Yield: 16 Servings

Ingredients:

Almond Cake
• 6 ½ ounces almond paste
• 6 ounces butter, unsalted
• 5 ½ ounces granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise & scraped
• 3 large eggs
• 4 ½ ounces cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 5 ½ ounces sour cream
  
  
Truffle Oil Sorbet
• 4 ½ ounces sugar
• 1 ¼ ounces glucose powder
• ¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoons water
• ½ ounce milk powder
• Truffle oil, to taste
  
  
Compote
• 2 pounds rhubarb, peeled and cut into batons (frozen or fresh)
• 2 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced
• Simple syrup, as needed

Method:

For Almond Cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Beat almond paste, butter, sugar and vanilla beans until light and smooth. Add eggs slowly, mixing between each addition. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together over egg mixture. Add sour cream and pour into 4-ounce aluminum tins. Bake 25 minutes.

For Truffle Oil Sorbet:
In large pot, combine 9 ounces sugar, glucose powder, and water. Bring to boil. Add remaining sugar. Add milk powder. Place in ice bath. When cool, add truffle oil, a few drops at a time, until subtle flavor is achieved. Process in ice cream maker, according to manufacturer’s instructions.

To Serve:
Make compote of rhubarb and peaches by cooking the two in just enough simple syrup so the fruit is still tart, yet sweet. Warm cake in oven and place compote on side. Top compote with sorbet and sugar garnish or tuile.

Short Bio
The Peninsula Hotel’s Executive Pastry Chef Jason Licker fell in love with pastry early on. His passion led him to study at the Valrhona Chocolate School, Chicago’s French Pastry School, and the Chocolate Loft (NYC). Before coming to the Peninsula, Licker was Executive Pastry Chef at the Shore Club – Miami Beach, FL. His responsibilities covered coordinating five outlets, including Nobu Miami.

Formally educated at the French Culinary Institute (NYC), Licker has been involved with many NYC hotspots, including Union Square Café, Jean Georges, and Charlie Palmer’s Metrazur.