Strawberry Cream Cake (Printanier)
This spring Printanier (strawberry cream cake) combines Japanese and French flavors, made with pistachio sponge cake, French buttercream, and fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
Pistachio cake base
35cm×25cm 2 pieces
Pistachio paste
170g
Cake flour (sifted)
120g
Granulated sugar (for cake base)
120g
Whole eggs
180g
Butter (melted)
50g
Egg whites (for basic meringue)
280g
Granulated sugar (for basic meringue)
160g
Buttercream
About 600g finished product
Milk
200g
Granulated sugar (for cream)
120g
Egg yolks
120g
Unsalted butter (chopped)
600g
Vanilla
1/2 pod
Liqueur
40g
Granulated sugar (for Italian meringue)
160g
Egg whites (for Italian meringue)
80g
Water (for Italian meringue)
53g
Strawberries
4 boxes
Syrup (mixed with cherry brandy liqueur)
As needed
Decoration
As needed
Instructions
1
Make the pistachio cake
Whip the eggs and granulated sugar until foamy and white, then add the pistachio paste and mix. In a separate bowl, add the egg whites, then add the granulated sugar in 2 batches, and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form to make a meringue. Add half of the meringue to the egg batter.
2
Mix butter and batter
After heating and melting the butter in a pot, turn off the heat, then first add about 1/5 of the egg batter to the pot and stir evenly with the butter without letting it separate. Pour the mixed butter-batter back into the egg batter bowl and mix everything evenly.
3
Finish the cake batter
Add the remaining meringue and fold in. Add all the cake flour and mix lightly until just combined.
4
Baking
Pour into a baking tray and smooth with a spatula, then bake at 200°C for 7 minutes. Make 2 cakes of about 35cm×25cm.
5
Make Italian meringue
Put the water and granulated sugar in a pot and heat to a boil until 121°C. Place a whisk in the bowl of egg whites that have been thoroughly whipped into foam, and while whipping at high speed, gradually add the syrup. Then place the bowl in an ice bath and continue whisking at medium speed.
6
Make the cream sauce
Put the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a bowl and whip until foamy and white. While beating the egg yolks, put the milk and vanilla (pod and seeds) in a pot and bring to a boil. Use a spoon to add about 2 spoons of the boiled milk to the egg yolk mixture and mix. After mixing evenly, pour it back into the pot of milk.
7
Cook the English custard
Turn on high heat and keep stirring with a whisk until it boils. Once bubbling, turn off the heat and strain by pressing through a sieve.
8
Emulsify the butter
While using a hand mixer at high speed to dissipate heat, add the butter gradually. Once all the butter is added, place the bowl in an ice bath and continue mixing at high speed. When it reaches a mayonnaise-like consistency, add the liqueur and continue mixing.
9
Combine meringue and buttercream
Add the Italian meringue to the buttercream bowl in 2 batches and stir roughly.
10
Assemble the cake
Mix the syrup ingredients and spread on the baked cake, then spread half of the buttercream on 1 cake layer and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the strawberries neatly on top, then spread about 1/3 of the buttercream to fill the gaps between the strawberries. Place the other cake layer on top of the strawberries and gently press to fuse it with the buttercream.
11
Chill and decorate
Brush with syrup, then cover the surface with the remaining buttercream, and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Mix the pistachio paste into clear glaze until well combined, spread on the surface, then refrigerate to finish.
