessert, then? The answer is this chocolate Nutella cake roll.

Nutella Swiss roll recipe

This Nutella Swiss roll, or Nutella roulade, is a simple roll cake filled with pure creamy Nutella (not Nutella cream). It is easy to make and fully customizable.

It is prepared using a chiffon method, which separates egg whites and yolks, compared to a sponge cake roll method.

The cake is moist with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Read more about how to make a cake moist.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Eggs: The recipe calls for separated egg whites and yolks. Use an egg separator to separate the chilled eggs. Bring the yolks to room temperature and refrigerate the egg whites until ready to use.
Sugar: Use granulated and caster sugar to make the cake batter.
Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavors of the cake.
Vanilla extract: Use a high-quality vanilla extract for a beautiful flavor, or replace it with vanilla bean paste in a 1:1 ratio.
Oil: Opt for neutral oil such as grapeseed or vegetable oil. Avoid olive, peanut, and other flavorful fats.
Milk: Use whole milk at room temperature.
Flour: The recipe calls for cake flour: store-bought or homemade. To make it, remove 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour from 1 cup and replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Alternatively, mix 15 grams of cornstarch with 110 grams of all-purpose flour (aka plain flour).
Baking powder is used to help raise the chiffon cake roll.
Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder to make chocolate cake batter.
Nutella hazelnut spread: Use store-bought Nutella, homemade, or another chocolate spread of your choice.

Two slices of Nutella cake roll on a dessert plate.

How to make Nutella Swiss roll

Step 1. Prepare a classic jelly roll pan - a light-colored 15 x 10 inches (25 x 38 cm) rimmed baking sheet. Line it with parchment paper using this tutorial on how to line a Swiss roll tin.

For easy cake removal, extend the baking paper at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) beyond the pan's edges.

Step 2. To make the cake batter, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks with an egg separator. Chill the egg whites until ready to use. Ensure to bring the egg yolks to room temperature.

Step 3. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Using a flour sifter, sift all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in a large bowl and put aside.

Step 4. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks, 1 ½ tablespoons (20 g) of sugar, and salt a few times with a hand whisk (photo 1). But avoid whisking until the mixture becomes whitish.

Step 5. Add oil to the egg yolk mixture and mix. Pour milk and whisk until combined. Sift the flour mixture over the bowl and gently mix with a hand whisk.

Step 6. Make the meringue in a separate clean bowl. Whisk chilled egg whites with an electric hand mixer until foamy.

Step 7. Gradually add the sugar to the beaten egg whites in three additions. Beat the meringue until soft peaks (photo 2), but avoid stiff peaks.

Egg yolk mixture with a spatula in a bowl.

PHOTO 1

Beaten egg whites with mixer beaters in a bowl.

PHOTO 2

Step 8. Mix the egg yolk mixture once, and add one-third of the meringue. Gently mix with a rubber spatula. Repeat with another third of the meringue. Finally, add the mixture to the remaining meringue and carefully fold (photo 3).

Step 9. To make a chocolate batter, transfer 2 cups (218 g) of the cake batter to a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix cocoa powder with room-temperature milk.

Step 10. Add two spoonfuls of the batter to the cocoa powder mixture and mix with a spatula. Pour it back into the light-colored batter and gently mix (photo 4).

PHOTO 3

PHOTO 4

Step 11. Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared jelly roll pan and spread it into an even layer with a long spatula or a dough scraper (photo 5). Gently tap the pan on the table to remove air bubbles.

Step 12. Transfer the light-colored cake batter to a piping bag and cut the end to about 12 mm in diameter. Hold the bag at an angle to prevent any batter from leaking.

Step 13. Squeeze the batter in a zig-zag pattern over the chocolate batter layer, going from one long side of the pan to the other (photo 6). Smooth the batter with a dough scraper.

Chocolate cake batter in a baking tray lined with parchment.

PHOTO 5

White cake batter over chocolate batter in a baking tray.

PHOTO 6

Step 14. Bring the baking tray to the center of the oven and lower the temperature to 340°F (170°C). Bake for 20-23 minutes until golden brown (photo 7). Check for doneness with a toothpick: the cake is done if it comes out dry.

Step 15. Prepare a long piece of parchment paper and grease it lightly with neutral oil. Remove the pan from the oven and lightly tap it on the table to prevent shrinkage.

Step 16. Immediately turn it over onto the parchment paper oiled in advance. Peel off the bottom layer of parchment paper.

Step 17. Using a long serrated knife, cut the edges of the cake on both long sides. Cut both short sides about ½ inch (1.5 cm) diagonally, away from the cake (photo 8). Allow the cake to cool to room temperature.

PHOTO 7

Cake with a cut angle on the shorter side.

PHOTO 8

Step 18. To assemble the cake roll, spread Nutella with a thin layer onto the cake, including one angled cut. Leave the opposite angled cut empty (photo 9).

Pro tip: For easy spreading Nutella, warm it up in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.

Step 19. Use the parchment paper to start rolling the cake from the short end, covered with Nutella. Make the cake's core, then lift the paper and continue rolling. Finish with the cake seam side down.

Step 20. Tighten the roll with a metal baking sheet, a long offset spatula, or a ruler: watch a video on how to tightly wrap a cake roll.

Step 21. Cover the rolled cake in parchment paper, with the roll's edge at the bottom (photo 10). Wrap the cake ends with parchment like candy.

PHOTO 9

PHOTO 10

Step 22. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Gently remove the paper from the cake. Using a sharp warm knife, make a clean cut at both ends of the roll. Transfer it to a serving tray.

To serve, sprinkle with a little powdered sugar if desired.

Nutella roll cake with a slice on a serving board.

Expert Tips

To get a neatly rolled cake, squeeze it as tight as possible.
For the best results, after rolling the cake, keep it tightly wrapped in parchment paper and refrigerate for one to two hours.
Decorate the top of the cake in the way you desire.
Warm-up and wipe a knife with a cloth or a paper towel while cutting the cake to make the slices neat.

Recipe variations

Filling: Use Nutella or another chocolate spread from your favorite brand. To make your roll cake more exciting, try different toppings, for example, sweetened whipped cream, maple cream cheese filling, or butter cream.

Decoration: Cover the roll with more Nutella and spoon it out with the back of a tablespoon. Decorate your cake roll with dark chocolate crisps, chocolate shavings, nougatine pieces, all kinds of sprinkles, fresh strawberries, or other fruit.

Storing and freezing

Store Nutella Swiss roll in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Can you freeze the Nutella Swiss roll? Freezing Nutella roll is theoretically possible, but let's find out.

The chiffon cake roll freezes well, as well as Nutella as a spread. But freezing the roll cake filled with Nutella seems more complicated.

When thawing, Nutella's texture changes considerably. The nut oils tend to separate from the chocolate solids, making the spread watery. It will result in a soggy pastry.

The solution is to make a Swiss roll with Nutella up to 2 days in advance but without the option of freezing.

Recipe FAQ

Should Nutella be refrigerated after opening?

No need to refrigerate Nutella after opening. Refrigeration can make it hard and difficult to spread.

Love cake rolls? Try these next!

After discovering the best Nutella Swiss roll recipe, discover the perfection of other rolled cakes on the website.

Recipe card

The recipe was originally published on November 24, 2018. It has been updated and may differ from what was originally published.

Ottolenghi's Louise Cake With Plum And Coconut

Sep 6, 2018 · 29 Comments

Ottolenghi Louise cake with plum and coconut is a twist on a famous, beloved treat - the New Zealand Louise slice. It is a gorgeous cake with a coconut-based biscuit covered with juicy plums and a lovely almond meringue. You don't want to miss the plum season to treat yourself.

What is Louise cake?

Louise cake, or Louise slice, is a popular New Zealand cake made with raspberry or plum jam and a thin layer of coconut meringue topping. The cake was named after Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise of England, and brought to New Zealand by British settlers.

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Often called Louise cake slice, it is rated the sixth in the "Top 10 favorite Kiwi recipes."

Louise cake recipe

This Louise cake, loaded with juicy summer plums, is elegant and tasty, perfect for birthdays and other special occasions.

The cake recipe is straightforward and is easy to follow. There is no resting or cooling time between steps, which makes baking quick and enjoyable.

Finally, this Helen Goh and Yotam Ottolenghi cake with plum and meringue combo creates a terrific flavor combination.

If you like plums, include plum-baking goodies on your baking calendar, whether it is plum frangipane tart or plum Pavlova.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Butter: I always choose European-style unsalted butter. Bring it to the kitchen counter to soften an hour before you start.
Sugar: Use granulated sugar or replace it with caster sugar.
Lemon zest: Opt for organic, untreated lemon and zest it with a Microplane.
Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Use an egg separator to separate the egg whites from the yolk.
Flour: The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, the same as plain flour.
Baking powder: Use fresh aluminum-free baking powder.
Salt enhances the flavors of the dessert.
Shredded coconut adds texture and flavor to the cake. If desired, you can replace it with desiccated coconut.
Milk: I prefer whole milk, but you can also use low-fat milk if desired.
Vanilla extract: Choose the most flavorful Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla extract, or replace it with an alcohol-free vanilla flavor.
Red plums: Use seasonal dark red plums, ripe but not too soft. Replace fresh plums with the best stone fruits, such as apricots, peaches, nectarines, or cherries. However, avoid fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries since they are too watery for this cake.
Almonds: Use store-bought toasted flaked or sliced almonds or toast nuts in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10 to 15 minutes.
White wine vinegar and cornflour are used for making stable meringue.

A single slice of Louise cake on a cake board.

How to make Louise cake step-by-step

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 365°F (185°C). Butter and line the bottom and sides of a round 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan (with a removable base) with parchment paper.

Step 2. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt with a flour sifter and place aside. In a small separate bowl, mix the vanilla extract with milk.

Step 3. To make the biscuit, place softened butter, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream butter and sugar at medium-high speed until smooth and homogeneous.

Step 4. Add large egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add shredded coconut and mix well. Lower the mixer speed and gradually add the dry ingredients to the principal preparation, alternating with milk and vanilla mixture.

Step 5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a rubber spoon.

Step 6. Bake the cake for 25 minutes. Check for doneness with a skewer or knife blade: the cake base is ready if the skewer or knife blade inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the biscuit cool in a pan.

Step 7. Wash and dry plums. Divide each plum vertically into halves and discard stones. Slice each half into four parts, eight segments per plum and 40 segments in total.

Step 8. Increase the oven heat to 390°F (200°C).

Plum slices over the cake base in a mold.

Step 9. Arrange plum segments on the biscuit base with the cut side down in a circular pattern. Don't overlap the fruit; otherwise, it will make the buttery base of the cake watery.

Step 10. To make the meringue, use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat egg whites and salt at medium-high speed until soft peaks. Gradually add sugar and whisk at high speed until stiff peaks form, and the meringue becomes glossy. Add vanilla extract, vinegar, and cornflour to the meringue mixture and whisk again. Finally, add toasted flaked almonds and gently mix with a silicone spatula.

Step 11. Distribute the meringue on top of the plums. Use a spatula to swirl the meringue to get rough waves, curls, and peaks.

Step 12. Bring the cake to the middle rack of the oven. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 355°F (180°C) and bake for 35 minutes until the meringue turns into a slightly golden brown crust.

Step 13. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool, still in the cake pan, for at least 30 minutes.

Step 14. Unmold the cake and peel the paper from the sides of the cake. Let the cake cool down completely before serving.

Expert Tips

For the best results, use a springform cake tin with a removable bottom to facilitate cake removal. Alternatively, use an adjustable cake ring.
If you use small plums, cherries, or other smaller stone fruit, quarter each fruit.
Watch out for the color of the meringue crust while baking.

Recipe variations

Biscuit: To make a chocolate-coconut biscuit, replace 2 ½ tablespoons (20 g) of all-purpose flour with the same amount of cocoa powder.

Fruits: Use frozen or fresh unpitted fruits. Or choose raspberry jam filling instead of fruits to make the cake all year round.

Flavorings: Switch flaked almonds with shredded coconut while making the meringue topping.

Storing and freezing

Store the Louise cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. However, the top of the meringue may start softening after the first day.

Can you freeze Louise cake? You can freeze the Louise cake for up to one month, but the meringue layer on top will lose its texture.

Recipe FAQ

Can you omit coconut in the recipe?

Omit coconut if you aren't its fan.

Can you make this cake gluten-free?

You make a gluten-free Louise cake by substituting all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour.

Love cakes? Try these next!

Recipe card

The recipe was adapted from https://ottolenghi.co.uk/. It was originally published on September 06, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.

Maraschino Cherry Cake

Jul 30, 2018 · 30 Comments

Enjoy this Maraschino cherry cake recipe to make a simple one-layer cake with a finishing touch of yogurt-covered almonds and cherries on top. It is an impressive dessert for your afternoon tea or any holiday. This easy recipe requires 10 minutes of active, hands-on time!

Maraschino cherry cake on a serving plate.

This Cherry cake is categorized as a travel cake, according to French pastry schools. You will be surprised to know that financiers were the first travel cakes. The packed madeleines, banana bread, and other loaf cakes are all travel cakes.

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What is the travel cake?

The travel cake is such a cake that tolerates transportation and differences in temperature during trips. This cake does not have fillings with whipped cream or ganache, but it may contain candied fruits, chocolate, and other dried fruits or jams.

According to Madam Mercotte, a travel cake could be stored at room temperature for up to five days.

Story of Maraschino cherry cake

The first idea of making Maraschino cherry cake came up when I saw that cake on Nicolas Bernardé 's site. I could not resist trying it. I altered the chef's recipe in several ways.

First of all, he uses cherries in alcohol to fold into the cake batter, but I replaced them with canned maraschino cherries to make the cake kid-friendly. I switched clarified butter for grapeseed oil, trimoline (inverted sugar syrup) for honey.

Moreover, I replaced hard Jordan almonds (dragees) with yogurt-covered almonds that are easy to chew. As a final touch, I decorated the cake with stemmed maraschino cherries instead of fresh ones to make the cake a year-round dessert.

Sliced Maraschino Cherry cake on a dessert plate with flatware on background

Why Maraschino cherry cake recipe works

Adding grape seed oil brings additional moisture to the cake.
Maraschino cherries give a sweet cherry flavor.
Thick cake batter keeps whole maraschino cherries in place and prevents fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Sprinkling the cake with chopped yogurt-covered almonds gives an additional crunchiness and a gorgeous look to the cake.
Bright, beautiful maraschino cherries on top of the cake make the dessert a winner of the table.

How to make Maraschino cherry cake

Preheat oven to 295 F/145 C. To make the cake batter, place flour, baking powder, sugar, honey, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer (photo 1) and mix well. Slowly drizzle in grapeseed oil mixed with salt until emulsified (photo 2).

Photo 1: Flour, baking powder, sugar, honey and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer Photo 2: Yellow-colored mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

Add chopped almonds, pitted and drained maraschino cherries (photo 3), and slightly combine to keep whole cherries. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured cake pan 7 inches/ 18 cm in diameter (photo 4).

Photo 3: Cherries and chopped almonds on top of the cake preparation in the bowl of a stand mixer Photo 4: Cake batter in a cake pan — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

Bake the cake for 40 minutes (photo 5). Remove the cake from the pan, flip it upside down, and let it cool (photo 6).

Photo 5: Baked cake in a pan Photo 6: Cake flipped upside down on a plate — **PHOTO 5 PHOTO 6**

To decorate, crush yogurt covered almonds in a food processor (photo 7). Cover the cake all over with the heated apricot jam.

Generously sprinkle with crushed yogurt covered almonds. Dust the top of the cake with powdered (icing) sugar and arrange maraschino cherries with stems (photo 8).

Photo 7: Crushed yogurt covered almonds Photo 8: Cake sprinkled with crushed yogurt covered almonds with cherries on top and served on a plate — **PHOTO 7 PHOTO 8**

Expert Tips

Add a few drops of almond extract to add almond flavor, or add a few drops of cherry extract to enhance the sweet cherry flavor of the cake.
Replace maraschino cherries with morello cherries in brandy if you do not serve the cake to kids.
Chop yogurt-covered almonds with a knife or use a food processor.
In the summer, decorate the cake with fresh cherries coated with apricot jam.
If you are in love with two- or three-layered cakes, double or triple the recipe. Spread your favorite cream between layers and decorate the cake.

More delicious fruit cake recipes you will love

Recipe card

The recipe was adapted from http://nicolas-bernarde.com/. It was originally published in July 2018. The recipe has been re-tested and revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.