Strawberry & Kiwi Bavarian Cake with Razzle Dazzle Macarons … Vanilla Bavarian Mousse with Strawberries & Basil
“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.”
Benjamin Franklin
Some days I just dazzle myself with my efficiency, days that are few and far between, but it gives me confidence that I can still achieve quite a bit on better days!! It was a cake for my SILs birthday, AND macarons, all done on fast track. Inspiration came from our MacTweets theme for January and the Bavarian mousse on this Chocolate Bavarian Mousse Cake; that is how this Strawberry & Kiwi Bavarian Cake with Razzle Dazzle Macarons came about to be.On a day like this I raced and baked a sponge, made a Bavarian cream, then a mousse, layered a cake and even had it chilling in a couple of hours!! Even more dazzling … got the macs piped even as the kids grumbled getting out of bed and into the shower; ffound ‘feet’ before 8am, just after I had banished the kids to school!! Cake demoulded, ganached and snazzed up with my macs and I was a happy baker! The ganache wasn’t in my plan, limited as it seemed because of the time crunch, but the daughter begged for chocolate to be included in the master plan. I think the cake would have looked beautiful without the dark chocolate hues, but teens need to be kept happy, so…The macarons ran with the basic colours of fruit in the cake, pink for strawberries and green for kiwi. I was lucky to find feet so early in the morning. For the boost of mac-confidence I have to applaud the uber talented Stella @ BraveTart…and she is brave. She bakes mean {read GORGOEUS!!} macarons, and did away with many mac myths in a second.Reading her post made me feel ultra confident, and a day old egg white out of the fridge did yield the frills or feet! I also dumped the granulated sugar in with the whites and whipped them altogether, but this time wasn’t nervous. Bravery is a strong emotion, and I was rewarded in under 10 minutes …pretty little mini macs.The sponge is a basic one, a 3 egg recipe that lives in my head… 3 eggs + 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup flour. Minimal ingredients {with the seed of 1/2 a vanilla bean} and minimal fuss that results in a light airy sponge. This is my to-go recipe for a Swiss roll too!I did try to rustle up some shimmer and glimmer to jazz the macarons to meet the razzle dazzle theme, but the shimmer is rather muted! Well the thoughts {and my morning} dazzled in any case. The macarons were sandwiched with some dark chocolate ganache reserved from the frosting.Bavarian is fast becoming my choice of filling in cakes, one that finds its roots in a crème anglaise of sorts, as we still moan the lack of local whipping cream in India. The mousse compliments fresh fruit beautifully, and is delicately flavoured with vanilla bean. It was a little less firm in the filling as I used kiwi too {I think the high citric content in kiwi interferes with the setting of gelatin}. It did set though, but just. Next time I might stick to just strawberries to get a firmer mousse … like the one below!The weather that whole day {week actually} was cold and rainy, hence the cake pictures aren’t bright and happy. I had some mousse left over as the cake was taller than my desert ring, so I set some in glasses. I absolutely love the idea of doing individual portions like these that can be made ahead, and dressed up with seasonal fruit, as in this case strawberries perked up with some fresh basil!These were GOOD, oh so good! The Bavarian set perfectly, the little vanilla bean specks flavouring it beautifully. I topped the goblets with a strawberry puree, like the one layered in these White & Dark Chocolate Desserts with Strawberries. To add colour and flavour, I snipped in some fresh basil which I am fortunate to have these days. I left these in the fridge for a couple of hours again, and the strawberry, lime and basil flavours matured nicely!The play of textures and the visual appeal was great! Dolled up with a macaron and I have never heard the fridge door opening SO MANY times! The kids were constantly in and out of the kitchen to look at it longingly. The minute dinner was done, it was a race to the fridge again. Door opened again! “Now?”
Do you want to join us making MACARONS?
If you do, you are most welcome to join us for this challenge, or the next. You can find all the information at our dedicated macaron blog MacTweets. We generally do the round-up by the end of every month, following which a new challenge is posted!
[print_this]Recipe: Strawberry & Kiwi Bavarian Cake with Razzle Dazzle Macarons
Summary:A marriage of flavours and textures, 2 desserts, one basic mousse. Add in some fresh seasonal fruit, top with macarons and you have … Strawberry & Kiwi Bavarian Cake with Razzle Dazzle Macarons, & Vanilla Bavarian Mousse with Strawberries & Basil
Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes {plus setting/chilling time}
Ingredients:
- Vanilla Sponge
- 6 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar {I used granulated}
- 1 cup plain flour, sifted
- 1/2 vanilla bean scraped {or pure vanilla extract}
- Basic Sugar Syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- Vanilla Bavarian Mousse
- 4 egg yolks {large; 5 if small}
- 300ml whole milk
- 200ml low fat cream, room temperature
- 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
- 75gm sugar
- 1 1/4 tbsp gelatin {increase in warm weather}
- 200ml cream, chilled
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- Chocolate Ganache
- 200gm dark chocolate bits {or chopped}
- 200ml low fat cream
- 1 tbsp honey
- Fruit for filling
- 300gm strawberries, chopped {reserve 3-4 for garnishing
- 2-3 kiwi, peeled, chopped {reserve 1/2 for garnishing}
- Vanilla Macarons
- 1 egg white, aged a day
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
- 1/4 tsp egg white powder
- 2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- Strawberry Puree for the Bavarian Mousse Goblets
- 300gm strawberries, chopped fine
- 2-3 tbsp powdered sugar {increase/decrease as per tartness of strawberries}
- Juice of 1 lime
- 6-8 leaves fresh basil, chiffonaded
- 1tbsp water
Method:
- Vanilla Sponge
- Preheat oven to 190C. Line the base and sides of a 9″ round tin with baking parchment.
- Beat eggs, vanilla bean and sugar over simmering water until the eggs are thick and mousse like, about 7-10 minutes. Once they triple in volume, remove from water, and continue to beat until the mixture cools dwon {about 5 minutes}
- Fold the flour in carefully, in figure 8 moves, to ensure you don’t release the air.
- Turn into prepared tin, and bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake is light golden and springs back when touched.
- Remove from tin, take off parchment, and coole completely on rack.
- Vanilla Bavarian Mousse
- Bloom gelatin in 2-3 tbsp of water. Place in a bowl of hot water to dissolve fully.
- Whisk the yolks with the sugar in a bowl.
- Heat cream, milk and half the sugar {15gm} until simmering. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar with a balloon whisk, and add 1/3rd of the hot milk mixture over it, whisking continuously until well combined. Pour this back into the pan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the cream is thickened and coats the back of the spoon. {Don’t allow it to boil}. It is important to constantly stir to prevent the bottom from curdling or burning. If that happens, take a balloon whisk and whisk vigorously. If you fear your custard curdled too much, remove from the heat and pass it through a fine sieve before proceeding with the recipe.
- Thermomix: Place all ingredients in TM bowl, and cook at 90C, Speed 3 for 7 minutes.
- Remove from heat immediately and stir the gelatin well into this hot mixture well, then quickly strain this into a bowl. Cool over a bowl of crushed ice, stirring frequently.
- Once cool, beat the remaining 200ml chilled cream to soft peaks, and gently stir into the mousse.
- Chocolate Ganache
- Chocolate Glaze
- Place chocolate in a bowl.
- Heat the cream and honey in a pan until simmering. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup ganache in a piping bag for macarons.
- Assembling Torte
- Cut the sponge horizontally into 3 layers. Place in dessert ring on serving platter. {Dessert ring should fit nice and snugly. I use this adjustable dessert ring I bought in Sydney.} Place one layer of cake, top with the strawberries and kiwi, then half the Bavarian mousse. Repeat with the next layer. Cover and chill overnight for the Bavarian to set.
- Unmold from the dessert ring, frost with the ganache and garnish as desired. Chill until ready to serve.
- Vanilla Macarons
- Preheat oven to 140C.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Blend the powdered sugar, almond meal, vanilla powder and egg white powder briefly in the bowl of your food processor to mix. {you can sift it too}
- In a large clean bowl, beat the egg white and the granulated vanilla sugar till it becomes firm and holds peaks, about 2 minutes.
- Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the beaten egg white with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and falls in ribbons like molten lave, stop folding. {Do not overmix}
- Using a teaspoon, or piping bag, drop / pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1″ circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
- Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then rest for about about 15 minutes {to an hour}.
- Bake them for about 15 minutes until the shells feel firm to touch.
- Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.
- To assemble macarons
- Match equal halves of macarons, and keep together.
- Pipe a tiny bit of the reserved ganache from above on the flat side of the macaron and sandwich with another half of the same size, squeezing gently. Leave to set.
- Strawberry Puree for the Bavarian Mousse Goblets
- Lightly crush the chopped strawberries with the powdered sugar with a fork until the strawberries release their juices. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and reserve in a bowl in the fridge. Distribute over the glasses once Bavarian is set, and chill until served.
Notes: I bake my macarons on the upper shelf in my oven, using just the lower element for heat. I also use double baking trays.
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42 Comments
a spoonful of yumm
i like how you used the macarons to decorate the cake & the mousse set in a slant 😀 stunning dessert !!
Vimitha
I would simply die for this… Perfect cake and the macaroons, one word, wow…
Tadka Pasta
Stunning! The cake looks so bright and festive with the macarons! Your efficiency and creativity absolutely dazzles us.
Rosa
What a beautiful cake! So prettily decorated. The mousse must be divine.
Cheers,
Rosa
baker in disguise
You did all of it?!?!? Am in awe.. mouth open awe!!
Srimathi
Such a beautiful post. I understand that it would have taken you a while to complete this one. I am looking at it for the 5th time. Wonderful!
Jenni
Wow! Just wow! Not only do the cake and the macarons look amazing, but I can’t believe how you accomplished this time-wise! Amazing job!
Priya
Mindblowing,gorgeous & Incredible cake, simply makes me drool..
simply.food
wow amazing results but well deserved you put so much hard work into it.
Anamika
All of it in a single day..quite a mammoth task indeed!! Lovely flavour combination indeed!
Gera@Sweets Foods Blog
I said it before and I repeat it, you make gorgeous culinary arts 🙂
Those macarons and two desserts are like heaven for me!
Cheers,
Gera
Deeba @ PAB
Big hugs Gera … I’ll make you macs if you teach me code!!
Gera@Sweets Foods Blog
Big hugs too Deeba! We’ve a deal 🙂 But really my coding-skills are minimal, because I try to use stuff that require the less code as possible.
Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite
Stella’s recipe is awesome, isn’t it? It’s what I use in all the macaron classes I teach (three a month!!!) here in Toronto because it’s the most reliable. These are beautiful razzly-dazzly macs Deeba – well done!
Deeba @ PAB
Good for you Mardi. You are a mac-empress now, each mac more perfect than the other! Stella is really great! I love the stuff on her blog; so inspiring!
Rose
I hope that it tastes as good as it looks. It seems that you really put a lot of effort on this recipe; I guess I have to set aside a lot of time this weekend for me to try it myself. Thanks for the share!
belllii
Absolutely gorgeous Deeba. Your family must have loved beyond words.
ritu
Lived up to the theme..Razzle Dazzle!!
chinmayie @ love food eat
Picture perfect!! Only you can bake a cake like this and take photos like these Deeba!!
Deeba @ PAB
You make me *blush* my dear…thank you!!
Jamie
Deeba, I almost missed your DAZZLING macs because you forgot to add them to the comment section of Mactweets! Naughty! Maybe you are trying to hide these perfect beauties from me? Stunning! And the cake sounds and looks absolutely amazing and the deco with the macs is fabulous! Wow! Your desserts, the flavors, textures and sheer beauty of your desserts never cease to blow me away! Can I move in with you, sistah? HUGS xoxo Now please send cake and macs…
Deeba @ PAB
Call me naughty sistah…but am racing all the time. Have guests at home, daughters exams…and it is freeeeezing cold. I’m amazed I made macs at all! You are the best… can I beam you in? Big hugs!
Abhilasha Venkatesh
Absolute beauty !!
Maureen
I gained a pound as I read down this page. OMG how wonderful this cake looks. Macaron decorations? amazing!
Meeta
Deeba you always take my breath away with your lovely creations! Lovely desserts and love the way you present them. Miss you!
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes
Two spectacular desserts. They both look irresistible. So fun to find feet early in the morning.
Jeanne @ CookSister!
Oh how gorgeous Deeba! Makes me long for summer…. Love how you have used a dark background for these shots – really makes the colours pop!
Simone - Jour de Macaron
What a gorgeous cake! So delicate whit that beautiful macarons on top!
And photos?
Congrats Deeba!
Hugs
Simone.
Magpie's Recipes
those tiny macs are just ADORABLE!
Donna
These desserts look beautiful. I especially love the burger shaped icing. The photos are already very appetizing much more if I finish making them.
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen
What a spectacular cake! I truly admire the patience and skill it takes to make such an impressive creation.
Natasha
Oh gosh Deeba, only you could’ve done this! Gorgeous beyond words….yummmmmmmmmm!! Today was sort of a day off for me from the kitchen but all thanks to you, all I want to do is bake that cake and some macs!
Love it!
Xo
Kimberly
I would really be delighted if I can see these desserts being served on our family table. I love strawberries. I could take my time savoring their taste. Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely enjoy these.
Mansi
Wow Deeba, the macaroons look so pretty on the cake! its like 2 desserts in one shot!:) love the recipe!
btw, did you get my email about the featured article on my blog? I hope I emailed you at the correct ID!
gloria
Look amazing and perfect dear Deeba and the macarons are soooo cute!!!xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
gloria
love your pictures Deeba
Lora
what a fantarsic creative cake. I love the macaccents!
Fhellie Den
The cake is awesome!! I hope i can bake a cake too…
Indu
That is a beautiful creation. And the strawberries in the white bowl, they look stunning!
Pettina26
Wow! the decoration is so much great but that kind is so much delicious.
madhuri
Did you know that you can make strawberry cake also with coconut milk , much healthier and much tastier.
Madhuri
Deeba @ PAB
No. I didn’t know that but would love a recipe! Thank you!!