Scarlett WRaspberry Cream Torte
October 24th 2006 02:17
About Raspberry Cream Torte
The combination of a spongecake tasting richly of chocolate, a raspberry filling, and the flavoured with raspberry brandy.
About Viennese Spongecake
This basic spongecake, also known as Genoese spongecake, is so versatile that it is well worth keeping on hand. The eggs are not separated but beaten whole with the sugar. Whether you beat the batter in a double boiler and then again when it is cold, which is the traditional way, or beat it only when it is cold does not affect the end result. An electric mixer is recommended, as using a whisk is rather laborious.
Storage of the spongecake – Deep-freezing
Sometimes the spongecake that require only one or two thin bases, these can be slice from deep base (1½ 2 inches), with the remainder being deep frozen in one piece, or cup up into thinner layers (⅜-⅝ inch thick – wooden slats are useful ) ready for use later. To freeze spongecakes baked on parchment paper, leave the parchment in place, stack the individual layers on top of each other, and wrap the stack in acetate or plastic wrap. Individual layers can then be removed as required.
About Ganache Icing
This is the counterpart to pure chocolate icing made with couverture. Ganache icing does not harden fullly – it remains gently melting – and can be used anywhere a soft texture is required. It is perfect for tortes with a soft filling and on small cakes with a delicate texture. It can be made with dark or light couverture.
The finished icing keeps well in the refrigerator. It can then be reheated as required in a microwave oven or over hot water while stirring gently. Use at a temperature fo 86ºF /40 degrees Celsius.
About Couverture
"Couverture" is a higher-grade of chocolate than regular chocolate. Couverture contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter, making it more fluid and ideal for dipping, enrobing and molding. This higher content of cocoa butter creates a brilliant shine and crisp snap to the finished candy. Tempering is required.
Couverture chocolate is used by professional cooks because it melts smoothly and is glossy, but needs tempering. It is often used for chocolate-covered fruits, or as the chocolate used in chocolate fountains.
About Pistachio Croquant
Croquant, a French word means crisp, is a combination of nuts, sugar syrup and salt toasted to form a wonder for the palette. This perfectly balanced mixture of sweet and salty nuts has a texture that will compliment nearly any dessert.
About A Strip of Acetate
A strip of acetate is a very simple but effective aid to prevent the filling freezing onto the ring, protect tortes when stored in the freezer, and is extremely useful when making fillings of various depths, and when smoothing them at the very top.
INGREDIENTS
Makes one 9½-in torte
For the chocolate spongecake 5/8-inch high
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
¾ cup sugar
pinch of salt
scraped contents of ½ vanilla bean
1 cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons milk
For the raspberry cream filling
7 oz raspberries
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons gelatin
1½ cups cream
For the white cream filling
¼ cup sugar
4 egg yolks
¼ cup milk
pinch of salt
2½ teaspoons gelatin
3 tablespoons white raspberry brandy
1¾ cups cream
For the ganache icing – makes 3 cups, use 1 cup
½ cup milk
3 fl oz cream
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
6½ teaspoons glucose syrup
12 oz couverture
To decorate
1 tablespoon pistachio croquant
3½ fl oz cream, 2 teaspoons sugar
16 raspberries
Utensil
8-inch torte ring 1-inch deep
8-inch torte ring 2-inch deep
acetate sheet and strips
baking sheet
parchment paper
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. To prepare the spongecake, use a hand mixer to beat the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla together until frothy.
2. Move the hand mixer around in circles, so that the batter becomes uniformly creamy and firm.
3. Sift the flour and cocoa powder onto paper and trickle slowly into the frothy mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula.
4. Heat the oil and milk together to 40 degrees Celsius /86ºF. Pour into the batter in a thin stream and blend in with the spatula.
5. Pour the mixture directly from the bowl into the torte ring, which has been prepared with parchment paper and smooth the top.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. If necessary, cover the spongecake with foil halfway through the baking period to prevent from over-browning. Always check that the cake is done by pricking with a wooden toothpick. Set aside.
7. To make the raspberry cream, cook the raspberries with the sugar until they break down. Strain and allow the purée to cool.
8. When the purée is almost cold, dissolve the gelatin and stir it in.
9. Whip the cream until stiff and fold into the raspberry mixture just as it is beginning to set.
10. Line a torte ring base with parchment paper, place a shallow torte ring on top, and insert a strip of acetate around the sides. Spoon in the raspberry cream and smooth the top.
11. Cover with a piece of acetate and freeze until set.
12. To make the white cream filling, beat the sugar with the egg yolks until frothy.
13. Bring the milk to a boil with the salt and dissolve the gelatin in it.
14. Stir into the egg mixture. Heat to just below boiling point until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Cool until lukewarm, then add the raspberry brandy.
15. Whip the cream until stiff and stir into the custard. Set aside.
16. To make the ganache icing, mix the milk, cream, sugar, water, and glucose syrup in a saucepan.
17. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and remove from the heat.
18. Add the finely chopped or grated couverture and stir until it has completely melted.
19. To blend thoroughly, place the hand blender in the icing, switch on, and mix with a circular motion. Do not let the blender come to the surface, or air bubbles will be trapped. Set aside.
20. When the raspberry cream filling set, allow the torte to stand for a few minutes at room temperature so that the ring ca be easily removed.
21. Remove the strip of acetate by grasping the overlapping end and peeling away in a single movement. Finally, remove the parchment paper.
22. To assemble the torte, line the deep torte ring with a strip of acetate. Place a spngecake base ½-inch smaller in diameter than the torte ring exactly in the middle of the ring, making sure the acetate strip is flat against the sides of the ring.
23. Coat the base thinly with the light-coluored cream filling, and place the frozen raspberry cream filling torte exactly in the center, so that the gap around the edge of the ring is uniform.
24. Using a pastry bag, fill in the gap with the light-coloured cream filling and put the remainder on top of the raspberry filling.
25. Using a palette knife, smooth from the center outwards. The acetate strip is the guide and ensures a uniform height.
26. Freeze, then stand the torte at room temperature for several minutes. The ring will then be easy to remove, and the sides of the torte will still be protected by the acetate.
27. Pour the ganache icing over the top. Use a large ladle and complete the step in a single, rapid movement, so that the cream does not set.
28. Use a palette knife to spread the ganache icing from the center to the edge, turning the torte so that the icing is evenly distributed.
29. The acetate strip protects the torte from any icing that runs down the sides, Sprinkle the surface with finely broken pistachio croquant.
30. Remove the acetate strip.
31. Spoon the cream into piping bag fitted with round nozzle. Pipe 16 cream flowers along cake surface, top flowers with raspberries.
Tips:
The spongecake that require only one or two thin bases, these can be slice from deep base (1½ 2 inches), with the remainder being deep frozen in one piece, or cup up into thinner layers (⅜-⅝ inch thick – wooden slats are useful ) ready for use later. To freeze spongecakes baked on parchment paper, leave the parchment in place, stack the individual layers on plastic wrap. Individual layers can then be removed as required.
**From “The Chocolate Bible” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**
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