Vanilla Passion Cake

Dear Friends,

Doesn't "Vanilla Passion" sound like the title of some indie movie about people who like to play it safe in their amorous pursuits? Actually that movie could be about me, since I had never even kissed anyone until the ripe age of 30, when I finally let my now-husband kiss me. I know, I know, you're thinking that's just impossible in this day and age, but it's true! I had only had one official boyfriend before Philip, and interestingly, they're both from around the Seattle area. I guess this California girl liked 'em friendly, outdoorsy, and scented with coffee, just like their hometown. ;) So by many standards, the history of my love life could be judged as pretty darn vanilla. Be that as it may, "Vanilla Passion Cake" still really is the perfect moniker for the birthday cake I recently made for my little sister and my brother's new wife.

This effervescently vibrant cake was just chock-full of goodness, so brace yourself for a long description. Four layers of super-moist vanilla hot milk sponge cake, drenched with orange liqueur, filled with passion fruit curd, white chocolate whipped mousse, and juicy berries, all covered in vanilla swiss meringue buttercream and topped with crunchy meringue cookies. Whew, it's a good thing I'm only typing that description, rather than trying to speak it!

The inspiration for this cake struck when I was Googling about what fresh produce is in season in January/February, and I came across passion fruit. Passion fruit seemed like the obvious choice for a cake this time of the year, possibly because the rest of the list consisted mostly of such delectable items as celeriac, Jerusalem artichoke, and turnips. Excuse me, but just the thought of a celery-flavored birthday cake is enough to make me gag. And this is coming from a pediatric doctor who has been splashed with unspeakable bodily fluids and remained straight-faced!

In addition to permeating this cake with lush tropical flavor, the passion fruit also served to inspire me in the decor of this cake. My experience with passion fruit had previously been as a flavoring in beverages and desserts, so I had to turn to Google again to see what a passion fruit actually looks like. To my delight, I saw that the skin of a passion fruit has a deep blue-purple hue, while the inside is a vivacious orange-yellow. Well I couldn't let such a dramatic and perfect color combination from nature pass me by. I just had to echo it in the colors of this cake. A few drops of purple food coloring dressed up the vanilla swiss meringue buttercream, while gorgeous jewel-toned flowers hinted at the bright, tropical flavor to be found inside. Gleaming sugar pearls added a touch of ladylike elegance, while a smattering of tiny meringue cookies resembled stars sparkling in a periwinkle dawn sky.

As for the taste, the layers of vanilla hot milk sponge cake tasted, succinctly put, like a happy childhood. Redolent of vanilla, suffused with sweet milk, the sponge simply melted apart in the mouth. And that passion fruit curd, oh my goodness, that passion fruit curd. Quite possibly one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life, and trust me, I've eaten a lot. Tangy, sweet, buttery, fragrant, it makes my mouth water just to think of it. Add to that the fluffy creaminess of the white chocolate whipped mousse and the juiciness of the berries, and what happens? I'm transported back to that sunset when I was sitting on the beach in Maui with my hubby, sipping a Lava Flow, tears coming to my eyes as I listened to luau dancers sweetly singing the sun to sleep. So the flavor of a happy childhood, combined with the aroma of a sunset luau in Maui. Yeah, this cake tasted kind of like that.

Of course, while I was happy to enjoy the cake, it was infinitely more important to me for my sister and new sister-in-law to like it, since it was for their birthdays. We recently had a joint celebration for them with the whole family, as their birthdays are only a few days apart. By the way, I apologize for the quality of the photos below. As it turns out, the interior of a dimly lit, crowded Buca di Beppo restaurant is not the ideal setting for a blog photo shoot. Especially when the blogger is armed only with a cell phone camera, and her brother is loudly and plaintively calling out, "Are we ever going to actually eat this cake?"

To my great relief and happiness, both my sister and my sister-in-law loved the cake, and my whole family said that it was the best cake I've ever made. Well, except my ever-honest little brother, who said that the Oreo cake I made for his birthday last year is still his favorite. =)

It was oddly poignant to see my beloved little sister and my brand new sister-in-law sitting side by side, making a wish together, blowing out their candles together. You know, it's a funny feeling to have two sisters all of a sudden, after 30+ years of having had just one cherished younger sister. Although I have other sisters-in-law through my husband, they live really far away, so I don't interact with them regularly. I see my brother's new wife often, and while I like her very much, I still feel like I'm just starting to really learn about her. But what I do know is that she makes my brother light up like no one else ever has, and that I'm looking forward to becoming closer to her as a friend and a sister. It's a funny feeling, but a nice feeling.

By the time I got around to photographing the inside of the cake, it had been through the tribulations of a warm Italian restaurant and two long car rides, and had been out of the fridge for hours. It had gotten rather beaten and bedraggled, jostled and jolted, and the separate components had been melted and mixed together in the course of it all. Kind of like my patched-together, somewhat dysfunctional, long-suffering family. We, too, have been through hardship, and the separate individuals have been forced to mingle and coexist, sometimes very much against our wishes. Although the cake didn't look quite as pretty as before by the end of its long night of adventure, it was still good. And so is my family. Some people would give anything to have a family like mine, even as imperfect as it is. I need to remember that, especially when the going gets tough. I'll let this photo of a slightly melted, but still delicious, slice of colorful cake be my reminder.

Thank you for sharing the sweet life with me.

Blessings,

Michelle ^_^

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Dr. Cakebake's Prescription

For Vanilla Hot Milk Sponge

*** I found a concise and near-perfect recipe that is difficult to improve much on, so I'll simply share it here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hot-milk-cake. I tested multiple vanilla sponge cake recipes, and this one was by far the best. It's yummy and moist enough to eat all by itself, yet sturdy enough to soak up flavoring syrups and stack in layers. I think there's good reason why the recipe continues to be popular from the time it was originally printed 23 years ago. I've added some adjustments/tips below.

1) To make a round four-layer cake like the one I made, I would advise to divide the batter evenly between two 9-inch round cake pans to bake, and then later torte (slice) each sponge into two layers.

2) I would advise to use whole milk and to double the vanilla extract for a richer flavor.

3) When baking sponge style cakes, it's best to not grease the sides of the pan, as the batter needs to "grip" the sides of the pan in order to rise properly.

4) I bake almost all my cakes at 325 degrees for a longer time than the recipe calls for, as this helps the cakes to rise better. I also always wrap wet strips of cotton (an old T-shirt or towel) around the outside of my pans to allow for flat-topped and evenly baked cakes. You could also purchase Bake-Even Strips for this purpose.

5) When checking whether your cakes are done, make sure to wait until at least 2/3 to 3/4 of the baking time has elapsed before your open the oven. Also particularly with sponge style cakes, try not to poke them too early, and use a very thin toothpick, otherwise the middles will tragically deflate! I learned this the hard way!

6) Once the sponges are baked and cooled on racks, I would advise to wrap each sponge in a triple layer of plastic wrap and freeze them for at least an hour before attempting to torte them. The sponges can also be kept in the freezer for up to two weeks before they are needed.

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Dr. Cakebake's Prescription

For Passion Fruit Curd

yield: about 3 cups

*** This luscious passion fruit curd will absolutely get you grinning with delight. It is tangy and buttery, without a hint of that dreaded egg yolk taste that overwhelms some curds. The recipe is adapted from the lovely book “Extraordinary Cakes” by Karen Krasne, but I have made many adjustments based on my experience. Be careful not to cook the curd for too long or over too-high heat, or you’ll end up with tiny grainy bits of egg all throughout. Please note that this curd requires several hours of cooling and setting time!

2 gelatin sheets (infinitely easier to use than powdered gelatin; find it here)

4 large eggs

1 cup passion fruit puree (fresh, or frozen and thawed)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 + ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 + ¼ cups room-temperature unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

1) Place the gelatin sheets in 2 cups of cool water and allow to soften during steps 2 and 3.

2) Place the eggs, passion fruit puree, sugar, and lemon juice in a metal mixing bowl or a metal stand mixer bowl. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water (the bowl should not be touching the water). Whisking constantly, including the edges, mix together the contents of the bowl for about 10-15 minutes until the liquid thickens to a custard-like consistency that is able to coat the back of a spoon.

3) Turn off the heat and whisk the butter into the bowl a few pieces at a time until melted. The curd should become smooth, yellow, and homogenous. Remove the bowl from over the saucepan.

4) Squeeze the excess water out of the softened gelatin sheets and whisk the sheets into the hot curd until fully dissolved and well combined.

5) Strain the hot curd through a medium-mesh sieve into a medium heat-resistant bowl, and discard any bits of egg that are strained out. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap pressed onto the full surface of the curd, to prevent a skin from forming. Allow the curd to cool and then place it in the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours prior to using. If not using right away, keep the curd in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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Dr. Cakebake's Prescription

For White Chocolate Whipped Mousse

yield: about 4 cups

*** This glorious eggless mousse amplifies all the best things about white chocolate, such as the buttery vanilla flavor and pure light color, while mellowing out its usual cloying sweetness. Subbing in dark chocolate also works fabulously. This mousse is fluffy and light on the tongue, yet stable enough to fill a layer cake and stand at room temperature for a couple of hours, thanks to the gelatin. Paying attention to the temperature of the ingredients is important here. But believe me, this mousse is well worth the effort!

2 cups + 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

3 sheets of gelatin (again, so much better than powdered gelatin; find it here)

10-12 oz white chocolate chips

1) Chill stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for at least 10 minutes.

2) Soften the gelatin sheets in 6 cups of cool water for 5 minutes.

3) Heat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over low heat until barely simmering, then turn off the heat.

4) Remove the gelatin sheets from the water and wring out the excess water. Add the gelatin sheets to the hot cream and stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Divide the cream-gelatin mixture evenly into two heat-resistant bowls (bowl #1 and bowl #2) and place plastic wrap over the surfaces of the liquid to prevent a skin from forming. Allow both bowls of cream-gelatin mixture to cool to body temperature.

5) Once the bowls of cream-gelatin mixture have cooled almost to body temperature, place the white chocolate chips in a separate medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir, then microwave again in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval, just until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (Overheating the chocolate will cause it to burn.)

6) Whisking constantly, slowly pour bowl #1 of the body temperature cream-gelatin mixture into the warm melted chocolate in a thin stream, until fully mixed together. If the chocolate starts to loosen into wet clumps (may happen if the cream-gelatin is too hot), continue whisking vigorously until it comes back together into a smooth homogenous texture. Set the chocolate mixture aside and allow it to cool to body temperature. Stir the mixture occasionally while cooling, to make sure it is staying liquid.

7) Next place the remaining 2 cups of cold heavy whipping cream into the chilled stand mixer bowl and whip at medium speed using the chilled whisk attachment. Whip until soft peaks barely start to form, then stop.

8) Stir bowl #2 of the body temperature cream-gelatin mixture from step (4), then slowly pour it through a fine sieve into the whipped cream with the stand mixer on medium speed. Continue whipping the cream until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate the whipped cream until the chocolate-gelatin mixture from step (5) has cooled to body temperature.

9) Once the liquid chocolate-gelatin mixture has cooled to body temperature, whisk a quarter of the whipped cream into the chocolate-gelatin mixture a little at a time until uniformly combined. (This will help prevent the chocolate from solidifying into chunks when the rest of the whipped cream is added.)

10) Fold the remaining whipped cream gently into the chocolate-gelatin mixture until well combined, being careful not to overmix and deflate the whipped cream.

11) Place the white chocolate whipped cream in an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator immediately, until ready to use.

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Dr. Cakebake's Prescription

For Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

yield: about 6 cups (make a double batch if using for piping decorations on the cake!)

*** For this cake, I used a delicious buttercream recipe that I find myself turning to again and again: http://dessertdesignlife.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream/. This silky, fluffy frosting features a sumptuously rich and buttery flavor that is not overly sweet. It is also quite sturdy for piping and for standing at room temperature. Below are a couple of adjustments to the recipe that I suggest.

1) I would advise to decrease the salted butter to 1/2 stick and increase the unsalted butter to 3 sticks. Although that small amount of salted butter adds depth to the flavor, I feel that the recipe as written makes the frosting just a little bit too salty for my taste.

2) I've advised this in a previous post, but again I would say to heat the eggs+sugar mixture in a separate metal bowl over simmering water and then pour the mixture into the stand mixer bowl. If you heat the eggs+sugar directly in the stand mixer bowl, it takes much longer for the mixture to cool down.

3) An option is to color the frosting with a gel-based food coloring. Once the frosting is finished, you simply add the food coloring a drop at a time with the mixer on low-medium until you achieve the desired color. Here is a link to the AmeriColor food coloring that I prefer.

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Dr. Cakebake's Prescription

For Assembling the Vanilla Passion Cake

*** I've listed below some additional optional ingredients to dress up the cake, as well as instructions to put it all together. I won't pretend to be an expert on piping decorations onto cakes so I haven't included piping instructions, but there are many tutorials that can be found online.

1 cup of simple syrup or sweetened orange liqueur (I used a 1:1 mixture of Grand Marnier and non-alcoholic Triple Sec)

1 cup of fresh ripe berries (I used raspberries and blueberries)

1/2 cup of small meringue cookies or other decorative sprinkles

fresh clean flowers

1) Unwrap the frozen vanilla sponges and torte them each into two layers.

2) Place the bottom sponge layer on a 9 inch round cardboard or foam cake base.

3) With a food-safe brush, soak the sponge with the simple syrup or sweetened orange liqueur, if using.

4) Fit a piping bag with a 1/2 inch round decorating tip and fill the bag with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream.

5) Pipe a border of vanilla swiss meringue buttercream on top of the sponge layer, outlining the outter edge to make a "dam" that will help prevent the passion fruit curd from oozing out.

6) Using a small offset spatula, spread the desired amount of passion fruit curd (I used about 3/4 of a cup) on top of the sponge layer, within the confines of the buttercream border.

7) Spread the desired amount of white chocolate whipped mousse (I used about a cup) on top of the passion fruit curd, within the confines of the buttercream border.

8) Arrange several berries, if using, in a single layer across the white chocolate whipped mousse. Gently press the berries into the mousse.

9) Place the next sponge layer on top of the mousse+berries, and repeat steps 3 through 8 with the remaining sponge layers. Exception: the top of the topmost sponge layer should only be soaked with the syrup (no passion fruit curd, mousse, or berries).

10) Cover the entire cake with a crumb coat of the vanilla swiss meringue buttercream. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, and then cover with another layer of vanilla swiss meringue buttercream. Smooth the buttercream and pipe decorations onto the cake if desired. (I piped on rows of buttercream rosettes using a Wilton #21 decorating tip)

11) Arrange meringue cookies or sprinkles, as well as fresh flowers (well rinsed and patted dry), decoratively across the top of the cake.

13) Eat, if you can bear to slice up all that beautiful hard work, and share with those you love. =)

#vanillasponge #hotmilkcake #passionfruit #whitechocolatemousse #smbc #birthday