Fresh Strawberry Flan Cake

I always see packaged, unfilled flan cakes at the grocery stores, usually right in the produce section with all the fruits. They have a nice soft almost spongy-like feel to them. But this one is homemade (and homemade is ALWAYS better!) Instead of using a boxed vanilla pudding for the filling, I decided to make my own pastry cream. Also, do you ever notice those horrific, red blobs in containers next to the fresh strawberries that they call "strawberry glaze"? For the love of God, do not buy that crap. Just warm up an all natural, seedless berry jam (or even apricot jam) and brush that on as a glaze.

Note to Dawn: I used the Bushel and Peck's Raspberry Jam you sent me; thanks again!

Cake:

3/4 cup granualted sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3 cage free egg yolks

1-1/4 cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp lemon extract (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract with zest of one lemon)

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream:

2 cups half-and-half

1 whole vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise

1/2 cup granulated sugar

pinch kosher salt
5 large cage free egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract


Topping:
1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and hulled, sliced
1/4 seedless raspberry (or strawberry) jam, melted

equipment: one flan cake pan

Prepare pastry cream:

Heat the half-and-half, vanilla bean, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 20 seconds.

When the half-and-half mixture reaches a full simmer, remove the vanilla bean and scrape out all the "caviar" back into the cream mixture. Gradually whisk the simmering half-and-half into the yolk mixture to temper.

Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula; return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.

Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Note on straining: This is key step because it will ensure that your finished pastry cream will be silky smooth with no lumps or bumps.

Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Make the flan cake:

Beat butter, sugar and yolks until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with flavoring and milk. blending well. Pour into greased and floured flan pan.

Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes and invert cake onto plate.

Spoon onto flan cake and spread with an offset spatula. Arrange cut strawberries on top. Brush strawberries with raspberry glaze. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Below is our naughty night time slice!

Posted by Luisa

Molten Chocolate Cakes

If you are a chocolate lover and you are looking for something that is ridiculously easy to make but looks like you fussed, you might want to consider these Molten Lava Cakes.  I apologize in advance to all of you trying to lose weight in time for the upcoming bathing suit season, but these are to die for (just run an extra three miles, maybe?).  Even my husband who is not a huge dessert fan said this was the best dessert he's ever had (he said it even tops Creme Brulee!).    I'll be keeping this recipe in my forever files.


Molten Chocolate Cakes (via All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, or bars, cut into bite-size chunks

5 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

4 teaspoons flour (or matzo meal, ground in a blender to a fine powder)

8 extra-large paper muffin cups (or use regular paper muffin cups, which will make 12 cakes)

Garnish:

1 (6 ounce) container raspberries, barely moistened (we used a pint of strawberries) and rolled in about

1/2 cup sugar right before serving
Sweetened whipped cream

Directions:


1.  Melt butter and chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; remove from heat. Beat eggs, sugar and salt with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixture into chocolate until smooth. Beat in flour or matzo meal until just combined. (Batter can be made a day ahead; return to room temperature an hour or so before baking.)

2.  Before serving dinner, adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a standard-size muffin tin (1/2 cup capacity) with 8 extra-large muffin papers (papers should extend above cups to facilitate removal). Spray muffin papers with vegetable cooking spray. Divide batter among muffin cups.

3.  Bake until batter puffs but center is not set, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully lift cakes from tin and set on a work surface. Pull papers away from cakes and transfer cakes to dessert plates.

4.  Top each with sugared raspberries and serve immediately.

{Find the best chocolate you can.}



{Fresh eggs from 'Our Girls'.}




{Chocolate + butter mixture ready to be incorporated with the sugar + eggs.}



{Waiting to be chilled.}



{Cracked tops.}



{Fresh, in-season strawberries macerated in sugar.}


Here are some modifications:

• I put the batter in four ramekins (instead of 8 large muffin-sized cakes), but I estimate if you have more ramekins it would make about 5 servings.  I only have four ramekins, so the rest of the batter made four small cakes in a regular-sized muffin tin.  I didn't line them with paper; I just buttered the tin and the cakes came out easily when they were still warm.   
• I chilled the batter before baking for about 2 hours although you can chill it overnight.  Let the cakes rest on the counter until they are at room temperature before popping them into the oven . 
• Baking time might vary (depending on your oven and if you get impatient waiting until you can bake them).  You'll know when your lava cakes are ready:  they'll dome up and crack on top.  Immediately pull them out so you don't lose the oozy, chocolately goodness in the middle.  
• A few reviewers said that the dessert tasted "eggy"; I didn't find this to be so, but if your eggs are freakishly huge, you could cut the number of eggs to four instead of five.

The best part is that you can make these ahead of time and they freeze well too! 

Posted by Dawn.

Guest Blogger: Shandy from Pastry Heaven

I'm Shandy at Pastry Heaven and I get the pleasure of being a guest on the Tale of Three Bakers, how fun!  Luisa rocks with all of her delicious dishes for catering, friends, and her beau.  Some of my favorite recipes have come from Luisa's repertoire of beautifully constructed and plated dishes.  My selection for posting here did not take me long to choose and takes even less time to complete each step; two components put together create:  A Lemon Torte.

Light, tender ladyfingers, billowy bright lemon mouse, and a decadent meringue pull together, creating a memorable chilly dessert for a beautiful spring day.

Pull a ladyfinger out of the best packaging, straight from Italy, and you will still feel the light and airy, yet still crisp and crumbly texture of a tasty cookie.  Make your own ladyfingers from scratch and you will be treated to a moist, tender, light and utterly decadent cookie; none like any you will be able to taste from a packaged container.  There will be no crisp crack as you snap the cookie in half.  In fact, there will be no snapping, period. 

The steps are easy but well laid out.  You will be buzzing along and finished before you know it.

We start with Rose Beranbaum's recipe for Ladyfingers from her cookbook Heavenly Cakes.

Ladyfingers

Ingredients:

6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

¾ cup superfine sugar, divided

1 Tablespoon of warm water

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 Tablespoon of Wondra flour (many use this for thickening gravy); you can use all-purpose flour but the batter will not be as stiff

¾ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup of powdered sugar

Equipment:  You will need to baking sheets with parchment paper and outlined with piping guidelines (parallel lines drawn 3 inches apart and an 8- to 9-inch circle).  You will also need a Large pastry bag fitted with a ¾-inch pastry tube.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and set two oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater beat the yolks and ½ cup of the sugar on high speed for 5 minutes, or until very thick and fluffy.  Lower the speed and beat in the water and vanilla.  Raise the speed to high and beat for 30 seconds.  Take bowl off of mixer and sift the flour over the yolk mixture without mixing it in and set it aside.

In another mixer bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy.  With the mixer off, add the cream of tartar.  Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised.  Gradually beat in the remaining ¼ cup of the sugar, beating until soft peaks form.

Add 1/3 of the meringue to the yolk mixture and, with a large silicone spatula, fold until all the flour is incorporated.  Gently fold in the remaining meringue.

PIPE THE BATTER:

Working quickly so the batter does not lose volume, scoop 4 cups into the pastry bag and pipe an 8-inch disk for the base.  Hold the pastry bag in a vertical up-and-down position with the tube at least 1 ½ inches above the prepared pan.  To achieve full height and a rounded shape, allow the batter to fall from the tube without pressing against the pan. 

The weight of the batter will cause them to fall exactly in place.

Scoop the remaining batter into the pastry bag and pipe 3 by 1 ¼ to 1 ½-inch side-by-side fingers.  Sift the powdered sugar evenly over the fingers.  After a few seconds, the batter will absorb some of the sugar.  For a pearled effect, add a second coat.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown and springy to the touch.  Remove the sheets to wire racks and cool slightly.  Use a long narrow spatula to remove the ladyfingers from the sheets.  Ladyfingers will keep wrapped airtight for 1 day at room temperature or for 1 month frozen.

Lemon Torte

Ingredients:

Lady fingers (the 8-inch round plus 20 – 24 ladyfingers)

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

5 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cups of heavy cream

½ t. cream of tartar

¼ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Equipment:  You will need (1) 9-inch by 2 ½ to 3-inch spring form pan, coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray.  (I had a 10-inch pan so my charlotte has less height.)

Set your 8-inch ladyfinger base in bottom of pan.  For the inside walls, arrange ladyfingers in a ring in the pan so that the cut bottom edges are down and the attractive crust sides are against the pan.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer.

Mix the lemon, eggs, and sugar.  Have ready a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a large bowl.

In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, whisk together the 5 yolks, 2 of the egg whites (refrigerate the remaining for the meringue), the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Cook, stirring with a whisk, for about 15 to 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180 degrees F.

Immediately scrape the mixture into the strainer.  Press all of the through the back of a silicone spatula.  Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Put heavy cream in a bowl of a stand mixer and refrigerate with whisk beater for at least 15 minutes.

Whip the cream, starting on low speed; gradually raise the speed to medium-high, just until thickened and it mounds softly when dropped from a spoon.  Using a large spatula, stir about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the lemon filling.  Scrape the remaining whipped cream and gently fold it into the mixture until uniform in color.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan but allow the ladyfingers to extend about ½-inch above the filling.  Smooth the surface, cover tightly, and freeze for a minimum of 5 hours or up to 5 days.

Position an oven rack about 3-inches below the broiler.  Preheat for about 10 minutes.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the remaining 3 egg whites on medium speed until foamy.  With the mixer off, add the cream of tartar.  Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised.  Sprinkle the powdered sugar evenly over the surface and continue beating until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly.  Using a silicone spatula, scrape the meringue on top of the lemon filling.  Spread meringue up to the surrounding ladyfingers to keep it from shrinking.  Then make swirls and peaks in the meringue.

Place the torte on a baking sheet, set it under the broiler, and watching it carefully, allow the meringue to turn golden brown.  It will take under 1 minute.  Remove the torte from the broiler and immediately carefully cover and return torte to the freezer.  Freeze for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 3 weeks.  The ideal temperature to serve the torte is at about 30 to 32 degrees.  The filling is most delicious when cold but creamy.  Enjoy!