Let them eat cake

Let them eat cake

December 31, 2008, 6:37 am
Filed under: fork

 

Celebrate the new year with cake and champagne.

This cake is a coup de grâce that pushes the boundaries of decency with reckless excess. What would life be without cake? So let them eat cake! 

Marie Antoinette presents a light génoise cake luxuriated with rich chantilly and a refreshing assortment of red and blue berries.  Try not to lose your head as we raise our spirits with a coupe of Kir Royale and join the toast to the simple pleasures. 

GENOISE

3 eggs

75g cake flour

75g sugar

pinch of salt

butter and flour for chemiser

CHAMPAGNE SYRUP

1 cup Champagne

1/2 cup sugar

CHANTILLY

3 cups heavy cream

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 vanilla bean

GARNISH

20 raspeberries

20 blueberries

 

PROCEDURE:

To make the champagne Syrup

In a small sauce pan bring Champagne to a boil. Add the sugar,  stirring to make sure it dissolves. Allow to cool before using in the cake.

To make the Génoise

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Prepare the cake pan by buttering and flouring. Refrigerate to chill the butter.  

Set up a water bath with pot of water and a bowl to fit snuggly inside. Make sure the water does not come in contact with the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a boil, turn off heat and let stand for 10 minutes while the temperature drops down to 120 F. 

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl. When they are light and smooth place the bowl over the warm water.

Fold in the sifted flour in thirds with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the pan and spin the pan to evenly distribute the batter.

Bake the cake for 20-35 minutes. The cake is done baking when the color is golden brown and your finger indentation bounces back when you press in the center of the cake.

When it is done, turn out the cake and place it on a rack to cool. When it cools, slice it into even layers. Brush each layer with Champagne syrup.

To Make Chantilly

Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into a large bowl, add the heavy cream and whip with a balloon whisk until it begins to thicken. Gently sprinkle in the powdered sugar and continue whisking until the whipped cream thickens but do not over whisk and make butter. 

To serve

Cut the cake into 8 even slices and place pieces on their side in the center of the plate, top with whipped cream, raspberries and blueberries. Red, white and blue are the colours of the French flag.

Serve with Kir Royale in a coupe style Champagne glass.

KIR ROYALE

Named after the Mayor of Dijon, Canon Kir, the Kir Royale is a sweet cocktail that works wonderfully with the sweetness of the cake and richness of the whipped cream. Simple Champagne would be too dry for such a dessert and Marie Antoinette would be thrilled with the sweet pinkness of the drink… not to mention its royal designation.

To make a pink fruity Kir Royale pour one part Creme de Cassis de Bourgogne in the coupe and add 2 parts Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut-Réserve.

According to legend the Champagne coupe (the short Champagne glass) was modelled after one of Marie Antoinette’s breasts.

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