Chamomile Cake with Blood Orange Mousse and Mascarpone Swiss Buttercream

There are a lot of things that I like about being in the pastry field, but being able to create special order desserts for momentous occasions takes the the cake (ha, see what I did there). A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to design and develop this cake for my dear friend’s bridal shower, an event that will stay with her, and me, forever. It is such a privilege for me to be a part of someone’s important celebration and to create something beautiful that they will remember forever. My friend Lauren, who this cake was designed for, tends to gravitate towards lighter, more delicate flavors, and since it is winter, I knew I wanted to use some sort of citrus in this cake.

To make the cake layers, I used a base vanilla cake recipe. I steeped a few chamomile tea bags in the milk and strained it off before adding it to the batter. Then, to make sure that the tea flavor really came through, I brewed an extra cup of chamomile and used it to soak my cake layers after they came out of the oven. The blood orange mousse was made by folding blood orange curd into whipped cream. This curd recipe is super versatile and you can use any citrus that you want in place of the blood oranges.

As the person who scrapes the icing off of the top of the cupcake or eats around cake edges so that I never have a bite with too much frosting, I was sure that I didn’t want to use a traditional American buttercream for this cake. American buttercream is made with powdered sugar and is often cloyingly sweet, not my cup of tea. For this cake, I used a Swiss meringue buttercream, which is much lighter and more balanced than most traditional sugary frostings. It is made by heating sugar and egg whites over a double boiler until the eggs have been heated to a temperature safe for consumption and the sugar has dissolved. You then transfer it to a mixer and whip it to form a medium-stiff meringue. A hefty amount of butter is added, piece by piece, until the buttercream begins to come together. Finally, I tossed in a little mascarpone and vanilla to flavor it. Voila!

This is a delicious (and lovely) cake in which most of the components can be made ahead of time. I hope that it inspires you to make something beautiful and share it with someone you love!

P.S. This beautiful photo was taken by my good friend LJ, who is the most generous friend and photographer. She is always willing to come teach me how to take better photos and she makes my desserts look extra pretty.

Chamomile Cake with Blood Orange Mousse and Mascarpone Swiss Buttercream

Yield: 1 3 layer, 8” cake

Ingredients:

for the mascarpone Swiss butter cream:

180 grams egg whites

210 grams granulated sugar

350 grams unsalted butter, very soft at room temperature

4 tablespoons mascarpone, at room temperature

for the blood orange mousse:

4 oz sugar

3 oz blood orange juice

1.5 oz water

Zest of 2 blood oranges

4.5 oz egg yolks

5 oz butter, softened

1 cup heavy cream

for the chamomile cake layers:

4 cups cake flour

2 cups sugar

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla

4 tea bags of chamomile tea

Procedure:

to make the buttercream:

1. Place the egg whites and sugar in a heat proof and place over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 degrees. 

2. Once it reaches temperature, transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy and smooth and has reached room temperature.

3. With the mixer running, add the butter, a little at a time, until completely combined. Switch to the paddle attachment and continue to beat until all the butter is incorporated. 

4. Add the mascarpone cream and continue beating until thick and smooth. Set aside until ready to assemble the cake. Place the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk by hand to combine.

to make the mousse:

1. Place the sugar, blood orange juice, water, and zest in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. 

2. In a separate, heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks. When the liquid is simmering, stream about 1/2 into the eggs, whisking continually to gradually raise the temperature of the eggs. Add the eggs back into the liquid, still whisking, and return to the heat. 

3. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Remove from heat and immediately strain through a mesh strainer. Add butter and whisk to combine. 

4. Cover curd with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. 

5. When curd is cold, place heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on low-medium speed until bubbles begin to form, then increase to medium-high speed and whip to soft peaks. 

6. Fold whipped cream into curd and return to the refrigerator until ready to assemble. Use as soon as possible, within 12 hours. 

to make the cake:

1. Heat milk in a medium saucepan until bubbles begin forming around the sides. Add 3 tea bags to the simmering milk, cover with a lid, and remove from heat. Let steep, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove tea bags and strain milk, adding extra to return to its original volume if needed. Let cool until it reaches room temperature. Once milk cools to room temperature, add in lemon juice and stir. 

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8” cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients and mix until well dispersed, about 30 seconds. 

4. With the mixer on low speed, add the softened butter and 3/4 of the milk mixture. When the mixture has slightly combined, increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. 

5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the milk and one egg. Beat for 30 seconds to combine, then add the additional egg and vanilla. Beat for another 30 seconds or until everything is combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more. 

6. Divide batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan. 

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and let cool on a cooling rack until room temperature.

8. While the cakes are baking, make the chamomile tea for soaking. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add 1 chamomile tea bag. Let steep for 5-10 minutes. 

to assemble the cake:

1. When cakes are cool, carefully slice the rounded top from each cake, creating 3 flat, equal layers. 

2. Drizzle or brush the tops of each layer with the chamomile tea. 

3. Place one cake layer on a cake board centered on a rotating cake stand. Pipe buttercream in a ring along the outside edge of the cake to create a barrier.  Place about 1/3-1/2 cup of the blood orange mousse in the center of the cake and use a small offset spatula to spread the mousse into a smooth, even layer. 

4. Place another layer of cake on top of the mousse and repeat step 3. Place the final cake layer on top. 

5. Use an offset spatula or a knife to cover the outside and top of the cake with buttercream. Smooth the edges with a bench scraper. 

6. Decorate with pretty (non-toxic) flowers and herbs. 

Banana Tahini Breakfast Cake

Happy banana bread season to all! Baked in those miniature, aluminum loaf pans and wrapped in cellophane, banana bread is the most traditional (and cheerful) way to say “Merry Christmas” to all your neighbors and co-workers. I remember when my sister and I were younger, we eagerly awaited these coveted banana bread gifts and since my mom was a teacher, we usually had multiple banana-y parcels gifted to us throughout the holiday season. It seemed like we waited all year for a cake that disappeared in under 5 minutes.

In high school, I decided I was tired of waiting until people gifted me banana bread for Christmas and taught myself how to make my own. I asked for my aunt’s recipe, changed a couple of things, and it became one of the first recipes that I perfected and put my own stamp on. I continued to make banana bread religiously throughout college, bringing it to friends and study groups, and I’m pretty sure that my banana bread played a factor when my husband decided to propose. But all through my banana bread making years, I had one qualm. I really hated the loaf thing. I don’t really like the way it looks, I don’t really like the way it slices into those little rectangles, and I really don’t like how little surface area there is to get that gooey top coat (you know what I’m talking about and it’s hands-down the best part of any banana bread). So I changed it. I took my famous “Anna Banana Bread” swirled it with tahini, and baked it in a cake pan because I like eating cake for breakfast.

This is a really simple recipe that requires one bowl and minimal ingredients. It can be still be baked in a loaf pan (if you really feel like you have to), but I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and change things up a little. Swirl some tahini in your banana bread, you only live once.

Banana Tahini Breakfast Cake

Yield: 1 9” cake

Ingredients: 

3 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, separated 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1 stick of butter, at room temperature 

3 T tahini paste

Procedure: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9” cake pan with butter, or spray with cooking spray. 

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer), beat butter for about 30 seconds. Add sugar and granulated sugar and cream until light and fluffy. 

3. Add egg yolks, bananas, flour, baking soda, and mix on medium speed until combined. 

4. In a clean bowl*, whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter until combined, taking care not to deflate the air bubbles. 

5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Dollop tahini across the top of the cake and swirl using a knife or a toothpick. 

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan. 

7. Let cool slightly and serve warm with coffee or milk. :) 

*Three little notes about whipping egg whites:

1- I did state that this is a one-bowl recipe, however it does require you cleaning that one bowl halfway through. You can use two bowls. When I make this with a hand mixer, I use a large glass measuring cup to whip the egg whites in. When whipping egg whites, it is really important there there is NO FAT in your whites (oil, butter residue, egg yolk). Fat inhibits the whites from creating air bubbles so you can whip all day and they will never stiffen if there is fat present. Make sure your bowl is CLEAN!

2- In this recipe, you are whipping the whites until stiff peaks form. This means that when you lift the whip or the beater out of the bowl, the whites on the end should create a little mountain that doesn’t fold back down over itself. You’re looking for a mountain, not a wave.

3- Lastly, when you add the egg whites to the batter, you should fold them in gently with a rubber spatula, taking care not to deflate all of those air bubbles you worked so hard to create. In this recipe, the baking soda is used to counteract the acid in the bananas so the bulk of your leavening is coming from the whipped egg whites. You want as many of those air bubbles as possible present in your final batter so you don’t end up with a banana pancake.

Russian Honey Cake

Today, we are going to take a trip across the Atlantic and explore the history and tradition of the Russian Honey Cake. I love learning about and eating food from different cultures, but I must admit that Russian cuisine is not one that I am familiar with, at all. Russian culture is not often known for it’s cuisine and it’s especially not a culture known for its desserts, but the Russian Honey Cake, also known as medovik, is a traditional Russian dessert that has been an important part of Russian culinary history since the early 1800s.

The cake was created by the personal chef of Czar Alexander I in the 1820s. Because of its long shelf life and preservation qualities, honey was a commonly-used sweetener in that time period. Stories tell that the it was a well known fact that Czar’s wife did not like the flavor of honey. A new young chef began working in the Czar’s kitchen and created this honey cake, not knowing the wife’s aversion to honey, and thankfully, she loved the cake. It quickly became popular with royalty and aristocrats and became a staple at parties and Russian tea ceremonies. The cake gained popularity with the general public during the Soviet era when people began adding boiled cans of sweetened condensed milk to the frosting.

This cake is not a difficult one, though the rolling and layering of the biscuits makes it slightly labor-intensive. The sweetness of the honey is balanced by the tanginess of the sour cream layers and, in my opinion, the cake is best served next day after the biscuits have had a chance to soften and the flavors have melded together. I also highly recommend enjoying this cake with a cup of coffee and some good friends.

Russian Honey Cake

Yield: 1- 8 layer cake

Ingredients: 

For the biscuit layers:

1/2 cup (170 g) honey

1/3 cup (170 g) sugar

1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter

1 tsp baking soda

3 large eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract 

3 1/2 cups (455 g) all purpose flour 

For the dulce de leche cream:

1 can sweetened condensed milk, cooked into dulce de leche *see instructions below*

3/4 c sour cream

1 tsp salt

 2 Tbsp honey 

4 3/4 cups heavy cream

Procedure: 

To make the biscuit layers: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Heat honey, butter, and sugar in a large saucepan for 4-5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is fragrant. 

3. Remove from heat and whisk in baking soda. Let cool for about 5 minutes. 

4. Place your eggs in a large glass measuring cup and beat them with a whisk. Then, carefully stream some of your hot honey (1/4-1/2 cup) mixture into the eggs, whisking continually. Now, while still whisking, gradually pour all of your egg mixture back into the hot honey pot. Whisk to combine everything.  (This process is called tempering and it helps to gradually warm your eggs before mixing them into a hot batter. This prevents scrambling your eggs and that is very important!)

5. Stir in salt and vanilla. Add flour gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely combined. 

6. Turn your dough out onto a well-floured work surface and begin to shape the cookies. Divide the dough into 2 large pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a very thin rectangle, about 1/8” thick. (You will need 8, 7” circles in total, so make sure that you are able to cut 4 circles out of each rectangle.) *Note: I tried this a few different ways and the easiest, least messy way that I found was to roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, removing the top sheet of parchment and transferring the bottom parchment with the dough to a sheet pan. It is much easier to remove baked cookies from the parchment than the sticky dough. 

7. After your dough is rolled out, use a cake pan (or any other circular object) to score your 4 cookie circles. Poke holes in the dough with a fork and bake for 5-6 minutes, until browning at the edges and slightly firm in the middle. 

8. While your first rectangle is baking, repeat step 6 for the second half of your dough. (Depending on your pan size, you can also divide your dough into 4 pieces and get 2 circles from each rectangle. The world is your oyster.)

9. Let all of the cookies cool slightly on the pan before cutting out your circles and transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. 

10. Remove all cookie scraps and place them on another sheet pan. Return them to the oven for about 5-7 minutes, to allow them to crisp up. Let cool completely and then smash using a rolling pin or crumble with your hands. Use them for decoration on your finished cake. 

To make the dulce de leche cream: 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together dulce de leche, sour cream, salt, honey, and 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Place in refrigerator until ready to use. 

2. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the remaining 4 cups of heavy cream until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, slowly stream dulce de leche mixture and continue to whip to medium peaks. The cream should be thick and spreadable. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

To assemble the cake: 

1. Place 1 cookie circle on your cake stand. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop cream on top of the cookie and spread to the edges using an offset spatula. Add another cookie, press down slightly, and top with cream. (It doesn’t really matter how much cream you put between each layer, just that the cream amount is equal between the layers.) Continue until until you have completed all 8 layers. At this point, you can use a large offset spatula to cover the sides of the cake with cream or you can embrace the “naked cake” trend and leave the sides exposed. Smooth cream on the top of cake and sprinkle with cookie crumbs. 

2. Refrigerate the cake overnight (or at least 3 hours) before serving. This will allow the cream to soften the cookie layers and all the flavors to meld together. 

Notes: 

To make dulce de leche: Set a can of sweetened condensed pot in a medium saucepan and cover with water (the water should come up about 2 inches over the can). Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to maintain a low simmer and let cook for 3-4 hours, adding water every 30 minutes or so to keep it 1-2 inches above the can. The longer you let the can simmer, the darker your dulce de leche will be. When your dulce de leche is done simmering, use tongs to remove the can from the water and place on a cooling rack. Let the can cool COMPLETELY before opening. (This is really important because if it has not cooled completely, the pressure from the can will cause it to explode when you open it and that would be a giant mess! I let it set at least 4 hours to be safe.)