Category Archives: Desserts

Nesselrode, Part 1: the Count, the Cook, and their Pudding

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March 31, 1814. With the Austrian, Prussian, and Russian armies having defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Paris, the War of the Sixth Coalition is now over. Tsar Alexander I of Russia receives the key to the French capital from Talleyrand, and enters the city at the head of the army, cheered by the crowd. Talleyrand, master of political flip-flopping, started to distance himself from Napoleon several years earlier, and is now eager to participate in the new government. He sends a message, through the Russian diplomat Count Karl Nesselrode, offering the tsar a place to stay at his palace.

Talleyrand’s chef at this time is none other than Antonin Carême, the first celebrity chef of sorts. So impressive is his cuisine that Alexander I takes Carême with him when he moves from Talleyrand’s digs to the Elysée Palace. During these few months of Russian presence in Paris, Carême creates a luxurious chestnut ice dessert of in honor of Count Nesselrode. The Nesselrode Pudding is born — or, at least, this is how the story goes according to Ian Kelly’s excellent Carême biography, Cooking for Kings.

Nesselrode Pudding

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Dalmatian Fritters

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Among other things, Hippocrene Books offers an unparalleled collection of  international cookbooks. Sure, the layout is rather dry (no pictures), and the titles aren’t updated very often, but where else can you find a Belarusian or Albanian cookbook? (Amateurish, self-published booklets written by US-based church people don’t count.) Liliana Pavicic’s and Gordana Pirker-Mosher’s The Best of Croatian Cooking is Hippocrene’s entry for — you guessed it — Croatia, and it contains quite a few interesting recipes, many of which could yet provide inspiration for my dormant series of toponymic dishes.

The Dalmatian fritters are one them. Dalmatia is the southern tip of Croatia, on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. I can’t tell you much on my own about the culinary habits of the Dalmatians, but Liliana Pavicic teaches us that these sweet fritters are made around Christmas time and devoured by children and adults alike. My partner made some for a party and she did get some nice feedback, but I thought there was room for improvement.

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Cherry and Pistachio Gratin with Cherry Kompot

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During cherry season, try this yummy dessert that I’ve adapted from Silvena Rowe’s Feasts — though Rowe mentions getting it from Carmel Pince, ”possibly the best Jewish restaurant in Budapest.” In other words, it’s far enough removed now that if you were to show this post to Carmel’s chef, he’d probably vehemently deny having created anything remotely like it.

While cherries (especially sour ones) are very popular in Hungary, the pistachios illustrate the culinary influence of the Ottoman Empire that ruled the region in the 16th and 17th centuries. I complement this simple but delicious gratin with a cherry kompot, a beverage widely prepared in Eastern Europe as a way of preserving fruit for the winter.

The dessert makes about 6 servings, but this depends on the size of your ramekins. I’ve played with various sizes and form factors, and the top picture shows 3″ diameter ramekins (containing slightly over 3 fl oz), while the bottom one feature a 3″x5″ oval (with a capacity of about 5 fl oz).

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Apple, Vodka and Birch Syrup Babka with Cranberry Mors Sorbet

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Here’s a recipe that gives me lots to talk about:

  • Babka is a brioche-like yeast cake found in many Eastern European countries, from Albania to Russia. It’s often baked for Easter Sunday, and it’s not infrequent that you see dried fruits added to the mix. The babka was the inspiration for the more widely known French rum baba. To make a log story short, in the 18th century, Stanisław Leszczyński — a Pole with the modest titles of  King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Duke of Lorraine, and Count of the Holy Roman Empire — had the original idea to soak a dried up babka (or similar cake) into an alcoholic mixture. Over time, the dessert travelled from Lorraine to Paris, the alcohol became rum, and today’s traditional ring form was adopted. My recipe is loosely adapted from versions I found in Darra Goldstein’s A Taste of Russia and Larousse de la Cuisine.
  • Birch Syrup is similar to maple syrup in the way it’s produced. However, it takes 100 gallons of birch sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, while the ratio with maple is 40:1, which probably explains why birch syrup is so rare. Birch sap is commonly enjoyed as a beverage in Russia, but the only place I’ve found that bottles birch syrup is Alaska. Taste-wise, it has a rich, potent flavor reminiscent of caramel. You can purchase some here. Apparently the first run of the season has just been bottled.
  • Instead of keeping the babka whole, I cut it into smaller cake form and reshape it as a bread pudding, a little bit like the one I had at Kutsher’s Tribeca. The cake is soaked in a crème anglaise and bound with a pastry cream, both flavored with birch syrup. The apple dice on top complement the flavors of both the syrup and the cranberry. And there’s some vodka as a nod to the rum baba thing.
  • I’ve already discussed mors in a previous post. This time, I’m using it as the base for a cranberry sorbet. The recipe is inspired by something I found in Frozen Desserts by Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir. It doesn’t require an ice cream maker, so it’s more accessible. Please note that my mors sorbet here is very sweet, as it is specifically designed to accompany the babka, which is actually not that sweet. If you plan to eat the sorbet alone, you may want to reduce the sugar from 6 oz to 5 oz.

Babka
Yields about 6 servings

1 packet (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 oz water, lukewarm
9 oz flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 oz confectioners’ sugar
3 eggs
4.4 oz butter
3.5 oz dried cranberries

  • Dissolve the yeast in the water, and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Sift the flour, salt, and confectioners’ sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Start beating on low speed with the paddle attachment, then add the eggs and the yeast mixture, and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, and beat over low speed for another 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 2 hours.
  • Cut the butter into cubes, and let soften at room temperature.
  • Using a spatula, gently mix the butter and dried cranberries into the dough until evenly distributed. Transfer to a 5″ x 9″ cake tin lined with parchment paper, spreading the mixture with the spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for another hour.
  • Bake in a 400 F oven for 25-30 minutes, using a cake tester to check the doneness.
  • Let cool to room temperature, and unmold on a cake rack.

Apple dice
Yields 6 servings 

9 oz peeled and cored apple
1.5 oz butter
3 oz hard cider
1.5 oz sugar

  • Cut the apple into small dice.
  • Heat the butter and hard cider in a small saucepan over low heat, add the apple and sugar, then cover and cook until soft.
  • Remove the lid, and simmer until the liquid is almost fully reduced. Reserve.

Birch syrup and vodka crème anglaise
Yields 6 servings

4 1/2 egg yolks
3.3 oz birch syrup
12 oz milk
1.5 oz vodka

  • In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the birch syrup. Bring the milk and the rest of the syrup to a boil in a saucepan, and pour onto the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return to the saucepan, add the vodka, and mix over low heat to 175 F, until it coats the back of a spoon.
  • Pass through a chinois, cover with plastic film, and reserve.

Assembly
Yields 6 servings

babka
birch syrup and vodka crème anglaise
3 egg yolks
2.2 oz birch syrup
0.7 oz flour
8 oz milk
apple dice

  • Cut the babka into large dice after discarding the very top, bottom, and sides. Transfer to a bowl, pour in the crème anglaise, and let rest for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The babka should ultimately absorb all of the crème anglaise.
  • In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the birch syrup, then mix in the flour.  Bring the milk and the rest of the syrup to a boil in a saucepan,  and pour onto the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Simmer for two minutes while stirring with a spatula, then transfer the resulting pastry cream to a container placed in a bowl of ice water. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  • Carefully mix the pastry cream with the babka pieces, then pack the mixture into six 3″ ring molds, and top with the apple dice. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • Take out of the fridge a few minutes before serving.

Cranberry mors
Yields about 16 oz

10 oz washed cranberries
15 oz water
3 oz sugar

  • Place the berries and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Pass the liquid through a chinois and return to the saucepan. Add the sugar, then bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and remove from the heat. Pass through a chinois again, let cool and refrigerate.

Cranberry mors sorbet
Yields about 22 oz

6 oz water
6 oz sugar
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz orange juice
8 oz cranberry mors (1/2 of above recipe)

  • In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, then add the lemon juice, orange juice, and cranberry mors. Transfer to a plastic container, and keep in the freezer until almost frozen solid — this takes about 12 hours.
  • Place the mixture in a blender, and process until smooth. At this point, the sorbet should have a very thick texture. If it’s still liquid, wait a few more hours (with the mixture in the freezer, of course), and blend it again. Once the texture is right, return to the freezer in the plastic container for at least 3 hours.

Apricot Kernel Ice Cream

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Every apricot pit conceals an intensily aromatic kernel. Eaten raw, this kernel is unpleasantly bitter. Once toasted, its taste gets somewhat milder, reminiscent of almond and amaretto. In fact I just learned while writing this post that apricot kernels are sometimes used to make amaretto! I figured these potent nuts would be perfect for ice cream, as the cold tends to tone down the flavors.

You may wonder if you’re really going to have to spend your summer eating apricots, and then half of your fall breaking pits with a hammer, just so you can enjoy a cup of ice cream. There’s a much simpler solution: buy the kernels by the pound at Apricot Power (love the name). You may also wonder, no matter how delicious it may be, what this peculiar ice cream is doing on this blog. Simple, too: it’s the perfect match for my Sachertorte!

Apricot kernel ice cream
Yields about 1 qt

3.5 oz apricot kernels
1/8 tsp salt
24 oz milk
4 egg yolks
4 oz superfine sugar
7 oz heavy cream
1.5 oz non-fat milk powder
3.5 oz honey

  • Place the apricot kernels on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with the salt, and cook in a 300 F oven for 45 minutes.
  • Bring 1/3 of the milk to a boil, and transfer to a blender with the toasted kernels. Let steep for 5 minutes, then process until smooth. Pass through a chinois, and reserve.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar to a pale ribbon. Place the rest of the milk with the heavy cream, milk powder, and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into the bowl while whisking, add the apricot kernel and milk mixture, then place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk the custard until it coats the back of a spoon. Pass through a chinois into a container over a bowl of ice water, and let cool. Transfer the container to the freezer and wait until it is completely cold.
  • Churn the custard in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Sachertorte, Chocolate-Apricot Cake

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The Sachertorte is a great example of a cake that was created nearly two centuries ago and needs a serious update to impress anybody nowadays. The original dessert was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 and became popular in Budapest and Vienna several years later. However, similar recipes already appeared in the 18th century — after all, we’re just talking about a chocolate sponge cake with apricot jam in the middle and a coating of chocolate glaze.

The Sachertorte isn’t even that well designed, as most people agree that it suffers from being overly dry, hence the whipped cream usually served with it. And the real deal from the Hotel Sacher is now shipped worldwide (starting at 45 euro for a tiny cake delivered to the U.S.) and produced on a nearly industrial scale (about 800 cakes a day made by 20 cooks), which is rarely synonymous with quality. Seriously, that’s about 15 minutes per cake!

I didn’t have to resort to any crazy ideas to get a great dessert. I simply worked on reaching the best possible recipe for each of the 3 elements:

It all sounds simple now, and yet it took me over 10 months to get the perfect balance between the flavors! (Okay, to be fair, part of that time was spent waiting for apricots to be in season, and I was busy with other recipes, too.)

Chocolate sponge cakes
Yields about 3 individual cakes (3″ diameter)

4 oz sugar
1/4 tsp salt
0.6 oz Dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 oz water
1.4 oz canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1.9 oz flour, sifted
1 egg yolk
1/2 egg
0.5 oz sour cream
0.5 oz butter

  • Mix the sugar, salt, cocoa powder and baking soda in a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil in the microwave, then stir it progressively into the cocoa mixture. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the cocoa mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fit with the whisk attachment. Add the oil and vanilla, and beat on low speed for 10 seconds. Still on low speed, mix in the flour, then the egg yolk, egg and sour cream. The batter should seem on the thin side for a cake.
  • Spread the butter on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and on the inner side of three tall 3″ ring molds. Divide the batter between the molds. You might have a little bit of batter left at this point, as this recipe really makes 3 1/3 cakes. You can either replace one of the molds with a 3.5″ one, or just eat the remaining raw batter voraciously. Bake in a 350 F oven for about 15 minutes, until the center feels springy to the touch. Let cool on a drying rack without removing the ring molds, and reserve.

Brandied apricots
Yields filling for 3 cakes

14 oz halved and pitted apricots
3 1/4 oz sugar
1 1/4 oz water
2 oz Armenian brandy (e.g. Ararat 5*)

  • In a saucepan, mix the apricots, sugar and water, and let sit for 45 minutes.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the brandy and boil for 1 minute. Let cool and reserve.

Ganache glaze
Yields glaze for about 3 cakes

3 oz heavy cream
3/4 oz sugar
1 tbsp corn syrup
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

  • In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream and sugar to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Add the corn syrup and the chocolate, and let stand for 30 seconds.
  • Gently stir with a spatula until homogeneous, and start assembling the cakes immediately.

Assembly
Yields 3 cakes

chocolate sponge cakes
brandied apricots
ganache glaze

  • Take the cakes out of the ring molds and cut them in half transversely. Drain the brandied apricots in a colander, and brush both sides of the cake halves with all the liquid.  Reserve 3 nice apricot halves for decoration, peel the remaining ones as best you can and spread them on the cake bottom halves, and cover with the top halves. Pour about half of the glaze over the tops of the cakes, starting at the center, and spread evenly across the top and the sides using an offset spatula. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Reheat the remaining glaze with 1/2 tsp water over low heat until it flows easily, then pour atop the center of the cakes again. Tilting the cake as needed, make sure the top and the edges are completely covered with the glaze (don’t use a spatula, as this will make marks). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. You may have some glaze left — I’m sure you’ll find something to do with it. Pat dry the reserved apricot halves and place one on top of each cake.
  • The cakes can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Honey Cake Gagra with Mandarin and Black Tea

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A few weeks ago, I was promising some recipes inspired by my trip to Abkhazia. I’ve already delivered the achma and the Adjaran khachapuri, but I had to redo this recipe countless times. I started with the idea for a black tea cake with a mandarin sauce, two ingredients characteristic of Abkhazia — check out my pictures from the food market in Gagra. As it turned out after many experiments, it takes tons of black tea to get a flavorful cake, and even then the result is OK but not spectacular. So I introduced a third local ingredient (honey), added an ice cream, and played musical chairs with the flavors. The final version now has a honey cake, a black tea ice cream, a mandarin sauce and madarin pâte de fruit.

The ice cream recipe is adapted from Ice Creams, Sorbets and Gelati by Caroline and Robin Weir, the brand new edition of a book I already mentioned here. I’m using Nilgiri black tea, but I encourage you to go to your local tea shop and pick a strong black tea you like. The ice cream recipe is written for way over 4 servings, as you need a substantial minimum amount for most ice cream machines to work properly. The mandarin pâte de fruit is equally challenging to scale, because you need a dish of the right size when you let it set. If, like me, you live in a climate where mandarins are rarely available, you can replace them with tangerines or oranges. Finally, every pectin is slightly different. I am using the powdered apple pectin from Rousseau, available here.

Mandarin pâte de fruit
Yields 9 servings (18 pieces)

7 oz mandarin juice
10 g powdered pectin
6 oz sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 oz superfine sugar

  • While mixing the mandarin juice in a blender on low speed, pour in the pectin and blend until homogenous. Heat in a sauce pan over high heat and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugar progressively, bring back to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Pass through a chinois into an 4″ x 8″ dish lined with plastic wrap. Cover with more plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  • Take the pâte de fruit out of the dish, remove the plastic wrap, and trim the edges. Cut into 18 squares, then coat in superfine sugar and refrigerate.

Mandarin syrup
Yields about 4 servings

6 oz mandarin juice
2 oz sugar

  • Place the mandarin juice and sugar into a saucepan over high heat and reduce by 1/2. Pass through a chinois and refrigerate.

Honey cakes
Yields 4 servings

3.5 oz butter, softened
3.3 oz orange blossom honey (or other mild honey)
1 egg
1 oz sour cream
4.5 oz milk
1/4 tsp salt
5.5 oz flour
1/4 tsp baking soda

  • Place the butter and honey in the bowl of an electric mixer fit with the paddle attachment, and whip on high speed until creamy. Mix in the egg,  sour cream, milk and salt on medium speed, then sift in the flour and baking soda in a couple additions.
  • Place a dish of water at the bottom of a 350 F oven. Grease the inside of four 2 3/4″ square ring molds, and place on a sheet tray lined with greased parchment paper. Pour the batter into the molds, and bake  about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Black tea ice cream
Yields 4 servings and leftovers

11 oz milk
0.25 oz loose black tea (such as Nilgiri)
3 egg yolks
4 oz sugar
8.5 oz heavy cream
smoked sea salt

  • In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, let rest for 1 minute, and stir in the black tea. Let steep for 30 minutes, then pass through a chinois, squeezing the tea leaves with a spoon.
  • In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar to a ribbon. Place the rest of the sugar in a saucepan with the flavored milk and the heavy cream, and bring to a boil, stirring regularly. Pour into the bowl while whisking, then place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and cook the custard until it coats the back of a spoon (about 185 F), stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Pass through a chinois into a container that’s sitting in a bowl of ice water, and let cool. Transfer the container to the freezer and wait until it is completely cold.
  • Churn the custard in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to the freezer for at least 4 hours.
  • When serving, sprinkle some smoked sea salt on top.

Sour Cream Ice Cream and Strawberry Preserves

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I’m slightly ahead of the curve this time, giving you a preserves recipe before the strawberry season actually starts! This simple recipe produces outstanding results — these are simply the best strawberry preserves I’ve ever eaten. Make sure to pick the best berries you can find.  I typically check every single stand at the farmers’ market before making my decision. The sour cream ice cream with its slight acidity is a perfect match, a refreshing change from the usual plain vanilla.

I created the ice cream recipe using the invaluable information from Frozen Desserts by Caroline Liddell and Robin Weir. The calculation table you see below gives the composition in grams, followed by the percentage of each solid ingredient, which is the key to a balanced ice cream. The preserves recipe is adapted from Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda Amendt.

Sour cream ice cream
Yields a bit less than 1 qt

16 oz sour cream
1 egg
5 oz sugar
5.5 oz non-fat milk
1 oz non-fat milk powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice

  • Place the sour cream in the freezer until almost frozen.
  • In a bowl, whisk the egg with half of the sugar. Place the rest of the sugar in a saucepan with the milk and milk powder, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into the bowl while whisking, then place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk the custard until it coats the back of a spoon. Pass through a chinois into a container in a bowl of ice water, and let cool. Transfer the container to the freezer and wait until it is completely cold.
  • Mix the sour cream and custard in a bowl, then churn in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.
Ingredient Weight Fat MSNF Sugar Other solids
1 egg 60 6.5 / / 9
5 oz sugar 142 / / 142 /
16 oz sour cream 453.5 75.5 45.5 / /
5.5 oz non-fat milk 156 / 13 / /
1oz non-fat milk powder 28.5 / 24 / /
1/2 tsp lemon juice 2.5 / / / /
Total 842.5 82 82.5 142 /
Percentage 100% 9.7% 9.8% 16.9% 1.1%

Strawberry preserves
Yields 1 pint

12 oz (about 2 1/2 cups) hulled strawberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
5 g powdered pectin
10 oz sugar
1/2 tsp butter

  • Combine the strawberries and lemon juice in a saucepan, sprinkle the pectin and bring to a boil, stirring constantly (there is very little liquid at this point, this is normal). Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Mix in the sugar, and let rest for 4-5 hours.
  • Reheat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter, bring to a boil, and simmer for 7 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  • Transfer to a sterilized pint jar, seal and process in a 200 F water bath for 15 minutes.
  • Let cool for 30 minutes, refrigerate upside-down for 1 1/2 hours, and flip.

Almond, Raisin and Chocolate Yule Log

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This year was the first in nearly a decade that I remained home for the holidays, and I decided to make up for all that lost time by making an abundance of holiday-themed dishes. Some might say an overabundance, but is there really such a thing?!

The Yule log was originally a large wooden log burnt in the hearth during Christmas celebrations in several European cultures. In France, with the disappearance of old-fashioned fireplaces around the middle of the 20th century, the wooden log was slowly replaced with an edible dessert imitation whose exact origins remain unknown. Here is my version, with more Eastern European flavors such as honey, nuts and raisins.

I used the recipe from Desserts by Pierre Hermé as a starting point, but I completely changed the flavor profile. I didn’t have a chance to tackle any log decorations this year, but here is a recipe for meringue mushrooms, and you can buy some Christmas-themed accessories here (look under Novelties).

The cake, syrup and raisins can be prepared 1 day in advance. You could even go so far as rolling the log 1 day in advance, as the whole dessert tends to taste best on the second day and can be kept in the refrigerator for little while.

Cake
Yields enough for 1 log

6 egg whites
5 1/2 oz sugar
5 egg yolks
4 1/2 oz flour

  • Whip the egg whites to soft peaks. While still whipping on high speed, gradually pour 4 1/2 oz of the sugar, and beat to very firm peaks to make a meringue.
  • In a bowl, whisk the yolks and remaining sugar to a ribbon consistency. Fold into the meringue, then gradually sift the flour over the bowl and incorporate gently.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, pour the batter, and shape into a 10″ x 16″ rectangle, using an offset spatula to spread evenly. Bake in a 425 F oven for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer the cake still on the parchment paper to a cooling rack, cool to room temperature and peel off the parchment paper. You can store the cake in plastic wrap for a day.

Honey-rum syrup
Yields enough for 1 log

2 1/2 oz water
2 oz honey
3 oz dark rum

  • Place the water and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, let cool, then stir in the rum.

Soaked raisins
Yields enough for 1 log

3 oz raisins
1 cup black tea, hot

  • Soak the raisins in the tea for 30 minutes.
  • Drain and reserve both the raisins and the tea.

Almond filling
Yields enough for 1 log

7 oz heavy cream
9 oz almond butter
1 oz butter
2 1/2 oz sugar
1 tbsp rum
2 oz tea from soaked raisins

  • Whip the heavy cream to firm peaks and reserve.
  • In the bowl of the electric mixer fit with the paddle attachment, beat the almond butter, butter and sugar for 2 minutes on high speed. Add the rum and tea, and beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream and refrigerate.

Rolling the log
Yields 1 log

cake
honey-rum syrup
almond filling
soaked raisins

  • Line a work surface with plastic wrap and place the cake on top, with the bottom side facing up, and the short side of the rectangle facing you. Using a brush, moisten the cake with the syrup, and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Spread the almond filling over the cake with an offset spatula, leaving 1/2″ clear at the far edge, then scatter the raisins over the filling. Starting from the end nearest you, roll the cake into a tight spiral. Once you start rolling, don’t stop: even if the cake breaks or the filling runs off the sides, there is nothing you can do at this point, and the chocolate buttercream frosting will mask any imperfections. Tightly wrap in plastic film to keep the log shape, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, seam side down.

Chocolate buttercream
Yields enough for 1 log

4 oz sugar
1 1/2 oz water
3 oz 70% chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 egg yolks
5 oz butter, softened

  • In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water over medium heat, stirring constantly until fully dissolved. Add the chocolate, stir until melted, then remove from heat.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on high speed, slowly pour in the chocolate mixture, and keep beating until the completely cool.
  • Mix in the butter in a few additions, then refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Decorating the log
Yields 1 log

rolled log
chocolate buttercream

  • Unwrap the log and place on a rectangular dish or cutting board, seam side down. Slice off the ends on a bias, with the thicker  part of each slice about 1″ wide. Arrange these pieces on top of the cake to form bumps on the log. Cover the entire log evenly with the buttercream, then run a fork lengthwise over the log to create bark marks. Refrigerate for at least two hours, until the buttercream is firm.
  • Cut into slices and serve cold.

Lúdláb Torta, or Death by Chocolate and Maraschino Cherries

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The Lúdláb Torta is a Hungarian chocolate sponge cake topped with cherries and chocolate mousse or buttercream, then covered with chocolate glaze. Its name, literally ”goose leg cake”, probably refers to the original triangular shape of the slices, resembling goose feet. Since I had all those maraschino cherries I needed to do something with, I revisited this Budapest café classic.

In Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague, Rick Rodgers describes the dessert as “the true test of the pastry maker’s art”, and “like eating a chocolate-cherry truffle”.

This gave me a couple of thoughts:

  • Buttercream was all the rage at the end of the 19th century when it was introduced from France. However, in 2010, it’s unlikely to impress anyone other than your suburban grandparents. Better to try something a little bit more modern.
  • If the cake is reminiscent of a truffle, we might as well go for a real chocolate truffle layer. To balance that richness, the sponge and mousse recipes will have to be reasonably light.

Since I don’t claim to be a master pastry chef, I chose to adapt recipes from renowned authorities for each layer.

Chocolate sponge
(adapted from Michel Roux)
Yields one 10″ round sponge

9 oz 62% chocolate, chopped
2 oz butter, diced
2 oz egg yolk
9 oz egg white
3 oz sugar

  • Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and whisk in the butter. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  • Beat the egg yolks with 1/4 of the sugar until pale. In the bowl of an electric mixer fit with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the rest of the sugar and beat until firm. Fold in the yolks, then the chocolate.
  • Poor the mixture into a 10″ ring mold placed on a sheet tray lined with greased parchment paper. Bake in a 350 F oven for 35 minutes.
  • Transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Truffle layer
(adapted from the Truffletorte at the Sprungli pastry shop in Zurich)
Yields one 9″ round cake

7 oz heavy cream
1 1/2 oz butter
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
10 1/2 oz 70% chocolate, diced
8 oz strained maraschino cherries

  • In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream, butter and sugar to a boil. Add the chocolate and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Whisk and strain into a bowl. Stir in the maraschino cherries, then refrigerate until thickened.

Chocolate mousse
(adapted from Francois Payard)
Yields one 9″ round cake

2 1/4 oz egg yolk
2 oz egg white
2 1/4 oz sugar
3/4 oz water
6 oz extra-bitter chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 1/2 oz heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

  • Beat the egg yolks and whites in an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and pale.
  • Combine the sugar and water, cook to 250 F. Slowly add to the egg mixture, pouring down the side of the bowl while beating on low speed, then beat on medium speed until cool.
  • Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and let cool for 10 minutes.
  • Fold the chocolate into the whipped cream, then fold in the egg mixture.

Chocolate ganache
Yields one 9″ round cake

4 oz heavy cream
1 oz butter
4 oz 62% chocolate
1 pinch salt

  • In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream and butter to a boil. Add the chocolate and salt, and let rest for 5 minutes. Whisk and reserve.

Assembly
Yields one 9″ round cake

chocolate sponge
truffle layer
chocolate mousse
chocolate ganache

  • Trim the chocolate sponge using a 9″ ring mold. Keep the sponge in the mold.
  • Cover the sponge with the truffle layer, making sure the cherries are spread out evenly.
  • Cover with the chocolate mousse, and refrigerate until firm.
  • Remove the ring mold. Cover with the chocolate ganache, using a brush to cover the sides. Refrigerate until set.