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Easy Spring Dessert Recipes from RAMMYS 2019 Pastry Chef of the Year Finalists
Easy Spring Dessert Recipes from RAMMYS 2019 Pastry Chef of the Year Finalists
Soursop Torta with House Made Strawberry Jam & Dulce de Leche Buttercream
from Executive Pastry Chef Paola Velez of Kith/Kin at the InterContinental DC
Yield: 6” Round 3-Tier Cake | Serves 6 – 8
Soursop Torta | INGREDIENTS
All-Purpose Flour 2 cups
Granulated Sugar 1 ¾ cups
Salt 1 ½ teaspoon
Baking Soda ½ teaspoon
Baking Powder ½ teaspoon
Vegetable Oil 1 ⅓ cups
Soursop Juice 1 ¼ cups
Whole Eggs 3 each
DIRECTIONS
- Combine granulated sugar and eggs in a in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) and whisk together until pale and fluffy.
- Stream in vegetable oil while continuing to mix on low speed.
- Slowly add the vegetable oil until fully incorporated
- Combine all dry ingredients separately; mix together
- Add to your wet mixture. Mix on low speed, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Pour into three 6” round cake pans prepared with non-stick baking spray (or coat with melted butter).
- Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Strawberry Jam | INGREDIENTS
Strawberries (Quartered) ¾ lbs
Granulated Sugar 2 cups
Lemon Zest 1 each
Lemon Juice To taste
DIRECTIONS
- Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan on low heat.
- Cook until ingredients fully incorporate and reduce to desired consistency.
Dulce de Leche Buttercream | INGREDIENTS
Butter, Softened 1 lb
Powdered Sugar 2 lbs
Dulce de Leche ¼ cup
Salt To taste
DIRECTIONS
- Combine the powdered sugar and softened butter in a stand mixer (or bowl with a hand mixer) and cream together on low speed until fully incorporated, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the dulce de leche and mix until pale and fluffy.
- Add salt to taste; store at room temperature until ready to frost.
Assembly
- Place one layer of soursop cake as your base.
- Spread an even layer of dulce de leche icing, followed by a layer of strawberry jam.
- Repeat steps one and two with remaining cakes, reserving a small amount of jam for topping/decorating.
- Coat entire outer surface with dulce de leche buttercream.
- Decorate with fresh cut strawberries and flowers (if available) as desired.
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Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
from Pastry Chef Pichet Ong of Brothers and Sisters at The LINE DC
Yield: 9” Cake | Serves 8 – 12
Note from the Chef | I like a chocolate cake that can be eaten at anytime of day. Here is one that is a pick me up with coffee in the morning, satisfying and nutritious enough for sweeter meal, or sliced petite with fruit & cream for dessert. It is the ideal cake to have in a cake dome left at kitchen table for visitors – best enjoyed at ambient temp. Or make a day a head before dinner party. I always love a fluffy buttercream, but you may omit it particularly if you serve with schlag or fruit compote.
Chef’s Tip: If possible, use organic eggs that have aged after separating for a day so they whip up to peak volume. I also prefer skin on hazelnuts and toasting and grinding it with skin to achieve optimum fiber and texture. Choose to substitute a dark bittersweet chocolate for an even richer cake.
— Pichet Ong
Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake | INGREDIENTS
(9” springform cake pan)
Guittard 72% Coucher du Soleil, Frozen 225 g
Hazelnuts (Skin On, Toasted, & Finely Processed) 200 g
Cocoa Powder 10 g
Egg Yolks 160 g
Egg Whites 240 g
Granulated Sugar 240 g
Salt 3 g
Vanilla Extract 5 g
Butter, Melted & Cooled 100 g
+ reserve some for lining cake mold
DIRECTIONS
- Prepare springform pan by lining with melted butter.
- Process frozen chocolate in a food processor until fine. Toss together with cocoa and ground toasted nuts; store in refrigerator.
- Whip egg whites with an electric mixer at medium speed until very foamy.
- Gradually add sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form (about 12 minutes); add salt.
- Stream in egg yolks, and vanilla extract to incorporate (about 15 seconds).
- Remove bowl from mixer and pour ⅓ of the egg mixture on the chocolate nut mixture and stir; Add ½ of butter mixture and stir to make paste.
- Working quickly, fold in the rest of the egg mixture, and rest of the butter mixture.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on sheet pan in preheated 350°F oven for 45-50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for 3 minutes, then unclasp the ring.
- Let cool for additional hour and then carefully transfer cake onto a large plate or cake stand.
Chocolate Frosting | INGREDIENTS
Guittard 72% Coucher du Soleil, Frozen 110 g
Egg Yolks 40 g
Butter, Room Temperature 120 g
Egg Whites 60 g
Granulated Sugar 50 g
Cream of Tartar 1 g
Salt 2 g
Vanilla Extract 3 g
DIRECTIONS
- Over a double boiler, melt chocolate and stir until smooth.
- Whisk in egg yolks and set aside.
- Place butter on top and let sit around to cool down, but no more than 15 minutes while preparing the meringue.
- In an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a bowl with hand mixer), whip the egg whites at medium speed until very foamy, gradually add mixture of sugar, cream of tartar and salt, whipping until medium stiff peaks form (about 9 minutes).
- Whisk in vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Remove bowl from mixer, add chocolate butter mixture and whip on medium speed until smooth and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Scrape sides of bowl and whip again for a minute to homogenize.
- Transfer to a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes before use.
- Once cake has cooled, frost entire cake; cut and serve with ice cream, fresh fruit, or a fruit compote as desired.
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Strawberry Pavlova | Meyer Lemon-Chamomile Curd, Vanilla Chantilly, Macerated Strawberries, Garden Herbs & Flowers
From Executive Pastry Chef Meagan Tighe of Trummer’s On Main
Pavlova Shell | INGREDIENTS
Egg Whites 170g
Granulated Sugar 255g
Kosher Salt 6g
Cream of Tartar 4g
Vanilla Bean 1 each
Meyer Lemon Zest 2 each
Freeze-Dried Strawberries As Needed
DIRECTIONS
- Combine egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl over a double boiler. Stir mixture constantly until it reaches 175°F.
- Transfer mixing bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip on high speed until meringue is glossy and beginning to ball up. At this point add the vanilla bean and lemon zest.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a straight tip. Pipe large pearls onto a sheet tray lined with parchment. With the back of a spoon create a nest in the center of the meringue.
- Zest freeze-dried strawberries overtop of the meringues and bake at 250°F until the top feels crisp, but the center is still soft (approximately 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the pavlova shell). Cool over a wire rack.
Meyer Lemon-Chamomile Curd | INGREDIENTS
Dried Chamomile 2g
Dried Lavender 2g
Meyer Lemon Juice 75g
Meyer Lemon Zest 13g
Eggs 100g
Granulated Sugar 40g
Orange Blossom Honey 90g
Kosher Salt 3g
Gelatin Sheets, Silver 2ea
Butter, Room Temperature 150g
DIRECTIONS
- Combine chamomile, lavender, meyer lemon juice, meyer lemon zest, eggs, sugar, orange blossom honey, and kosher salt together in a mixing bowl and place over a double boiler. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 170°F. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in the bloomed gelatin to melt.
- Strain the egg mixture over the room temperature butter, use an immersion blender to emulsify the curd. Cool contents in an ice bath until ready for use.
Vanilla Chantilly | INGREDIENTS
Heavy Whipping Cream 250g
Granulated Sugar 62g
Vanilla Bean ½ each
Vanilla Extract 2g
Kosher Salt 2g
DIRECTIONS
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Whip on a stand mixer until medium peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Strawberry Jam | INGREDIENTS
Strawberries, Pureed 900g
Granulated Sugar 660g
Apple Pectin 30g
Granulated Sugar 100g
Lemon Juice 58g
DIRECTIONS
- Bring the strawberry puree and the first sugar to a boil.
- Combine second sugar and apple pectin together. Whisk into boiling strawberry mixture.
- Whisk in lemon juice.
- Boil several minutes until thicken to jam consistency.
- Remove from heat, cover, and cool contents in an ice bath until ready for use.
Macerated Strawberries | INGREDIENTS
Fresh Strawberries 350g
Granulated Sugar 13g
Elderflower Syrup 13g
Strawberry Puree 13g
Lemon Juice 5g
Vanilla Extract 3g
DIRECTIONS
- Wash, hull, and slice strawberries.
- In a small bowl combine strawberries, sugar, elderflower syrup, strawberry puree, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Chill for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Assembly
- Pipe a small amount of the Meyer Lemon-Chamomile Curd into the bottom of the pavlova shell.
- Pipe a small amount of the Strawberry Jam overtop of the Curd.
- Fill the remaining space with Vanilla Chantilly.
- Drain the macerated strawberries onto a paper towel.
- Place the drained and macerated strawberries on top of the Vanilla Chantilly.
- Pipe a few small dots of the Meyer Lemon-Chamomile Curd around the strawberries.
- Garnish with fresh basil, fresh mint, and edible flowers if available.