Читать книгу Bake Text Only - Rachel Allen - Страница 94

125ml (4fl oz) water

350g (12oz) caster sugar

7 egg yolks

350g (12oz) butter (preferably unsalted), softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 tbsp almond praline

Two 20cm (8in) diameter sandwich tins

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Butter and flour the sides of the tins and line each base with parchment paper.

2 To make the praline, place the sugar in a non-stick pan or a medium saucepan with low sides and scatter the nuts over the top. Set over a low heat until the sugar turns a caramel colour. Do not stir, but you may carefully ‘swirl’ the pan to allow the sugar to caramelise evenly.

3 When the caramel has turned a deep whiskey colour, pour the mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. When the praline is cool and hard, place in a food processor and whiz to a gritty powder. Alternatively, place the praline in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

4 To make the cake, cream the butter in a large bowl or electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well between each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder and stir in gradually. Add 3 tablespoons of the crushed praline and mix lightly, adding the milk to moisten.

5 Divide equally between the two prepared tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

6 Meanwhile, make the buttercream icing. In a low-sided medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat up high and let the syrup boil for 4-5 minutes to the ‘thread’ stage, when the last few drops that fall from a metal spoon dipped into the syrup come off in one long, quite thick and syrupy thread.

7 While the syrup is boiling, beat the egg yolks for 1 minute with an electric hand-held beater or an electric food mixer, then very gradually add the hot syrup. Continue beating until all the syrup is added and the mixture has cooled. The consistency should be stiff, mousse-like and able to hold a figure of eight pattern made by the beater.

8 Place the softened butter in another bowl and beat well with a hand-held electric beater until very soft. Continuing to beat, gradually add the mousse, a spoonful at a time. Then stir in the vanilla extract and 6 tablespoons of the crushed praline.

9 To assemble, slice each cake in half horizontally. Spread the inside of each sparingly with butter icing and sandwich together, stacking each layer above the other as evenly as possible. Brush all over the cake to remove any crumbs.

10 Ice the top and sides with the remaining icing. Sprinkle the remaining crushed praline all over, including the sides.