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Fraisier Torte | Pass the Cocoa

Fraisier Torte

Caroline Zhang June 8, 2015
Fraisier Torte | Pass the Cocoa

If nothing else (or, if nothing else besides the freshman fifteen), baking has taught me a lot about failure. For every complicated I managed to nail on the first try are at least three flops. And with baking, all of your failures are very physically present, sitting on the counter in front of you, challenging you to take another bite (maybe it'll taste better on the second tasting?), or to toss the whole thing (which always requires explanations to those you live with). 

While my mother is a very accomplished cook, her cooking is sometimes something of a theatrical production, with tantrums in the kitchen and half-cooked food thrown out. I think it was food blogging that taught me to take failure less seriously, to shrug it off and laugh over it with my friends (or, you know, with the Internet). Flops in the kitchen are an inevitable, if unenjoyable, part of baking.

For this cake, it was the simple sponge cake base I just couldn't get right. I skimmed over the long, complicated Fraisier Torte recipe in the Pierre Herme cookbook. Mentally, I dismissed the cake portion as a no-brainer (of course I could whip some eggs and fold in flour! I've done it a hundred times), yet somehow ended up with a hard, dense doorstep of a cake.

Fraisier Torte | Pass the Cocoa
Fraisier Torte | Pass the Cocoa

Genoise sponge cake is made with a handful of pantry staples, yet it took me three tries to really get the technique down. Much more than a successful baking session, kitchen flops fill you with respect for the magic of baking, of carefully transforming simple ingredients into a fancy finished product when it's so easy to have everything go wrong. 

The finished product was definitely worth all the effort and dirty dishes. The sponge cake sandwiches a thick layer of strawberries and mousseline cream, a pastry cream enriched with buttercream. Pierre Herme's version enriches the pastry cream with a French buttercream but also lightens it with a meringue. I've simplified his recipe significantly (who wants to make meringue twice with two separate methods in one recipe?). It's still on the longer side, but is definitely manageable and also so delicious.

Strawberries | Pass the Cocoa
Fraisier Torte | Pass the Cocoa

I love that this cake showcases the fresh strawberries, which are just coming into season (and are some of my favorite fruits to photograph!) The tricky sponge cake and filling enhance the fragrance of the strawberries, which really is the central flavor.

So if you've got a few free hours, give this cake a try. And if it doesn't quite work out, give it another! It'll work out in the end, I promise.

Caroline

Frasier Torte | Pass the Cocoa

Fraisier Torte

Click here for the printable recipe.
Yields: one 9-inch cake
Heavily adapted from the Pierre Herme Pastries cookbook
Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan

Ingredients
For the Genoise Sponge Cake
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
4 eggs
½ cup sugar

For the Pastry Cream
1 cup whole milk
⅓ cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream
2 egg whites
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cubed, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For Assembly
1 pound fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons kirsch (optional, rum can be substituted)
powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Directions
Make the sponge cake. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. Do not grease the pan; you want the cake to cling to the sides to allow for better rising.

Sift together the flour and salt over a piece of wax paper. Do not skip the sifting--it’s important to ensuring your cake does not have any lumps.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the butter and vanilla extract. Let the butter cool to room temperature. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and zest. 

Combine the eggs and sugar in a large heatproof mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Gently heat the eggs and sugar, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes foamy and is very warm, slightly above body temperature.

Whisk the eggs with a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has tripled in volume and is very pale. (If you’re using a stand mixer, it may take slightly less time). When you lift up the whisk, you should be able to draw a clear figure 8 with the mixture.

Remove about ½ cup of the egg mixture and fold it into the butter. With the mixer on medium speed, whisk in the lemon juice and zest, and then gradually whisk in the flour, followed by the egg/butter mixture. Work quickly here, before the eggs deflate too much.

Pour the cake batter into the cake pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back when touched. Cool the cake upside down on a cooling rack for several hours.

Prepare the mousseline cream filling. First, make the pastry cream. Pour the milk in a saucepan and heat until it begins to simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a heatproof mixing bowl.

Temper the eggs: gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking the eggs constantly.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and cook until it begins to boil. Take off the stove and stir in the butter, followed by the vanilla extract. Pour into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressed directly onto the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours.
About 30 minutes before making the swiss meringue buttercream, take the pastry cream out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature.

Make the swiss meringue buttercream. Mix together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a clean, heatproof mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (again, don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water)  and gently heat the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until it reaches 160 F. 

Take the bowl off the heat, and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, medium-high for 2 minutes, and high for 5-7 minutes, until the eggs form a stiff, glossy meringue. Turn the mixer to medium speed, and gradually add in the butter a few cubes at a time. Beat the frosting at high speed for another 2 -3 minutes. The mixture may look curdled at first after you add the butter, but it will smooth out. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Make the mousseline cream: With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the pastry cream you made earlier to the swiss meringue buttercream.

Assemble the cake. Cut the sponge cake in half, into two even layers. Peel off the parchment paper circle. Brush the tops of both layers with the kirsch. (If you do not drink, you can omit the kirsch.)

Set aside about 10 small strawberries (about 1 inch in length) for the sides of the cake. Cut these strawberries in half. Roughly dice the remaining strawberries.

Place one of the sponge cake layers in the bottom of the springform pan. Line the strawberry halves along the side of the pan, cut side facing outward. Spread about half of the mousseline cream over the cake, being careful not to dislodge the strawberries. Scatter the diced strawberries over the cream, and spread the remaining cream over them. Top with the other cake layer.

Refrigerate the cake overnight. Remove the cake from the springform pan, and dust with powdered sugar.


In cake Tags cake, strawberry, berry, fruit, fancy, summer, cream
Feel Good Cake from the Holistic | Pass the Cocoa

Feel Good Cake + Vegan Chocolate Pudding from The Holistic

Caroline Zhang April 3, 2015
Vegan Chocolate Pudding | Pass the Cocoa
Vegan Chocolate Pudding | Pass the Cocoa

Vegan? Nutritious? Caroline, where's the butter and sugar I came here for? I guess that stuff is alright, but really? How about I just slip out and come by next week...

Noooo, don't leeeeave meeee! (Insert image of me clutching your shirttail while digging in my heels and making skidding noises across the floor like in the cartoons).

Okay, you still there? Promise? Because you see, this cake is actually pretty terrific. I recently started working with the amazing Alice and Nina, two undergrads here at Harvard who founded The Holistic, a healthy foods start-up. One of their main products is this lovely Feel Good Cake, which they were kind enough to let me sample and photograph.

I first met Nina sometime freshman year, very briefly in the communal kitchen of the Matthews dorm. While I was gleefully working a hunk of butter into some scone dough (these scones, I think), she was making raw vegan brownies that she sold to people on campus.

The Holistic | Pass the Cocoa
Feel Good Cake from The Holistic | Pass the Cocoa
Vegan Chocolate Pudding | Pass the Cocoa
Fee Good Cake from The Holistic | Pass the Cocoa

In the past two years, Nina and Alice have expanded The Holistic (while travelling the globe with a toaster oven, baking cakes, how cool is that??), doing catering events and retail, and perfecting this Feel Good Cake. It's an all-natural, gluten-free, vegan chocolate cake, made from things like chickpeas, avocado, and almond flour (and has no refined sugar!). While I won't lie and say it tastes exactly like butter and sugar-based chocolate cake, it is delicious, rich, and moist, indulgent without being too heavy. 

I don't approve of the gluten-free or paleo fad (or rather, going gluten-free when you don't actually have a wheat allergy), but I do believe in eating healthy (really guys, I do!), being aware of what we eat, and knowing where it came from. Nina and Alice have created a cake that really is good for you, and isn't just masquerading as healthy under the guise of being "gluten-free." That doesn't mean you should go and eat a whole cake and call it dinner (I believe moderation is just as important as healthy eating), but it is made with ingredients that are naturally healthy and nutritious.

Nina and Alice are looking to expand The Holistic outside the Boston area, and launched a Kickstarter campaign to get the funding. (So hop on over to their page if you think this cake looks amazing and you want to get your hands on some.)

Vegan Chocolate Pudding | Pass the Cocoa
Vegan Chocolate Pudding | Pass the Cocoa

They were also kind enough to allow me to share their vegan chocolate pudding recipe with you today. If anything, it's better than traditional chocolate pudding, richer and more chocolate-y. This pudding gets its creaminess from avocados, and is ridiculously easy to make (easier than its egg and cornstarch-based counterpart!) It's a perfect afternoon snack to have on hand and might just keep you from reaching for the junk food. 

So give this pudding a try, and check out The Holistic's Feel Good Cake. It's not the end-all be-all to healthy eating (I have some issues with the "super food" idea too), but it's a good start. And, you know, delicious.

-Caroline

Feel Good Cake from The Holistic | Pass the Cocoa

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

From The Holistic
Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients
1 medium ripe avocado
1/3 cup maple syrup, agave nectar, or honey (or to taste)
5 tablespoons cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
1/4 cup water* (see notes)

Directions
Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Place in a blender with the maple syrup (or your sweetener of choice). Blend well until smooth.

Add the cocoa powder and water, and blend again until smooth. 

Pour into serving cups and serve at room temperature, or chilled. Decorate with fruit, if desired.


Caroline's notes:
*You could probably sub in almond or rice milk here, or coconut milk for some extra richness.


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In cake, custards and puddings Tags cake, chocolate, pudding, vegan, healthy, avocado, gluten-free
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust | Pass the Cocoa

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust

Caroline Zhang March 25, 2015
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust | Pass the Cocoa

It was cold, gray, and flurrying in Boston when I went downtown last Friday. The snow started falling thick and fast by late afternoon, still beautiful, even though we've already seen so much of it this year. 

The holiday lights are still up in the Boston Commons, wound around all the trees, the only foliage they have right now. It could have been Christmas, as I walked through the public gardens in the snow with a cup of hot chocolate from Burdicks, coming across these fabulous Elsa and Olaf snowmen in the park. Definitely Christmas rather than the first day of spring. 

I've been dreaming of fruit desserts for the past few weeks, ready for the color and bright flavors of spring baking. As much as I love chocolate and caramel and spice, I'm ready to come out of hibernation.  

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust | Pass the Cocoa
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust | Pass the Cocoa

So this cheesecake is a piece of wishful thinking, made the first weekend of spring as the wind blew and the skies dumped more snow on us. Raspberries are nowhere near in season, and the lemons must have traveled far and long to make it to Boston. But I found a mini citrus zester at a little local kitchen wares store when I was shopping on Newbury Street (who wants to buy clothes when you can buy mini microplane zesters?). So of course, I couldn't resist making some sort of bright lemon dessert. 

This cheesecake is certainly that, creamy and citrusy, its rich velvety smoothness dotted with spots of juicy raspberries. Instead of a traditional graham cracker crust, I made a coconut macaroon crust; its creamy, nutty flavor works perfectly with the fruit. (Plus let's be real, I was too lazy to crush up some graham crackers). 

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust | Pass the Cocoa
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust | Pass the Cocoa
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust | Pass the Cocoa

Anyways, I hope your first day of spring was somewhat more seasonal than mine. Either way, you should make yourself a raspberry lemon cheesecake; we all need a little bit more sunshine in our lives.

Plus for those of us in Boston, bikini season is a longgggg way away. So let's dig in.

Caroline


Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake with a Coconut Macaroon Crust

Click here for the printer-friendly recipe
Yields one 9-inch cake

Ingredients
4 eggs, at room temperature, divided
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
¼ teaspoon salt, divided
24 ounces cream cheese (three 8-ounce packs), at room temperature
1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
zest of two medium lemons
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
1 cup fresh raspberries, plus extra to garnish 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with foil. Grease the foil with butter or vegetable oil.

Make the crust. Place two egg whites in a mixing bowl. Reserve the egg yolks for later. Add the coconut and ⅛ teaspoon salt, and mix well.

Press the coconut mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

Make the filling. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in ⅛ teaspoon salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

Mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined. Do the same for the two egg yolks left over from making the crust. Don’t overmix at the point, or else your cheesecake might crack in the oven.

Fold in the sour cream, followed by the raspberries. Pour the batter into the springform pan, on top of the crust. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the center is just set, but still slightly jiggly. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another 15 minutes before taking it out. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

Slice and serve with additional raspberries.


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In cheesecake, cake Tags cheesecake, lemon, spring, raspberry, cake, coconut
Matcha Cupcakes | Pass the Cocoa

Matcha Cupcakes + Pass the Cocoa Turns Three

Caroline Zhang March 2, 2015
Matcha Cupcakes | Pass the Cocoa

One of my roommate's friends from church used to come over to our dorm last year, often with her 18-month strapped in a carrier behind her. He was at those couple months of early toddlerhood when he had become mobile, but had not yet developed the common sense to match it. 

As he came barreling through our rooms in a half-jog, half-waddle, trying to stick his fingers in light sockets, knocking the mirrors askew, and being totally oblivious to the fact that hot ovens are dangerous (and enjoying these Nutella cupcakes!), I remember wondering at the fact that we all managed to make it out of that age in one piece.

I feel a similar kind of amazement as we celebrate our third blog birthday here. I don't know how we've made it this far as we blundered through the Internet and the kitchen alike, but am pretty impressed that we have. 

Maybe it'll eventually become routine, and each birthday becomes less of a surprise as we grow out of toddlerhood, so to speak. But for now, it's still worth celebrating the year with some cupcakes.

Matcha Cupcakes | Pass the Cocoa
Matcha Cupcakes | Pass the Cocoa
Matcha Cupcakes | Pass the Cocoa

These cupcakes are beautiful and delicious, their bright spring color (spring is used ironically here) completely natural, thanks to a hearty dose of green tea matcha powder. The tea has a wonderfully earthy flavor that tempers the sweetness of the buttercream a little bit. I'm still not a huge fan of traditional American buttercream, but have found that using salted butter improves the flavor a little bit. 

They looked so festive and cheerful with their little green tops, sitting on my windowsill against the cold gray sky last Sunday morning, waiting for me to photograph them. A perfect celebration of three years of dessert without any electrocuted fingers.

Love,
Caroline

Matcha Cupcakes | Pass the Cocoa

Matcha Cupcakes

Click here for the printer-friendly recipe.
Yields: 24 cupcakes
Adapted from Magnolia Bakery and My Name is Yeh

Ingredients
For the Cake
2 ½ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
¾ cup whole milk

For the Matcha Buttercream
1 cup salted butter, cubed, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons matcha powder (culinary quality is fine)
2 tablespoon mil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. Whisk together the cake flour, salt, baking soda,and baking powder. Set aside.

Whisk together the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Whisk in the buttermilk.

Gradually add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. Whisk in the milk. 

Evenly divide the batter among 24 muffin tin wells lined with cupcake liners. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before you begin to frost the them.

Make the buttercream. Whip the butter until light and fluffy, then gradually whisk in the sugar, about ½ cup at a time. Whisk in the matcha powder, then about 1 tablespoon of milk. If it is a little too stiff, whip in the remaining tablespoon of milk. 

Frost the cupcakes with a piping bag or spatula and spoon. To create the peaked top on the frosting, spoon/pipe a rounded mound of frosting in the center of the cupcake, then pat it with the back of a spoon to created a circle of frosting, then lift the spoon to create a peak.


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a. raspberry meringue cheesecake 5.jpg
a.raspberry lemonade cupcakes 7.jpg
In cake, cupcake Tags cupcake, cake, matcha, green tea, vanilla, buttercream
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