ScarlettAlhambra
August 29th 2007 16:03
Alhambra
About Specialty Cakes
A typical American layer cake consists of two components – cake layers and icing. The cake has two of sometimes three fairly thick layers and is often a high-ratio or creaming-method cake. The iced cake may be 3 or 4 inches high or higher.
Two words you will see often in connection with European-style cakes are gâteau and torte. Gâteau is the French word for cake (the plural is gateaux; both singular and plural are pronounced “ga-toe”). The term is nearly as general as the English word cake and is used for a wide range of products; For example, Gâteau Pithiviers, made of puff pastry and almond filling, and Gâteau St-Honoré, made of short dough and éclair paste and filled with a type of pastry cream. Gâteaux can also refer to more conventional layer cakes.
The German word torte (plural torten) is generally used for layer cakes. Its many definitions often contradict each other. According to a British definition, a torte is a sponge layer cake that is marked off into individual wedges that are then individually decorated. Another entirely different definition says that a torte is a cake baked from a batter that contains nuts and/or crumbs and little or no flour. Yet there are classic tortes that fit neither definition.
INGREDIENTS
Makes one 8-in round Cake
one 8-in round hazelnut sponge cake
coffee rum syrup
250 gm / 8 oz chocolate ganache
150-175 gm chocolate glaçage
For decoration
chopped pistachios
marzipan rose
For the hazelnut sponge cake
135 gm / 4.5 oz butter, softened
170 gm sugar
120 gm / 4 oz egg yolks
180 gm / 6 oz egg whites
40 gm cake flour
40 gm cocoa powder
55 gm ground hazelnuts, toasted
For the coffee rum syrup
65 gm / 2.5 oz sugar
65 gm / 2.5 oz water
5 gm ground coffee
90 gm / 3.5 oz rum
For the chocolate ganache
600 gm heavy cream
pinch of vanilla powder
600 gm bittersweet chocolate
100 gm / 3 oz butter, softened
For the chocolate glaçage ( sacher glaze)
150 gm / 6 oz heavy cream
150 gm / 6 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
50 gm / 2 oz butter
1. To prepare hazelnut sponge cake, preheat the oven to 160ºC, grease an 8-in / 20-cm round pan and line bottom with parchment. Flour the sides of the pan.
2. Cream the butter and 110 gm of sugar.
3. Add the egg yolks in several stages, beating well after each addition.
4. Whip the egg whites and 60 gm of sugar to a stiff meringue.
5. Sift together the flour and cocoa. Mix in the hazelnuts.
6. Fold the meringue and the dry ingredients alternately into the butter mixture, starting and finishing with the meringue.
7. Bake at 160ºC for about 40 minutes.
8. To prepare coffee rum syrup, boil the sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved.
9. Remove from the heat and add the coffee. Let stand 10 minutes.
10. Add the rum.
11. Strain. Set aside.
12. To make the Alhambra, turn the sponge cake upside down, trimming the top, if necessary, to level.
13. Trim the edges of the cake as necessary.
14. Cut a notch in the edge of the cake so that the layers can be lined up again after cutting.
15. Split in half horizontally.
16. Place one half on a cake card and moisten with coffee rum syrup.
17. To prepare the chocolate ganache, bring the cream and vanilla powder to a boil.
18. Chop the chocolate.
19. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted.
20. When the mixture has cooled to 35 ºC, stir in the butter. Use the ganache at once.
21. Pipe the ganache, using a medium plain tip, in a spiral from the center to the edge of one sponge.
22. Place the second on top and press lightly to secure. Using remaining ganache to mask sides and top of cake. Chill.
23. Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate glaçage, heat the cream to boiling and pour over the finely chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is uniformly blended.
24. Add the butter and stir to mix in. Use as soon as possible.
25. Place cake onto a wire rack over a tray and pour over the glaçage. Run a palette knife over the top and tap the tray to ensure it is perfectly smooth. Chill.
26. Once chilled and set, remove from wire rack. Neaten bottom edge with a knife.
27. Press chopped pistachios around the bottom ½-in / 1-cm of the sides. Place onto a cake board.
28. Using the remaining ganache, pipe the word “Alhambra: across the middle of the cake.
29. Make a marzipan rose and two leaves and brush with cocoa powder to highlight. Place next to writing on the top of the cake.
**From “Professional Baking” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**
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