Hello everyone!
This past weekend I was lucky enough to be a part of the Cake Bake and Sweets Show in Melbourne.
It was such a crazy, busy and fun event and it was amazing to be a part of it!
They had Buddy the Cake Boss down as a special guests and some of Australia’s best pastry chefs were doing some great demonstrations and sharing some lovely recipes.
Lots of Melbourne’s bakeries, bakers, pastry chefs and small businesses had stands at the event selling yummy cakes, pastries and other desserts. It was pretty much a sweet-lovers dream!
Apart from the Saturday morning, when the place was so full of people that they couldn’t let anyone in. That’s pretty crazy. And it shows how much of a sweet tooth we all really have!
I was lucky enough to be running three different demos throughout the weekend. I ran a daily class about the secrets to perfecting pies, using this apple pie recipe as an example. Pastry was made, lattices were woven and lots of questions were asked, so that class was a pleasure.
I also worked with Sugar Australia to present a daily Science of Sugar in Baking class, which talked people through the huge variety of sugars on the market, how they are made, what they are best used for and the role they each play in your baking. It was great learning, even for me!
My absolute favourite demonstration was of this yummy strawberry, pistachio and white chocolate gateau. It was up on stage, with all the prep done for me, and I just had a lot of fun making the layers while chatting to the lovely MC and the audience.
I was shaky and nervous going into the show but it was such a brilliant experience.
Thank you to all those who came to a class and said hello! For those of you who requested this recipe, this is for you. X
- STRAWBERRY JELLY:
- 600g strawberries, washed and hulled
- 120g caster sugar
- 5.5 gelatin leaves, gold strength (11g)
- PISTACHIO CRUNCH:
- 60g white chocolate
- 50g praline paste
- 50g pistachios, very finely chopped
- 30g feuilletine
- Pinch sea salt
- PISTACHIO JOCONDE:
- 250g icing sugar
- 125g almond meal
- 125g pistachio meal
- 70g plain flour
- 250g whole egg
- 110g unsalted butter, melted
- 210g egg white
- 40g caster sugar
- Pinch salt
- WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
- 150g cream
- 250g white chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 gelatin leaves, gold strength (6g)
- 500g semi-whipped cream
- Pinch sea salt
- TO GARNISH:
- 2 – 3 punnets strawberries, washed
- 100g pistachios, roughly chopped
- Neutral glaze, OR jam with a little water, warmed in a small pot
- STRAWBERRY JELLY:
- Grease and line a 9 x 13 inch cake tin with glad wrap.
- Using a stick blender, puree the strawberries and sugar until smooth.
- Pass through a sieve into a small saucepan.
- Place over a high heat and bring to the boil.
- Meanwhile, put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water to bloom (soften).
- Remove the strawberries from the heat and add the bloomed gelatin, stirring until incorporated.
- Pour into the prepared pan and freeze until set.
- PISTACHIO CRUNCH:
- Grease and line the base of another 9 x 13 inch cake tin with baking paper.
- Melt the chocolate and praline paste together over a bain marie.
- Stir in the pistachios, feuilletine and sea salt.
- Put in the base of the cake tin and use a small offset spatula to spread out in a very thin, even layer that covers the base.
- Freeze until required.
- PISTACHIO JOCONDE:
- Preheat the oven to 220 C.
- Grease and line the two large flat baking trays with baking paper.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the icing sugar, almond meal, pistachio meal, plain flour and eggs until light and fluffy.
- Fold through the melted butter gently.
- Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites, caster sugar and salt until soft peaks form.
- Fold the meringue through the cake batter gently.
- Divide between the two trays (approx. 500g per tray) and spread into an even layer using a large offset spatula.
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, until light brown in colour.
- Slide off the trays to stop the joconde from cooking.
- Remove the pistachio crunch from the freezer and invert onto the centre of one of the pistachio joconde's.
- Allow the joconde layers to cool (they can be placed in the freezer, particularly to re-set the pistachio crunch).
- WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:
- Place the chocolate in a large bowl.
- Pour 150ml cream in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Pour over the chocolate and allow to stand for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bloom the gelatin.
- Stir the chocolate and the cream slowly with a whisk to emulsify. Add salt to taste.
- Add the bloomed gelatin, and stir to dissolve.
- Allow to come to room temperature.
- Fold in the semi-whipped cream.
- TO ASSEMBLE THE GATEAU:
- Grease and line a 9 x 13 inch cake tin with baking paper.
- Cut the sheets of joconde to fit the cake tin.
- Place the joconde layer with pistachio crunch in the base of the prepared tin, crunch side up.
- Top with 300g white chocolate mousse and use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer.
- Remove the strawberry jelly from the freezer and place over the mousse.
- Top with 300g white chocolate mousse and use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer.
- Place the remaining joconde layer over the mousse.
- Top with remaining white chocolate mousse and spread in a thin, even layer.
- Return to the freezer to set before cutting.
- TO GARNISH:
- Halve the strawberries, (hull most, leave stems on some) and dip in warm neutral glaze (or jam) as you arrange them on the cake. Finish with chopped pistachios.
- Keep refrigerated. Makes 15 - 20 serves.
- Happy baking!
P.S. A huge thank you to Grace of Agent 86 Photography for the photos of me with this cake!
Recipe adapted lightly from various sources.