It’s my party and … I bake if I want to!

 

I am a Taurus, but more on the lazy side than on the stubborn! This year I decided I should celebrate my commitment to never growing up with a grown up party and I even baked a cake … for my own birthday… first time ever… Yeah, I know it’s a little lame but I don’t care ’cause I make the best cakes ever…and I am very modest. Even though I was too busy to process the fact that I was about to go one year “wiser” (which is good, time is ruthless around birthdays! ), I promised myself I’ll be more practical next year and just go with the usual eating out. Unless someone offers to arrange a surprise party for me :D.

I am grateful for another healthy year, for all the people I have in my life, for springs and autumns, for mountains, for laughter, for being able to run again, for hardwood floors, for skype, wine and ice-cream.

And for once baking something and not burning my hands! 😀

 

 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE:

6 eggs

180 gr sugar (I used confectioner’s sugar)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

100 gr flour

100 gr corn starch

4 tbsp cocoa

2 tsp baking powder

 

 

 

HOW TO MAKE THE CAKE:

Preheat the oven at 375F.

1. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Using a mixer beat the eggs until stiff.

2. Add the sugar to the egg white and continue mixing in small quantities until you incorporate all of it.

4. Add the egg yolks, the vanilla  to the the egg whites in small quantities and incorporate them using a wood spatula (always mix lifting the spatula from the bottom of the bowl towards the upper part).

5. After incorporating the two mixture, mix the cocoa, the baking powder, the corn starch and the flour in a small bowl. Incorporate the flour mixture into the egg mixture using the same slow movement (from bottom to top).

6. Use the medium size bottom detachable round pan. Coat in on all sides with butter and then sprinkle the butter with flour.

 

 

 

 

7. Gently add the mixture to the pan, level it and bake it in the preheated oven for about 25- 30 minutes.

Get to the next step while the cake is baking!

8. Try the cake with a toothpick to make sure it is ready.

9. Remove from oven and let it cool completely.

 

 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE FILLING:

500 gr mascarpone (I used 2 containers)

200 gr sour cream

the juice of a lemon

250 confectioner’s sugar

2 packs of gelatin

400 ml heavy whipping cream

1/2 pineapple

 

 

HOW TO MAKE THE MASCARPONE FILLING:

In large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, the sour cream, the sugar and the lemon juice. Mix the ingredients until smooth (like in the above picture).

 

 

Dissolve the gelatin packs in 1/4 cup water. Using the bain marie technique (place the recipient on which you dissolved the gelatin over hot water) bring the gelatin to a very fluid consistency.

 

 

Mix the gelatin into the mascarpone based filling. You will get a smooth, but stiff filling, like in the photo above.

Whip the whipping cream and combine it with the mascarpone filling.

Chop the pineapple into very small cubes (you can use less if you don’t want your cake very fruity) and mix them into the filling.

Good, you’re done with the filling…now let’s make the syrup!

FYI: All Romanian homemade cakes (these round and big ones :D) require some kind of syrup that must help with “wetting” the cake since we don’t use butter in the batter.

 

 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SYRUP:

I made a syrup using 1/4 of pineapple, water and sugar blended together into a very watery smoothie that I then boiled for 5 minutes. Easier version is to just buy some pineapple juice and combine it with water …. or use it as is.

Ok, so what you need to do now is to arm yourself with a very long knife and cut the cake in 3 (as even as possible) layers.

 

 

First cut the bottom layer and then the second cut should be on the top part of the cake… or you can just cut it in two equal parts (still longitudinally).

I have really bad picture for the next steps, but I think they’re still more useful than none.

 

 

Place the bottom layer of the cake inside the ring of the pan you used to bake the cake.

Spread small amounts of syrup/ juice all over the cake (don’t over do it, you want it to be moist not mushy!).

 

 

 

 

Spread half of the mascarpone filling over the bottom cake layer.

Place the second cake layer over the filling and “wet” it with some syrup (you can use a pastry brush to spread the syrup evenly).

 

 

Cover the the second cake layer with the rest of the mascarpone filling.

Now you only have one more cake layer to take care off… Spread the syrup on the cut side (the final product must look like it was taken from the oven and now it has filling in between the cake layers) and then place it on top of the cake filling.

DONE! it should like this:

 

 

after a well deserved night spent in the refrigerator (with the pan ring on)!

Ok, now unfortunately the next say I was very busy and I don’t have any photo records of the white chocolate ganache making…

I used 2/3 roasted coconut white chocolate (from Aldi) and 1/2 bar of white chocolate for baking, about 1/3 cup whipping cream and 1 tbsp butter

Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan and place them on the stove on low heat. Using a wooden spatula mix continuously in a clockwise direction. In 4- 5 minutes all the ingredients should be melted and you should have a smooth and glossy ganache ready to be used on your cake. Pour the warm ganache in the middle of the the top of your cake and start spreading it uniformly towards the sides. Using a cake spatula (I used a knife, the back of a spoon works as well), also cover the sides of the cake with ganache.

I have no photos with the whole cake either, sorry. I used a star fruit, some yogurt cover peanuts and some coconut flakes to ornate my cake and it was delicious, just as I remember it to be

FYI: This is the third time I am making this cake, it’s addictive because it’s very light and full of flavors!

 

 

Happy Birthday to me!!

*recipe inspiration from lovely Laura Sava and her delicious blog

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Dragilor m-am mai întelepțit un an! Știu, știu e full piața de tauri, am ajuns la concluzi ca jumătate din lista de prieteni de pe Facebook sunt “cornute”. Taurii Rules! sau Forza Tauri! cum vreti voi.

Anul ăsta m-am surprins mult mai puțin deprimată în preajma zilei cu pricina… atât de puțin deprimată încât am hotărât să petrec două zile în bucătărie la foc continuu. Probabil ar trebui să spun cu burners-urile date pe high… gaz nu am la aragaz deci nici foc în casă… mai puțin când ard prosoapele de bucătărie.

Rețeta de tort în română o găsiți aici, Laura e foarte șmecheră la torturi pe lângă tortul ăsta pe care l-am mai făcut de vreo 2 ori până acum, am mai încercat de curând o altă rețetă de tort de pe blogul ei și a ieșit foarte bun (mai puțin blatul pe care a trebuit să îl refac după o altă rețetă). Evident am modificat rețeta pe ici pe colo… principala schimbare fiind faptul că nu m-am mai chinuit să învârt la spirală după o primă încercare traumatizantă și l-am făcut un tort simplu și cinstit… apoi l-am învelit în ganache de ciocolată de data asta și parcă a fost mai bun așa.

La mulți ani mie și tuturor taurilor de pe Pământ! We make this world a lot more fun! 😀

 

 

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