Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (209 page)

2 Tb rum or kirsch

1 Tb instant coffee dissolved in 2 Tb boiling water, and cooled

When the meringue mixture has been beaten until cool with the electric mixer, it is ready to receive the butter. Cut up butter, if cold, and beat over heat for a moment until it starts to melt; continue beating with electric mixer or wooden spoon until butter is soft and fluffy. (If by chance you have heated butter too much, beat over cold water to reconstitute it.)

By dollops, beat the equivalent of 2 sticks of the butter into the meringue, then beat in the rum or kirsch and droplets of coffee until butter cream is a light coffee color. If butter cream turns grainy after addition of liquids, beat in more of the butter by spoonfuls to smooth it out again. Cover and chill, until of easy spreading consistency.

(*) Butter cream may be frozen; when thawed, beat in more softened butter to smooth it, along with a little more liqueur if you feel it necessary.

Frosting the cake

The cool
génoise
cake

A long, sharp thin knife for splitting the cake

A cake rack set over a pizza tray or baking sheet

2 Tb rum or kirsch

The chilled butter cream (beaten to a smooth consistency)

A flexible-blade spatula

A quart measure of hot water

(Illustrated directions for splitting, filling, and frosting cakes are in Volume I, pages 673–5.) Cake is to be frosted upside down, meaning that the part that was at the bottom of the pan is considered to be the top of the cake; this is because sides must slant slightly outward for fondant to cover them easily, later. Cut a tiny wedge up side of cake to guide you in re-forming it. Slice cake in half, making 2 layers; turn them cut-side up and sprinkle with rum or kirsch.

Spread about ⅓ the butter cream on bottom layer of cake, and replace top layer, lining it up with wedge. Being sure butter cream is smooth, spread all but ½ cup over top and sides of cake. Even frosting with spatula dipped in hot water, making
sides as smooth as possible; retain or even exaggerate their outward slant toward bottom of cake. Set in freezer or refrigerate for about half an hour, until frosting is well set. (Smooth again with spatula dipped in hot water if necessary.)

3 cups
chocolate-flavored fondant

A flexible-blade spatula

The reserved ½ cup of butter cream, chilled

A paper
decorating cone

When frosting has set, and with cake on its rack set over a tray to catch drippings, heat fondant just enough for it to be liquefied and of easy pouring consistency. Pour all of it at once over the top of the cake, rapidly spreading it, if necessary, with spatula so that it falls evenly over the sides. It sets very quickly, and can be touched only when liquid.

When set, in a few minutes, pack chilled but smooth and malleable butter cream into paper cone and squeeze out whatever decorative motif your creative spirit suggests to you.

Store cake in refrigerator, but remove to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving so that fondant will regain its bloom.

GÂTEAU AUX NOIX—LE SAINT-ANDRÉ

[Walnut Cake]

The
Saint-André
is a delicious walnut-filled creation that can be either a dessert or a cake. If you are not shelling your own top-quality walnuts, use the vacuum-packed nut meats that come in cans to be sure of freshness.

For a 9- by 1½-inch cake

1)
Preliminaries—preheat oven to 350 degrees

A 6-cup cake pan (9 by 1½ inches if round), bottom lined with waxed paper, pan buttered and floured

4 ounces (1 cup) walnut meats, either whole or chopped

3 Tb sugar

An electric blender

A sheet of waxed paper

⅓ cup all-purpose flour (measure by dipping dry-measure cup into flour and leveling off with knife)

A sieve

A rubber spatula

4 Tb soft butter in a 1-quart bowl

A wooden spoon

Prepare cake pan. Grind half the nuts with half the sugar in the blender, turn out onto the waxed paper; grind the rest of the nuts and sugar, and add to the first half. Sieve the flour over the nuts and mix well with rubber spatula, smoothing out any lumps in the mixture. Soften the butter in the bowl and beat to a creamy mayonnaise-like consistency. Set aside.

2)
The cake batter

½ cup sugar

3 “large” eggs

An electric mixer and 3- to 4-quart bowl

2 Tb kirsch

Pinch of salt

The softened butter

A rubber spatula

The ground walnuts

The prepared cake pan

Beat the sugar and eggs with the kirsch and salt for a moment at low speed to blend, then increase speed to high and beat several minutes (7 to 8 with a handheld machine) until mixture is pale, fluffy, doubled in volume, and holds in soft peaks. Remove bowl from stand. Scoop a 2-spoonful dollop of egg mixture into the softened butter and mix with rubber spatula; set aside. Sprinkle ⅓ of the ground nuts over the egg mixture and delicately fold them in with a rubber spatula, being careful to deflate the eggs as little as possible. When almost incorporated, add the same amount again, fold, and sprinkle on the remainder. When that is almost incorporated, add the creamy butter and rapidly fold in. Turn batter into cake pan, which will be about ⅔ filled. Tilt pan to run batter up to rim all around, bang lightly on table, and set immediately in middle level of preheated 350-degree oven.