Gâteau Tom Pouce
Classic French cake with a puff pastry base filled with Bavarian cream and topped with feathered icing.
Ingredients
puff pastry trimmings
8 oz (240 g)
apricot jam
2 oz (60 g)
cream (made into Bavarian cream, see page 194)
1/2 pt (3 dl)
fondant or water icing
4 oz (120 g)
Instructions
1
Rolling and cutting
Roll the dough very thin and cut out two rounds about 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter. They will shrink to about 8 inches (20 cm) when baked.
2
Resting
Prick holes all over each round with a fork or docker and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
3
Baking
Place in a hot oven at 450°F (232°C) and bake until crisp and browned.
4
Trimming
Once cooled, trim each round into a perfect circle to fit snugly inside the ring mold. Choose the best one for the top.
5
Lining the base
Spread the jam over the bottom pastry round and place it inside the ring mold lined with parchment. Alternatively, use the method described on page 117.
6
Filling
Prepare the Bavarian cream mixture and pour it over the base inside the ring mold.
7
Chilling and unmolding
Chill until set, then remove the ring mold and parchment liner.
8
Making the top
Cover the top pastry round with 'feathered' icing (see page 126, mille-feuille steps 6-10).
9
Assembly
Once the icing has set, place it on top of the Bavarian cream layer. For easier slicing, you can first cut the iced top into eight pieces and arrange them one by one on the cream.
