Persian-Love-Cake Variations - Tropic Snow Cake and Hold-My-Heart Cake

Persian-Love-Cake recipe is one of my favorite cake recipe now.  For our office - United Way fund raiser, I baked two different types of Persian-Love-Cake - one covered with Ganache Icing "Hold-My-Heart Cake" and the other with Persian-Love-Cake's fresh whip cream frosting topped with home made coconut flakes with banana - I call it the "Tropic-Snow-Cake".

Yield: 2
Prepare Two - 6x3 inch cake pans with buttered parchment paper at the bottom.
1/2 C Prepared Coconut Flakes
Preheat oven to 335'F

MISE-EN-PLACE:  Prepare a day before or allow 2 extra hours for Coconut Flakes and Ganache Icing preparation.
Fresh Home Made Coconut Flakes Preparation:
Save the fresh coconut flakes refused out of the "Juiceman" while making fresh thick coconut cream for the Pandan Chiffon Cake with Strawberries (from my blog) - frozen in Ziploc bag.  (I also have a Video demo of how Pandan juice and coconuts were processed at http://rockdavinci.blogspot.com/p/recipes-slide-show.html     Defrost it to bring to the room temperature.
After defrosting the coconut flakes, about 1 C, transfer it to non-stick fry pan, add 1 Tablespoon of sugar and toss to mix sugar and coconut flakes.  or add more sugar to your taste of sweetness you like.
Turn on the stove heat - Low.
At low temperature, toss coconut and sugar to 'dry' the coconut flakes.  About 3 min, but  not browned.  Do not toast to brown the coconut unless that's what you want.  Taste to make sure that it is the sweetness you want.
Transfer to a baking sheet lined with the parchment paper.  Spread coconut flakes evenly and flat on parchment paper.
Heat oven to 350'F.
Turn off the oven.
NOTE:  the drying time depends on your model of oven.  (My oven is a gas oven.)
Place baking sheet with coconut flakes in the oven - with the oven door cracked Open to further dry for 5 minutes **Depends on your oven - keep your eyes on it  - Do not Brown the coconut flakes.
Take it out and toss bottom to the top and spread evenly and flat on  parchment paper, again.
Place it back in the oven - 5 minutes with oven door cracked open.
Feel the coconut flakes, it should feel dry.  Store in air-tight container.

Making Cakes - yield two
Ingredients:
Prepare Ingredients for the regular Persian-Love-Cake.  http://rockdavinci.blogspot.com/2010/09/persian-love-cake.html
Divide the batter equally into two - 6x3 inch cake pans with buttered parchment paper at the bottom.
Bake till the tester inserted comes out clean and cake is golden brown.
Cool the cake pan inverted on cooling rack.

Cake Assembly - Total Frosting and Center Filling Ingredients for Both Cakes:
*Hold-My-Heart might need overnight preparation, depending on your available time to prepare.

2 C Pastry Cream for each cake's center filling
2 C Persian-Love-Cake Cream Frosting for each cake's center filling
2 C Persian-Love-Cake Cream Frosting to frost the cake
2 C Total Ganache Icing prepared on the same day, cooled to room temperature.  It has super shiny shimmer look.  Divide into 1/2 C and 1-1/2 C portion.

• Ganache Icing:  Formula includes at least 10 oz of 61% European chocolate couverture (get it from Wayne Gisslen's "Professional Baking", 5th Edition, or I am sure the Joy of Baking site has the recipe. If you would like me to provide you one, please request.)
• Cool 1-1/2 C Ganache Icing - room temperature - still in "fluid" state.
• Set aside 1/2 C Ganache Icing without cover to air dry under the fan--if you are in a hurry or set it aside overnight.  The texture will be medium thick and a bit dull.

1 medium ripe, but firm Banana - cut into slices
10 Air dried Maraschino cherries with no stem set on paper towel-no liquid (air dried overnight is even better)
Home made sweetened shredded coconut flakes

Assembly:  
Cake #1 - Tropic Snow Cake
1.  Insert a plastic knife to encircle the cake's edge to loosen the cooled cake.
2.  Use a serrated knife and slice over the 'top' of the cake to make it flat (and gobble the sliced piece :-) )
3.  Place a 6-inch cake cardboard on the sliced 'top' and turn it down.  Now the top of the cake is the bottom of the cake.  Place the cake on top of the cake decorator tray.
4.  Without removing the parchment paper, cut the cake into halves -- use the serrated knife to make 1/2 in incision all around the cake at half point while turning the decorator tray that it is sitting on.  Once you made a full turn, press the knife in deeper as you turn the decorator tray till the cake is cut evenly in halves.  Or use of those handy wire cake slicer on the D clamp.
5.  Remove the parchment paper.
6.  Brush off excess crumbs.
7.  Top the bottom half of the cake with 1/2 to 1 C of pastry cream.  Smooth out with small offset spatula.
8.  Top with banana slices.
9.  Top with 1/2 C of fresh cream frosting.  Smooth out.
10.  Place the top cake piece.
11.  Top with fresh whip cream frosting.  Smooth out all around.
12.  Sprinkle top and side with sweetened shredded coconut.   
Storage/transport idea:  Use a large bowl with cover that can hold the cake. (Unless you have a cake container or cake box from "Michaels", for example.  Invert the container.  Set the cake on the "cover" of the container.  Cover with the bowl part of the bowl as lid.
If you are transporting the cake, make two or three reversed double tape on the container's lid where the cake would be placed to keep the cake from sliding around.

Cake #2 - Hold-My-Heart Cake
Follow steps 1 through 6 of the Tropic Snow Cake above.
7.  Top the bottom half of the cake with Ganache Icing without letting it ooze off the sides.  Smooth out with small offset spatula.
8.  Top with 1/2  to 1 C of pastry cream. Smooth out.
9.  Top with air dried maraschino cherries - press them down to bury in the pastry cream
10.  Place the top cake.  Making sure it is sitting evenly.
 11.  Stir the ganache icing to make it smooth and pourable.
ganache icing)
13.  Hold the ganache icing bowl directly over the cake and pour as much and enough to cover the cake artfully and allow the excess icing to pour down the sides of the cake.
14.  Smooth out the top to make sure icing is even on the top, but this must be done within few second when the icing is poured.
15.  Stop. Enjoy the beautiful shiny ganache covered cake.

Variation:  Cover the air dried maraschino cherries with Ganache Icing.
Top the bottom half of the cake with Ganache and Pastry Cream and then press in the Ganache covered cherries into the pastry cream or instead of placing Ganache covered cherries into the center, place them in circle around the top of the top layer cake, then pour the Ganache Icing over the whole entire cake.  Top with piped whip cream and maraschino cherries.
or do whatever your heart desires.

(Double click on images to view other comments.)

Bouchon Bakery Day Trip

It was one of the exciting day trip I made in a spontaneous decision.  While doing my assignment research study on Chef Thomas Keller, I learned that he has several restaurants and a bakery right here in Northern California.  Even though the chance in making a lunch reservation at The French Laundry or Bouchon or Ad Hoc did not look possible, I decided to pay visit to the Bouchon Bakery Yountville, California.  I was very excited to learn about it.  Nothing better than to visit a bakery with master Pastry Chef Janine Weismann and led by Executive Pastry Chef Sebastien Rouxel. I don't know if the pastry I will be buying will be prepared personally by Pastry Chef Janine, but I thought the trip would be a great experience.  Whoops! it was past noon by the time I got all the information and direction and map together on a drizzling Sunday.  I wanted to try their croissant and baguettes and whatever they have "left".  The drive was pleasant.  It took me by surprise when I made the last left turn to Washington Street.  I thought I was driving into some body's driveway... that's how cozy looking the area looks.  In a little bit, I noticed Ad Hoc... then, further down, Bouchon Bakery and right next to it is the Bouchon Bistro.  Wow! this is great place.  I found a parking space right in the "Marketplace".  Even though it was raining and a bit chilly, there were many tour buses and tourists everywhere.  I was third one right out the door of Bouchon Bakery, but I didn't have my camera ready, so I stepped aside for a moment.  Within 30 seconds, I was number 6 out the door way and with several more behind me.  The bakery is a nice cozy place.  Perfect size, if I were the owner and baker. I noticed the croissants are no where to be seen, including in the bakery room, expected, as it is so late in the day.  So, I saw two baguettes left and three epi baguettes, and lots of Macarons, tarts, etc.  I quickly called out what I wanted when my turn came and got the last baguette and muffin, tarts, eclairs, Wagyu brisket sandwich, etc.  $51 worth.  I was delighted with all the goodies and head back home.  I enjoyed the sight, touch, aroma, and every bites of the pastries.  Tasting and examining the textures and taste balance.  I think many home bakers and students of culinary arts would agree, the more you know the how and what are involved in preparing pastries and cakes, every bite you took into the well made purchased products from a bakery like Bouchon become critically delicious and appreciated.  These beat the ones that I bought at Panera for sure.  And - baguette - I was smiling from ear to ear.  I have been testing and trying to perfect my baguette making with the  home oven for the 10th time and with only two satisfying results, this baguette gave me a 'take-a-break' - just enjoy.  (And today, Friday morning - I did it!! my baguettes turned out Wunderbar!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I read in Yelp.com some of the feedback on Bouchon Bakery's Macarons.  When I first saw full trays of Macaroons, I thought that must be the least popular item.  But I was wrong.  I wished I have picked it, may be the next time.
I am very inspired after this trip.  I visited our college's library and started my next level of "Becoming a Chef" adventure.  Chef Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home cookbook is filled with tips and techniques and reassured my baking and cooking practices over and over are in the right course.  And I am looking forward to the next food adventure.

Chewy - Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Every family has a favorite cookies in their cookie jar.  Mine has been empty for sometime.  After my last bottle of Cinnamon was used up last year, I was in search of the real cinnamon.  Sadly, including McCormick's cinnamon I purchased a few months ago was made from Cassia or the Saigon Cinnamon.  (I asked and they responded/confirmed via e-mail.)  So, what happened to the Cinnamon trees?  Did it get cleared off the land?  Not sure why our market / grocers are selling "Cassia" with high content of Coumarin - toxic to human when consumed in great amount.  Or maybe they are not aware because most of us are not aware of it either.  I hope some of you can pass it onto your friends about it, so we can get the true cinnamon, also called Ceylon cinnamon back to local grocery stores.  Check this info at:  http://www.ceylon-cinnamon.com/Identify-Cinnamon.htm
So, I got hold of the true cinnamon from India, and decided to bake my favorite oatmeal cookies.  But I want it to be chewy.  The last few times I tried, as it seems that my cookie hands have disappeared with the cinnamon jar, I cannot find that ingredient ratio combination to make it work.  My office co-worker, he bakes a decent cookies, consistently.   But I like chewy.  Not cakey.
This time I succeeded.  With Good Cinnamon, it can't go wrong.

Chewy - Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
from Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe under the Quaker's Oat's container lid

Ingredients:
1/2 lb - 2 sticks butter softened
1 C firmly pakced brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
* 2 Tbsp Vanilla Paste instead of 1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 C all purpose flour  ** I only used 1 C of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
3 C Quaker Oats, Old Fashioned, uncooked
* 1 C raisins - I like mine chopped

1. Heat oven to 350'F
2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy *by hand  in a bowl.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; *mix well
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.
5. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.   ** I used 1 Tbsp cookie scoop and silicon baking mat and squash down with my palm.
7. Bake 10 to 12 mintes or until golden brown   ** I baked 7 to 8-1/2 min and remove from the oven as soon as the edge shows the sign of browning.
8. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Makes about 4 dozen