Genoise With Passion Fruit Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipes

PASSION FRUIT SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (but not touching) simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees).
• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (but not touching) simmering water, combine the egg whites and sugar. Cook whisking constantly until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees).
• Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter, several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in passion fruit curd until smooth.

CLASSIC GENOISE

Steps:

• Place a 1-quart saucepan half filled with water over high heat and bring it to a simmer. Make a double boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over the simmering water. Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and honey in the mixing bowl and make an egg foam by whisking the mixture to 113 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 7 to 10 minutes. The egg foam passes through various stages becoming foamy, then smooth and finally it thickens. When it is thick, it will be hot to the touch, tripled in volume, and light in color and the sugar will have completely dissolved. If you dip the whisk into the mixture and pull it out, the batter should fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and whip the batter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it cools, increases in volume, stiffens slightly and becomes pale yellow, about 7 to 10 minutes. Take the time to whip it well; if the mixture is under whipped, the baked genoise will be dense. Very, very carefully, fold in the flour with a rubber spatula until the flour is no longer visible, making sure to fold to the bottom of the bowl. Do not over mix or the batter will deflate. Fill buttered and parchment paper-lined 8-inch round cake pans 3/4 full with batter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until well-risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Let the genoise cool slightly. Unmold, remove parchment paper and finish cooling on a wire rack. The baked genoise can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Return it to room temperature before using it.
• VARIATION: Make this recipe into a Chocolate Genoise by substituting unsweetened cocoa powder for 10 to 20 percent of the weight (a scant 1/4 cup to a full 1/3 cup) of the flour. Weigh the cocoa powder before you sift it.
• Jacques' Tip: Genoise can be made with butter. In this recipe, you can substitute butter (5 1/2 tablespoons) for the 3 large egg yolks. Melt and cool the butter and fold it in after the flour is added.

GÉNOISE CAKE WITH PASSION FRUIT SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack set in the lower third. Spray a 9-by-3-inch round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; line pan with a parchment paper round and spray again. Set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a large bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind; stir in vanilla and keep warm (110 to 120 degrees). Lightly whisk together eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; set mixer over (but not touching) simmering water and heat, whisking constantly, until lukewarm to the touch. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until light, airy, and quadruple in volume, at least 5 minutes. Whisk 1 cup egg mixture into warm melted butter mixture; set aside. Sift together flour and cornstarch. Gently and quickly fold half the flour mixture into remaining egg mixture until all the flour is absorbed. Repeat process with remaining flour mixture. Fold in butter mixture to combine and transfer to prepared baking pan. Transfer pan to oven and bake until golden brown and starts to shrink slightly from the sides of the pan, 20 to 30 minutes. If possible, avoid opening the oven door until cake has baked at least 30 minutes, as cake is fragile and may fall. Remove cake from oven and unmold immediately onto a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before cutting into layers and frosting with buttercream.

GENOISE WITH BUTTERCREAM-ITALIAN MERINGUE

Steps:

• To make an Italian meringue, combine 3 1/2 pounds of sugar with 1 cup water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat over high heat until the syrup reaches a temperature of 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. When syrup reaches a boil, watch carefully, as the temperature can escalate quickly.
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whisk the egg whites, the remaining 1 pound of sugar, and the cream of tartar to medium peaks. Once the syrup has reached 240 degrees F, start to drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the meringue while the beaters are running. Continue until all of the syrup is used and then continue to whip the meringue until it cools to room temperature.
• Slowly add in the softened butter; the mixture will tend to curdle. Continue to mix until all of the butter has been incorporated; the buttercream will eventually come together, becoming a smooth mixture in the end. Make sure to scrape down the bowl from time to time while mixing. Divide the mixture into 2 large sheet pans, cover securely, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the cake:
• Lightly spray a size 400 hotel pan or large sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray and then line with parchment paper; set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sieve the cake flour at least twice and set aside. Cream the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl, beating until a pale yellow color. Gently fold in the cake flour. When this stage is almost completed, fold in the melted butter. Spread the genoise batter onto the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, and then remove to a rack to cool completely before frosting.
• While cake cools, make a simple syrup by combining 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a heavy saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil and then remove from the heat and let cool.
• Assembly:
• Cut the cakes into 4 equal pieces so that they will fit perfectly on top of each other. Brush the bottom cake layer with simple syrup and then brush it with framboise. Brush a thin layer of raspberry marmalade on top and then apply a layer of the buttercream-Italian meringue. Repeat 2 more times. For the fourth and final cake layer, brush it with simple syrup and then framboise, but do not apply the marmalade. Frost the top and the sides of the cake, smoothing it out until perfect.

SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In a small pot, bring 1 inch water to a boil over high heat.
• Place the egg whites and sugar in a medium metal bowl (or the metal bowl of a stand mixer) and place it on top of the pot, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk continuously (especially on the sides of the bowl) to prevent the egg whites from cooking, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F and the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the heat, transfer it to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until soft peak forms, about 5 minutes.
• Switch to the paddle attachment on low speed and add the butter, one piece at a time. The buttercream might separate but keep the paddle going-the mixture will soon homogenize. Increase the speed to medium and paddle until silky smooth, about 5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and beat for another 3 minutes.