While watching the inauguration of President Barack Obama, I made this Berry Surprise Cake. What an exciting time to be a citizen in the USA, and although I'm not a US citizen, I'm enjoying watching it unfold from Canada and feel a sense of pride even so.As for the cake, it seems like a perfect celebration cake. Genoise, framboise syrup, cream cheese filling and sweetened whipped cream with a hidden berry as a surprise.
The hardest part is the genoise. I found this helpful video courtesy of Julia Child Lessons with Master Chefs with Michel Richard who shows how to make this delicate cake with its "diva eggs".
I used my mini cheesecake pan to make eight individual genoise cakes. I baked them for 15-20 minutes, and they overflowed a bit but didn't sink. I cut off the overflow and assembled the cakes.
Recipe
I halved the recipe.
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the syrup:
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kirsh, Chambord, framboise or raspberry syrup
For the filling:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup plus 2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the topping:
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1½ pints fresh raspberries, for filling and topping (I used strawberries)
You can find the recipe for Berry Surprise Cake in the book Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! Thanks to Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen who chose the recipe for this week and will post the recipe.
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Tasting Notes
This was an upscale version of strawberry shortcake, and the cake had a nice light flavor but needed sweet berries to enhance it. I'll blame the January strawberries at our grocery store since the cake needed to be a little sweeter for me. It also might be all the Turtles and Toffifee chocolates that I've indulged in since Christmas. My taste buds were expecting something sweeter. But making it while watching the inauguration will be a sweet memory.
"With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations." — President Barack Obama
Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread on page 212 chosen by Heather of Sherry Trifle.
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36 comments:
thanks for the link to the video, i will have to watch that one carefully for next time!! your minis are so beautiful, and i love the single berry in the middle.
Your pictures are lovely. The strawberry look wonderful with the frosting. Pretty.
Nice job. This is such a pretty cake. Your mini cakes are so cute.
absolutely stunning, shari!
What a beautiful cake - I like the small version. I'm not a TWD gal, but I love to see all of their creations - everyone's is so different!
Your cake looks great! I think the minis are so wonderful - because you don't have too much but you still can have some!
Your cake looks gorgeous! How cool that you could watch the inauguration in Canada. Your pictures are gorgeous!
yes, it is an exciting time!! we watched the inauguration huddled around someone's laptop at work. your little baby cakes look so tall and cute!
Is someone getting married? WOW! Shari... these look dainty and precious enough to be served at a wedding! Elegant, yet simple... probably just like their creator! LOL
Superb!
Just lovely! The mini versions look wonderful!
Gorgeous looking cake.
So pretty! Love it! Those strawberries look so delicious.
Your pictures are inspiring. Your mini cake is beautiful. I love the single strawberry.
gorgeous as always!
I almost cried listening to his inaugural address. For serious. And I absolutely love your cake - it's just so pretty!
It's so perfect to have such a lovely celebration cake land on a day with so much to celebrate! Your cakes are so pretty.
Great job with the strawberries. A mini with single berry - how creative.
Beautifully done.
Beautiful- Your minis are absolutely perfecT!
Ciao Shari ! Your minis arw a work of art !! I should look around to buy some mini forms !!Baci
So pretty, love the colours. And I like the surprise berry in the middle.
What a lovely cake - and thanks for the video link; I will definitely consult it before trying this one again.
Very pretty! I love the whole strawberry in the middle!
So happy that yours turned out!
Love the idea of doing a mini tower, you are so creative!
Your cakes look great! And I love the pics of the ingredients, so clever. I need to get me some of those clear little bowls.
I am not an American citizen (Canadian girl) but married and American and yesterday was a good day. A new America for my boys to grow up in. The future's so bright my son's wearing his shades. :)
Tania
What a gorgeous cake for a very happy day.
My mom used to make a cake similar to this, but we lost the recipe over the years. We'll have to try making this version, it looks amazing.
I love your tiny little cakes!Beautifully done! Thanks for sharing the video link.
So many people were disappointed with this cake and had difficulties yet it was one of the prettiest looking cakes! Yours was no expection as you always kick it up a notch and put your own stamp on things! I hope to one day be able (like yourself & many others)to tweak recipes and make them more mine!
Btw, thanks for the video tip!
~ingrid
Nice job!!!!
I really don't think I realized you were in Canada! These minis look just adorable! Glad to hear yours did not sink like everyone else's!
Gorgeous photo! What about some blueberries, just to complete the red, white, and blue inauguration theme? As it is, the single strawberry is completely stunning. Well done!
That looks absolutely beautiful! I love the little versions. Great job Shari!
Very elegant! Just gorgeous.
I love the photo of your prep dishes positioned with the strawberries as background. Beautiful!
that is so pretty.....i just adore your food styling + photography! stunning...
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