Cakes and mix and match

I've been breading it up big at home lately - I realize just how much I seriously love to make breads.... But on the other hand I've also been playing around with cake ideas. I have my final quarter coming up at school early next year and I have a project called "Chef Of the Day" and I have to make a tart, a breakfast pastry, a chocolate (or a petis four), a bread, and a cake. Needless to say I'm worried about the cake portion as I feel it's something that I haven't really done much of.

As I've been learning more this quarter about cakes I've been liking them a whole lot more. There are so many variations to make, not only that but you can take parts of one cake you like and apply it to another one - it's really easy to integrate, and mix and match.

This cake is one I've been thinking about for a few weeks, sort of a baklava cake: the base is a walnut sponge, this is covered in a honey syrup. On top of this is a roasted pistachio and vanilla bavarian, then a layer of praline, and then a milk chocolate and honey yogurt mousse. I was pretty happy with the way it came out. I do need to work on presentation (it's a tad bland in looks), and also I'm going to change the bavarian layer to a roast hazelnut layer, but it's not bad. Al

so, all the layers are from different recipes, just proving you can make whatever you like as long as you have the basics down (ie. know how to make a sponge, a mousse and a bavarian).

Strawberry Tart with Pistachio Crust

This is a very simple recipe to make, and when strawberries are in season it's wonderful and fresh, full of the tastes of summer.

Ingredients: Dough

1.25 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners sugar (icing sugar)

1/4 cup finely ground pistachios

1/4 tsp. salt

9 Tbs. very cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

Ingredients: Topping

Strawberry jam

Fresh, fragrant strawberries cup in half at room temperature

Whipped cream with a little confectioners sugar added

granulated sugar (to sprinkle over the top of the strawberries if desired)

Method

1. In a food processor put the flour, confectioners sugar and salt, and pulse a couple of times to mix.

2. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in - there should be small flakes and some the size of peas.

3. Stir the yolk, and add a little at a time to the mixture. Pulsing after each addition (10 seconds for each pulse).

4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead briefly to incorporate any remaining dry ingredients.

5. Butter a tart pan with a removable bottom.

6. Press the dough evenly all over the bottom and up the sides. Don't be too heavy handed - press the crust in so that they cling together, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture.

7. Freeze for at least 30 min.

8. Preheat oven to 375F.

9. Butter the shiny side of aluminum foil, and press down onto the crust.

10. Put the tart on a baking tray, and put in the oven. Bake for 25 min.

11. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed press it down gently with the back of a spoon.

12. Put the crust back into the oven, and bake for another 8 min (until it is firm and golden brown).

13. When the crust has cooled remove from the tart pan (place it on top of an upside down bowl, and then remove the base of the pan).

14. Slather the base of the crust with strawberry jam.

15. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar.

16. Serve with whipped cream.

Taken from "Baking: From My Home To Yours" by Dorie Greenspan. pp. 444-45 for the crust and pp. 374-375 for the rest.