Take the cake this season with a layered (sweet) masterpiece
Nothing elevates a festive table like a layered cake and these ones do it best, whichever way you cut it
TIRAMISÙ LAYER CAKE WITH MASCARPONE MOUSSE
SERVES 12
strong coffee can replace the espresso, but there’s no substitute for quality sweet Marsala (the kind for drinking not cooking). It gives the cake a boozy, fragrant edge that plays well against the bitterness of the espresso. SOAK 3/4 cup (190g) sweet Marsala 1/2 cup plus 2T (150g) brewed espresso, cooled FILLING 11/2t unflavoured
powdered gelatin
1 cup (224g) heavy cream 4 (59g) large egg yolks,
room temperature 2T (26g) sweet Marsala 2T (26g) granulated sugar 1t vanilla extract
1/2t kosher salt
235ml (227g) mascarpone ASSEMBLY Vanilla Genoise (see page 102) Espresso Swiss Meringue
Buttercream (see page 104)
SOAK Combine Marsala and espresso in a small bowl. Cover and chill. DO
AHEAD soak can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
FILLING Place 1/4 cup cold water in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin evenly over; chill until ready to use. Beat cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until medium peaks form. scrape whipped cream into a medium bowl; cover and chill. reserve bowl. Whisk egg yolks, Marsala, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium heatproof bowl until smooth; set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). heat, whisking constantly, until yolks are lightened in colour and doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Mixture should feel warm to the touch. remove egg yolk mixture from heat and scrape into reserved bowl. Fit bowl onto mixer. remove saucepan from heat and pour out water, then scrape in softened gelatin. heat over medium-low, swirling pan often, until gelatin is dissolved, about 1 minute. With mixer on medium speed, stream gelatin into egg yolk mixture. Beat until sides of bowl are cool to the touch, about 2 minutes; add mascarpone and beat until smooth. remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in chilled whipped cream. You should have about 4 cups mousse. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto surface; chill until set, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD Mousse can be made 3 days ahead.
Keep chilled. ASSEMBLY Line a 23cm-diameter cake pan or springform pan with plastic wrap, pressing into bottom and leaving generous overhang. Fit a 1-piece round of cake into pan, placing bottom side up. using a pastry brush, dab a quarter of soak across entire surface of cake. stir chilled mousse to loosen, then scrape a third over cake and smooth into an even layer with a small offset spatula. Place another round of cake, bottom side up, on top of mousse, this time using a 2-piece layer. repeat soaking and filling process. Top with the remaining 2-piece round of cake, bottom side up, and repeat soaking and filling process one more time. Top with remaining 1-piece round of cake, bottom side up, and brush with remaining soak. You should have 4 layers of soaked cake separated by 3 layers of filling. Wrap plastic overhang up and over cake; chill at least 12 hours and up to 2 days to allow mousse to set and cake to absorb soak. To ice, remove plastic from top of cake and invert cake onto a cake plate or platter. remove pan and plastic. dollop about 1 cup buttercream over top of cake and smooth across top and down sides, creating a very thin base layer. You want to fill in any gaps, adhere any crumbs to the cake, and seal in the fillings (this is called a crumb coat). Chill cake 10 minutes, then scrape remaining icing on top of cake and spread all over, working down and around sides. decorate as desired.
DO AHEAD Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Chill until icing sets, then cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 1 to 11/2 hours before slicing.
VANILLA LAYER CAKE WITH MANGO CURD
SERVES 12
Breaking up the components and preparing them ahead will make tackling this layered cake feel more manageable. SOAK 1/2 cup (100g) sugar pinch of kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup (100g) silver tequila FILLING 21/2t unflavoured
powdered gelatin
1 (heaping) cup (200g) fresh mango pieces (from 1 large ripe mango), puréed until smooth 6T (80g) fresh lemon juice 1t kosher salt
2 cups sugar, divided
3 (150g) large eggs 8 (110g) large egg yolks
6T (85g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil ASSEMBLY Vanilla Genoise (see page 102) Vanilla Swiss Meringue
Buttercream (see page 104)
SOAK Combine sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and discard pod. Bring to a simmer and cook 2 minutes. remove from heat and immediately pour in tequila. strain into a bowl (you should have about 1 cup). Cover and chill. DO AHEAD soak can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. FILLING Place 1/2 cup cold water in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin evenly over top; chill until ready to use. Cook mango purée, lemon juice, salt and 11/2 cups sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low, stirring to dissolve sugar, until steaming (don’t boil), 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, egg yolks, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Ladle some mango mixture into egg mixture, whisking to combine, then stream egg mixture into remaining mango mixture, whisking constantly. Cook, adjusting heat to keep mixture just under a simmer and stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until thick enough to coat spatula and an instant-read thermometer registers 76°C, 8 to 10 minutes. remove from heat and scrape in gelatin; stir to dissolve. add butter, whisking in a piece at a time, then gradually stream in oil, whisking constantly. strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. set in a larger bowl partially filled with ice water and stir to cool quickly. You should have
about 41/2 cups curd. remove from water and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto surface; chill until set, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD Curd can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. ASSEMBLY Line a 23cm-diameter cake pan or springform pan with plastic wrap, pressing into bottom and leaving generous overhang. Fit a 1-piece round of cake into pan, placing bottom side up. using a pastry brush, dab a quarter of soak across entire surface of cake. stir chilled mango curd to loosen, then scrape a third over cake and smooth in an even layer with a small offset spatula. Place another round of cake on top of curd, bottom side up, this time using a 2-piece layer. repeat soaking and filling process. Top with the remaining 2-piece round of cake, bottom side up, and repeat soaking and filling process one more time. Top with remaining 1-piece round of cake, bottom side up, and brush with remaining soak. You should have 4 layers of soaked cake separated by 3 layers of filling. Wrap plastic overhang up and over cake; chill at least 12 hours and up to 2 days to allow mango curd to set and cake to absorb soak. To ice, remove plastic from top of cake and invert cake onto a cake plate or platter. remove pan and plastic. dollop about 1 cup buttercream over top of cake and smooth across top and down sides, creating a very thin layer. You want to fill in any gaps, adhere any crumbs to the cake, and seal in the fillings (this is called a crumb coat). Chill cake 10 minutes, then scrape remaining icing on top of cake and spread all over, working down and around sides. decorate as desired.
DO AHEAD Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Chill until icing sets, then cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 1 to 11/2 hours before slicing.
BLACK FOREST LAYER CAKE WITH CHERRY PRESERVES
SERVES 12
some chocolate cakes can be overwhelmingly intense, but this one manages to feel light and balanced, with no single component dominating the others. even if you’re not a fan of fruit and chocolate, this combination will change your mind.
SOAK 1 cup (225g) whole milk 50g 70% cacao chocolate,
finely chopped FILLING 21/2t unflavoured powdered gelatin
270g 70% cacao chocolate, finely chopped
1t kosher salt 3/4 cup (175g) whole milk 1/4 cup (80g) light corn syrup 11/2 cups (350g) heavy cream ASSEMBLY Chocolate Genoise (see page 102) 2/3 cup cherry preserves Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream (see page 104)
SOAK heat milk and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low, whisking often, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cover and chill. DO AHEAD soak can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. FILLING Place 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin evenly over top; chill until ready to use. Place chocolate and salt in a large wide bowl. heat milk and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium, whisking to combine, until steaming and barely simmering around the edges of pan. remove from heat and add softened gelatin, whisking until dissolved. reheat milk mixture briefly over medium-low (do not let it boil), then pour over chocolate mixture and let sit 1 minute. gently whisk until smooth; reserve saucepan. heat cream in reserved saucepan over medium just until warm to the touch, about 1 minute. gradually stream cream into chocolate mixture, whisking constantly until incorporated and smooth. You should have around 4 cups ganache. Cover and chill until set, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD ganache can be made 3 days ahead.
Keep chilled. ASSEMBLY Line a 23cm-diameter cake pan or springform pan with plastic wrap, pressing into bottom and leaving generous overhang.
Fit a 1-piece round of cake into pan, placing bottom side up. using a pastry brush, dab a quarter of soak across entire surface of cake. spread a third of cherry preserves over with a small offset spatula. stir chilled ganache to loosen, then scrape a third over cherry preserves and smooth into an even layer. Place another round of cake on top of ganache, bottom side up, this time using a 2-piece layer. repeat soaking and filling process. Top with the remaining 2-piece round of cake, bottom side up, and repeat soaking and filling process one more time. Top with remaining 1-piece round of cake, bottom side up, and brush with remaining soak. You should have 4 layers of soaked cake separated by 3 layers of filling. Wrap plastic overhang up and over cake; chill at least 12 hours and up to 2 days to allow ganache to set and cake to absorb soak. To ice, remove plastic from top of cake and invert cake onto a cake plate or platter. remove pan and plastic. dollop about 1 cup buttercream over top of cake and smooth across top and down sides, creating a very thin base layer. You want to fill in any gaps, adhere any crumbs to the cake, and seal in the fillings (this is called a crumb coat). Chill cake 10 minutes, then scrape remaining icing on top of cake and spread all over, working down and around sides. decorate as desired.
DO AHEAD Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Chill until icing sets; then cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Let sit at room temperature 1 to 11/2 hours before slicing.
GENOISE
MAKES ENOUGH FOR ONE 23cm 4-LAYER CAKE
Classic genoise can be flavourless and dry. not this one: It’s moist, eggy, slightly sweet, and tempting to eat plain.
non-stick vegetable oil spray 16 (240g) large egg yolks
11/2 cups sugar, divided 12 (360g) large egg whites 11/2t kosher salt
2T vanilla extract
12/3 cups (200g) all-purpose flour; if making chocolate version, decrease by 6T
1/2 cup (50g) Dutch-process cocoa powder (for chocolate genoise; optional)
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 205°C. Lightly coat two 46×33cm rimmed baking sheets with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on longer sides. smooth to eliminate air pockets. Lightly coat parchment with non-stick
spray. Beat egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until light and frothy. With the motor running, gradually stream in 3/4 cup sugar and beat until super voluminous and light and mixture leaves a very slowly dissolving ribbon when it falls off the end of the whisk and back into the bowl, about 4 minutes. rub a small dab between your fingers – it should be grit-free (this means all the sugar is dissolved). scrape yolk mixture into a large wide bowl. Thoroughly wash and dry mixer bowl and whisk, then beat egg whites and salt on medium-high until frothy. Increase speed to high and gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a steady stream. Beat until meringue is glossy and forms medium peaks, about 3 minutes; beat in vanilla. (do not overbeat – it will look dry and curdled – this makes it difficult to fold in and yields a dense genoise). If making chocolate genoise, sift flour and cocoa powder over egg yolk mixture (or just flour if making vanilla). Vigorously fold in with a large rubber spatula, running it down along bottom of bowl and lifting up through centre and over the top as you rotate bowl. The mixture will seize up and thicken quite a bit. add one-third of meringue and mix thoroughly to incorporate (this will lighten the batter). gently fold in remaining meringue in 2 batches (err on the side of mixing less rather than more; it’s okay if a few streaks of batter remain). divide batter between prepared baking sheets and spread evenly with a large offset spatula, working into corners. Bake, rotating pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until top is golden and centre springs back when gently pressed, 10 to 14 minutes. Let cool. To cut out rounds, fit a 23cm-diameter cake or springform pan into a corner of the baking sheet and work a small paring knife around pan to cut out a circle. Move cake pan directly next to the first cutout and cut around it again to make a partial circle (the sheet isn’t large enough to cut out 2 full circles). Then move pan so you can cut another partial circle using as much of the remaining cake as possible. align the 2 partial circles so they overlap to form a 23cm round. Trim overlap so cake pieces fit together in a single layer. save scraps for another use (trifle!). repeat cutting process with second cake to make 2 more rounds. When you’re done, you should have four 23cm rounds (2 whole rounds and 2 formed from multiple pieces.) DO AHEAD genoise can be baked 1 day ahead. store tightly wrapped at room temperature, or freeze up to 1 week. Thaw at room temperature before using.
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
This silky, stable icing smooths beautifully over cake and can take any number of flavourings, from vanilla to chocolate to espresso.
1 cup plus 2T granulated sugar 5 (135g) large egg whites
1/2 cup (65g) powdered sugar 1 cup plus 5T (300g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1t vanilla extract
1/2t kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise; 155g bittersweet chocolate, melted, cooled but still liquid; or 3T espresso, cooled
Combine granulated sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and set over a saucepan filled with 2.5cm of gently simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). heat, whisking constantly, until sugar is dissolved and an instant-read thermometer registers 46°C, about 5 minutes. Fit bowl onto stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until meringue is stiff, glossy, and dense, about 5 minutes. Turn off mixer, add powdered sugar, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the bowl is cool to the touch, about 2 minutes. With the motor running, add butter a piece at a time, incorporating fully before adding the next piece, 8 to 10 minutes. If mixture starts to look chunky or liquidy, just keep beating; it will come back together. scrape down the sides of the bowl and add vanilla extract and salt. Beat until buttercream looks glossy and smooth. scrape in vanilla seeds (discard pod) or add chocolate or espresso, depending on desired flavour. Beat until smooth.
DO AHEAD Buttercream can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature, then beat until smooth before using.