When I came across the below recipe, I was slightly intimidated by the long list of ingredients and numerous steps. However, I decided to take on the challenge, for my Dad’s sake! In the end, the cake was not difficult to make…it just required time and effort on my part. If you follow the directions exactly as described below, you are sure to create a fabulous cake!
Ingredients
Sponge cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs (separated)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil (I used sunflower oil)
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pastry cream:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk, hot
4 oz white chocolate, chopped
Strawberry compote:
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup sugar
Ganache:
6 tbsp 35% cream
8 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup icing sugar
100 g almond paste (1/2 package)
Directions
Sponge cake:
1 1/4 cups milk, hot
4 oz white chocolate, chopped
Strawberry compote:
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup sugar
Ganache:
6 tbsp 35% cream
8 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup icing sugar
100 g almond paste (1/2 package)
Directions
Sponge cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F, and make sure your rack is in the middle of your oven.
2. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and butter.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Separate the eggs and set aside the egg yolks.
5. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add half of the sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
6. In another larger bowl, combine the remaining sugar, egg yolks, oil, water and vanilla with a whisk. Stir in the dry ingredients.
7. Using a spatula, fold one third of the meringue (egg whites and sugar) into the batter. Add the rest of the meringue and fold gently.
8. Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack. Unmould.
Pastry cream:
1. In a saucepan off the heat, combine the sugar, flour and cornstarch.
2. Add the eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the milk gradually while whisking.
4. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly and being careful to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate. Stir until melted and then transfer to a bowl.
6. To prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the pastry cream, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the hot cream.
7. Let it cool and then refrigerate until completely cooled, about 3 hours.
Strawberry compote:
1. In a saucepan, combine the strawberries and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
2. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the strawberries have softened and the compote thickens.
3. Let it cool, and cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.
*Feel free to use any berry or fruit for the compote. The recipe I used called for rhubarb, but it wasn’t available when I was buying the ingredients, and so I substituted it for strawberries.
Ganache:
1. In a saucepan, gently heat the cream and white chocolate until the mixture is smooth.
2. Remove the pan from heat, add the icing sugar and whisk about 1 minute. Set aside.
Assembly:
1. Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out the almond paste so that it is slightly larger than the diameter of the cake. It should be about ½ cm thick.
2. Using the bottom of the cake pan, cut a circle in the almond paste, and remove the excess icing sugar. Set aside.
3. Remove the crown of the cake using a cake slicer so it is level and flat.
4. Cut the cake horizontally in half to obtain two slices.
5. Spread a layer of pastry cream on the base of the cake.
6. Using a spoon, spread the strawberry compote on top of the pastry cream.
7. Cover with the second slice of cake. Lightly spread ganache on the cake for the almond paste to adhere to. Position the circle of almond paste onto the cake.
8. Spread the warm ganache over the entire cake’s surface. It should be slightly runny, and so you may have to reheat the ganache.
9. Refrigerate until serving. I would recommend removing it from the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving to allow the almond paste to soften up.
My family yet again got to enjoy my sweet creation, and by the lack of any crumbs on their plates, I could tell they thoroughly enjoyed it!
Yields: 10 servings
Verdict: Pleasantly fluffy and sweet…a unique take on the traditional Boston Cream Pie
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Bake Time: 60 minutes
Chilling Time: 3 hours
Assembly Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10
2. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and butter.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Separate the eggs and set aside the egg yolks.
5. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add half of the sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
6. In another larger bowl, combine the remaining sugar, egg yolks, oil, water and vanilla with a whisk. Stir in the dry ingredients.
7. Using a spatula, fold one third of the meringue (egg whites and sugar) into the batter. Add the rest of the meringue and fold gently.
8. Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack. Unmould.
Pastry cream:
1. In a saucepan off the heat, combine the sugar, flour and cornstarch.
2. Add the eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the milk gradually while whisking.
4. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly and being careful to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate. Stir until melted and then transfer to a bowl.
6. To prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the pastry cream, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the hot cream.
7. Let it cool and then refrigerate until completely cooled, about 3 hours.
Strawberry compote:
1. In a saucepan, combine the strawberries and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
2. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the strawberries have softened and the compote thickens.
3. Let it cool, and cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.
*Feel free to use any berry or fruit for the compote. The recipe I used called for rhubarb, but it wasn’t available when I was buying the ingredients, and so I substituted it for strawberries.
Ganache:
1. In a saucepan, gently heat the cream and white chocolate until the mixture is smooth.
2. Remove the pan from heat, add the icing sugar and whisk about 1 minute. Set aside.
Assembly:
1. Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out the almond paste so that it is slightly larger than the diameter of the cake. It should be about ½ cm thick.
2. Using the bottom of the cake pan, cut a circle in the almond paste, and remove the excess icing sugar. Set aside.
3. Remove the crown of the cake using a cake slicer so it is level and flat.
4. Cut the cake horizontally in half to obtain two slices.
5. Spread a layer of pastry cream on the base of the cake.
6. Using a spoon, spread the strawberry compote on top of the pastry cream.
7. Cover with the second slice of cake. Lightly spread ganache on the cake for the almond paste to adhere to. Position the circle of almond paste onto the cake.
8. Spread the warm ganache over the entire cake’s surface. It should be slightly runny, and so you may have to reheat the ganache.
9. Refrigerate until serving. I would recommend removing it from the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving to allow the almond paste to soften up.
My family yet again got to enjoy my sweet creation, and by the lack of any crumbs on their plates, I could tell they thoroughly enjoyed it!
Yields: 10 servings
Verdict: Pleasantly fluffy and sweet…a unique take on the traditional Boston Cream Pie
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Bake Time: 60 minutes
Chilling Time: 3 hours
Assembly Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10
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