Layer Cake
Chocolate Cake, Olive Oil Cake, White Cake, Buckwheat Chiffon, Dacquoise, Italian Buttercream, Mascarpone Crémeux, Ganache, Basmati Rice Custard
Pastry Chef Erin Kanagy-Loux | New York
Yield: 1 cake
Adapted by StarChefs | October 2018
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Cake:
474 grams all-purpose flour
165 grams cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1¼ teaspoons salt
685 grams sugar
90 grams Valrhona Guanaja 70 percent chocolate, finely chopped
360 grams freshly brewed hot coffee
3 eggs
165 grams vegetable oil
384 grams buttermilk
¾ teaspoon vanilla
Olive Oil Cake:
200 grams sugar
4 eggs
100 grams butter, melted and cooled slightly
100 grams dry white wine
200 grams olive oil
250 grams all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
White Cake:
360 grams butter
540 grams sugar
240 grams egg whites
501 grams pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
240 grams milk
Buckwheat Chiffon:
120 grams butter, melted
180 grams scalded milk
60 grams all-purpose flour
100 grams buckwheat flour
1 gram salt
240 grams egg yolks
100 grams eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
232 grams egg whites
110 grams sugar
Dacquoise:
300 grams egg whites
300 grams sugar
300 grams finely ground pistachios, sifted
Italian Buttercream:
375 grams sugar
150 grams egg whites
450 grams butter, diced and tempered
Mascarpone Crémeux:
165 grams milk
150 grams sugar
10 grams corn syrup
Salt
75 grams egg yolks
150 grams mascarpone, tempered
3 grams powdered gelatin, bloomed
60 grams cold water
88 grams butter, diced
For the Kefir Chocolate Ganache:
550 grams Valrhona Guanaja 70 percent chocolate, coarsely chopped
80 grams simple syrup
6 sheets gelatin, bloomed
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
900 grams kefir
Fermented Basmati Rice Custard:
360 grams egg yolks
180 grams sugar
3.3 grams agar agar
100 grams fermented toasted basmati rice milk
200 grams fermented basmati rice milk
750 grams heavy cream
9 grams powdered gelatin, bloomed in 60 grams water for 5 minutes
1 grams salt
120 grams butter, diced
METHOD
For the Chocolate Cake:
Heat oven to 325°F. Into a large, wide bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder, salt, and half the sugar; reserve. Into a bowl with chocolate, pour coffee and whisk to combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip eggs and remaining sugar to a 3-second ribbon. Decrease speed to medium and slowly add oil followed by buttermilk, vanilla, and chocolate mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined. Gently fold chocolate mixture into dry mixture. Pour into prepared round cake pans and bake until set.
For the Olive Oil Cake:
Heat oven to 325°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip sugar and eggs to a 3-second ribbon. Mix in butter followed by wine and oil. Into a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt; gently fold into oil mixture. Pour into prepared round cake pans and bake until set.
For the White Cake:
Heat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugar. Slowly mix in egg whites. Into a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate folding dry mixture and milk into batter until combined. Pour into prepared round cake pans and bake until set.
For the Buckwheat Chiffon:
Heat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine butter and milk. Into a separate bowl, sift flours and salt. Stream milk mixture into dry mixture and whisk to combine. Add yolks followed by whole eggs and vanilla, whisking until smooth. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip egg whites and sugar into a meringue. Gently fold meringue into batter. Pour into prepared round cake pans and bake until set.
For the Dacquoise:
Heat oven to 225°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip egg whites and sugar into a glossy, firm meringue. Gently fold pistachio flour into meringue, shape, and transfer to sprayed and wiped parchment paper. Bake until set.
For the Italian Buttercream:
In a saucepan, combine 300 grams sugar and 150 grams water. Heat to 238°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip egg whites to medium-stiff peaks, stabilizing with remaining sugar. Down the side of the bowl, slowly stream in hot syrup while continuing to whip meringue. Whip until temperature of mixture cools to 90°F. Mix in butter, 1 piece at a time, until emulsified.
For the Mascarpone Crémeux:
In a saucepan, scald milk. Add half the sugar, whisking until dissolved. Add corn syrup and whisk to combine. Season with salt. In a bowl, whisk to combine yolks and remaining sugar. Temper yolk mixture with some of the milk mixture; whisk tempered yolk mixture into remaining milk mixture. When cooled to room temperature, use an immersion blender to blend in butter until emulsified.
For the Kefir Chocolate Ganache:
In a double boiler over low heat, melt chocolate. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine syrup, gelatin, salt, and half the kefir; do not simmer. When hot, pour mixture into melted chocolate, whisking to combine. Stream in remaining kefir, emulsifying with an immersion blender.
For the Fermented Basmati Rice Custard:
In a bowl, whisk to combine yolks and half the sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine agar agar and remaining sugar. In a saucepan, combine milks, cream, and sugar-agar mixture. Whisking constantly, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Temper yolk-sugar mixture with some of the milk mixture; whisk tempered yolk mixture into remaining milk mixture. Return to heat and whisk until thickened. Whisk in gelatin and salt. When fully dissolved, strain mixture through a chinois and chill. When set, transfer to a blender and blend in butter. Cover and chill.
To Assemble and Serve:
Stack and layer cake as you please, until you’re standing on your tippy-toes. Shape at will; be daring. Top with a healthy layer of Fermented Basmati Rice Custard. Steal the show.
