Hey guys! How are you going? I am in love with this blog entry and this cake. Look at the colours and all the elements on this cake. So beautiful.
Today I have for you a gluten free sponge cake soaked with lemon syrup, layered with swiss meringue buttercream and drizzled with yellow ganache. Garnished with lemon wedges, lemon meringue macarons, toasted meringue and passionfruit jubes.
I love the styling of this shoot as well. Super simple and professional. I found these yellow ball things growing on a branch outside my window and knew they would look well with this cake and create a nice bit of bokeh in the background.
It was perfect shade of wood because it really emphasised the yellow in the cake and surrounding props.
Then I always like to put contrasting colours together so I choose a navy blue background which would make the cake stand out more.
This photo I am in love with, doesn't this passionfruit lemon curd in this beautiful mason jar make your mouth water.
The macarons are one of the main features too. Lemon meringue macarons and they are to die for. I love the zestness of the lemon I find it such a refreshing flavour.
So I had work today, I opened the restaurant and it wasn't busy which was disappointing so not many tips to take home with me. But there were plenty of Americans who are usually my favourite because they are very good tippers. They also find me super interesting because of my accent and decent.
It just reminds me how big the states is because when I ask them where they are from in the USA, there are so many cities they say I haven't even heard of. It is crazy big and I think that is why a lot of Americans don't travel outside the states because they have everything in the states.
I find it super interesting my job when I have a chance to speak to people when I am serving. Many people I talk to think that I am extremely brave to move to Vancouver by myself and begin a life. They commend me on my efforts and that always makes me feel proud of what I have accomplished so far. I always tell people I find it so incredibly interesting learning about myself and deepening my character. The only way this is possible is if you are consistently pushed outside your comfort zone.
I think it is important to challenge yourself because you can learn your capabilities, strengths and weaknesses.
Recipe:
Lemon Honey Passionfruit Cake
What you need:
1 x chocolate sail (painted with gold)
Passionfruit Lemon Curd Jubes
Italian Meringue
linzxvi.wixsite.com/linz/single-post/2018/05/01/Little-Meringue-Lime-and-Lemon-Tartlets
French Macarons (Coloured Yellow)
White Chocolate Ganache Drizzle (yellow)
linzxvi.wixsite.com/linz/single-post/2018/05/01/Fresh-Raspberry-White-Chocolate-Cake
Vanilla Sponge (3 layers)
Chocolate Sail:
100g tempered white chocolate
Tempered Chocolate is the process of heating the chocolate, cooling it down an then raising the temperature again to a working chocolate temperature.
Tempering chocolate gives the finished chocolate a nice glossy shine, a crisp snap when broken.
Tempered chocolate sets quickly and doesn't melt in your hands as soon as you handle it. All my chocolate decorations are tempered chocolate. It is a process but will save you any cake disasters.
There are a few methods to temper your chocolate, but I will show you the best one for home bakers who don't have access to fancy equipment. I use this method as well. It is known as the seeding method.
All chocolates have a different amount of cocoa butter in them so here is a guide to help you,
Chocolate Type Melting Cooling Tempering
Dark 50-55C 28-29C 31-32C
Milk 45-50C 27-28C 30-31C
White 45-50C 26-27C 29-30C
The seeding method is the easiest technique I find from the ones I have tried. You melt a portion of chopped chocolate, and add another portion of solid chocolate (known as the seed) The stable crystals in the seed chocolate encourage the melted chocolate to form those crystals.
75% chocolate (200g melt white chocolate)
25% seed chocolate (50g seed white chocolate)
Chop up the melt white chocolate and add to a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl on top of a double boiler with the water at a simmering heat.
Slowly melt your chocolate to 45-50C (for white chocolate)
Once the chocolate has reached the correct temperature remove it from the heat.
Place the bowl on the beach, and add your seed white chocolate to the melted white chocolate.
Add the solid chocolate a handful at a time, until it has all melted.
Adding this chocolate will help bring down the temperature of the melted chocolate.
Once all the chocolate has been incorporated and you have meet the cooling temperature (26-27C) You have successfully tempered your chocolate.
If you plan to use the chocolate straight away, place the bowl back on the double boiler and bring the chocolate up to the tempering temperature. (29-30C) This is the working temperature where you can make all your decorations.
If it begins to cool in the bowl you will notice it will begin to set. You just need to heat it slightly to bring it back to that working temperature.
Now you know how to temper, and trust me once you know how to do this it will open a world of creativity.
If you want further assistance I found this video very clear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q2FLl3rXP4
Pour your tempered chocolate onto a piece of baking paper. With a palette knife, spread the chocolate in random places.
Drape the baking paper, over rolling pins to give it that funky waves shape. Allow it to set.
When it is set, using edible paint, paint gold streaks over the sail.
PassionFruit Lemon Honey Jubes
I use a different recipe to my standard Lemon Curd because I like this one to be very yellow in colour and rich.
7 large egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon juice
120g passionfruit puree
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
140g butter
Method:
In a small saucepan mix the yolks, lemon juice, sugar. Stir constantly over medium heat, mixing until the sugar dissolves and the curd begins to thicken.
You know when the curd is thick enough when you run your finger down the back of the wooden spoon, and the line you drew holds it shape.
Remove from the heat.
Add salt and butter a cube at a time, mixing in between increments.
Strain the curd through a sieve to catch any overcooked egg.
Place into a bowl and mix in passionfruit puree.
Set on the countertop till it cools down completely as sets up.
You use this curd for the filling of the cake between layers.
To make the jubes:
General Rule for Gelatine:
As a general rule 15ml (1 TBSP) of powder gelatine or 6 gelatine leaves will set 500ml of liquid.
3 gelatine leaves (soaked)
200g curd
Soak your gelatine leaves in 50ml of ice cold water. Allow to sit for 2 minutes.
Heat your curd up slightly so when the gelatine is added it will be absorbed and melted quickly.
Squeeze your gelatine leaves to remove all the water.
Mix into your curd until they have dissolved.
In a small rectangle dish 1.5cm x 1.5cm is best. Line it with baking paper. Pour the curd into there and shake to evenly distribute the mixture.
Leave to set.
Once set, cut the jubes into squares and use to decorate the cake.
Passionfruit Glaze:
(for vanilla sponge layers)
100ml passionfruit puree
20ml water
20g sugar
Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, until the sugar has dissolved.
Leave to cool.
With a pastry brush, brush on the glaze onto the individual cake layers.
Thats all babes! I hope you all go challenge yourself and temper some chocolate xx
