This is a great project for beginner bakers, as the French-style layered sponge cake involves many classic techniques. To bring your eggs to room temperature quickly, submerge them in lukewarm water for 10 minutes, changing the water halfway through.
- Portion size 16 servings
- Credits : Canadian Living Magazine: October 2014
Ingredients
Caramel Mousse:
Génoise Cake:
Praline:
Whipped Cream Icing:
Method
Caramel Mousse: In small saucepan, add 2 tbsp water; sprinkle gelatin over top. Set aside.Meanwhile, in separate saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 3 tbsp water to boil, stirring, just until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring, until amber in colour, about 4 minutes. Standing back and averting face, stir in 1/2 cup of the cream, along with the butter, vanilla and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce for topping cake. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
Cook gelatin mixture over medium heat just until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining caramel sauce until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Scrape into large bowl; let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
In separate large bowl, beat remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Stir one-quarter of the cream into cooled caramel-gelatin mixture until combined; fold mixture back into cream just until no white streaks remain. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours; whisk gently until smooth before using.)
G?noise Cake: In large bowl, beat eggs with sugar until mixture is tripled in volume, glossy, almost white and batter falls in ribbons that hold their shape for 8 to 10 seconds when beater is lifted (this can take 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the type of mixer). Beat in vanilla. Sift in one-third of the flour and the salt; fold in just until combined and no white streaks remain, about 4 folds. Working in 2 batches, repeat with remaining flour. (Do not overmix, or batter will deflate.)
Stir together about 1 cup of the batter with melted butter until smooth; fold back into remaining batter just until combined, about 6 folds. Divide among 2 greased, floured and parchment paper–lined 8-inch (1.2 L) round cake pans. Bake in 350F (180C) oven
until light golden and cake pulls away from edge of pan and springs back when surface is gently pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool completely on rack.
Praline: Meanwhile, arrange pecans in centre of parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. In small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 2 tbsp water to boil, stirring, until sugar is just dissolved. Boil, without stirring, until amber in colour, about 4 minutes. Drizzle over pecans; let cool until hardened, about 40 minutes. Break into 4 pieces. Transfer to food processor; pulse into coarse chunks. Set aside. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
Whipped Cream Icing: In small saucepan, add 2 tbsp water; sprinkle gelatin over top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Cook over medium heat until just dissolved, about 1 minute; set aside to cool. In large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Beat in icing sugar and gelatin mixture until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 bottom half, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread one-third of the caramel mousse over top; sprinkle with one-quarter of the praline. Repeat with remaining 3 cake layers, leaving top of final layer bare. Spread icing over side and top of cake; drizzle with some reserved caramel sauce. (If needed, reheat sauce in saucepan over low heat or in microwave just until softened.) Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.) Sprinkle with remaining praline. Serve any remaining caramel sauce on the side.
About The Kenwood Chef
This versatile kitchen machine offers optimized performance, controlled power and maximum versatility. The European-designed motor accommodates the heaviest dough load, electronic speed control keeps your ingredients in the bowl and four hubs offer a variety of attachments for maximum versatility. Every Kenwood Chef comes with three stainless-steel bowl tools to get you started on your culinary adventures. Explore the entire collection at kenwoodworld.ca.
Save time
The Chef's whisk features a tiered balloon design, which enables it to whip up small and large quantities to maximum volume. We shaved almost 10 minutes off the time it took to whip the eggs for this cake, compared with a regular hand mixer.
Create perfect texture effortlessly
To maintain the fluffy texture essential for creating an airy, mile-high g?noise cake, combine heavy and light ingredients with Kenwood's unique fold tool.
Nutritional facts Per each of 16 servings: about
- Fibre 1 g
- Sodium 123 mg
- Sugars 37 g
- Protein 5 g
- Calories 471.0
- Total fat 31 g
- Potassium 82 mg
- Cholesterol 156 mg
- Saturated fat 18 g
- Total carbohydrate 46 g
%RDI
- Iron 6.0
- Folate 13.0
- Calcium 4.0
- Vitamin A 28.0
