Daring Bakers: Peach Blueberry Bavarian

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

Sometimes I feel like an idiot when it comes to these Daring Bakers challenges.  I'm still learning what a lot of these fancy desserts are, and I had definitely not heard of a Frasier.  "That's strawberry, right?" I though struggling to recall any of the highschool French I had taken.  It took me a while to figure out this was a Bavarian, which I was super excited to make since I had been eying it in my Tartine book for a while but didn't have the guts to make it.

So I didn't change too much from the recipe, just the fruits used.  Not sure what happened with my chiffon, but it was HUGE.  The cake was delightful, totally reminded me of something my Mom would make, not too sweet but totally satisfying.  The pastry cream is glorious, and my favorite recipe for it that I've tried so far.  I'm a little dissapointed with how the design turned out, I didn't take enough care to make sure the fruits were securely on the sides, but you live you learn right?  Loved this and I'll make it again in the winter with tropical fruits.

Summer Fruits Bavarian
from Tartine

10-inch chiffon cake (recipe below)
Fresh fruit (one type or a mixture): berries or cherries, 2 pints; stone fruit such as peaches, about 1 1/2 pounds

Fruit puree:
Very full 1/2 pint berries
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin (1/2 envelope)
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups pastry cream (1 batch; recipe below), cold
2 cups heavy cream, very cold

Topping:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, very cold
4 teaspoons sugar

Pasty Cream:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs (or 4 yolks, for a richer cream)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

Chiffon Cake:
315 g (2 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
300g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
 3/4 teaspoon salt
125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  175 ml (3/4 cup) water
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  10 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions for Pasty Cream:
 Heat the milk, vanilla seeds and salt in a pan and put over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and eggs until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg and whisk constantly to temper them. Add the remaining milk and return the whole thing to the saucepan.
Cook until you get a thick consistency, whisking non-stop.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth .
Cover the surface with plastic wrap, directly touching the cream, let cool completely in the refrigerator.
 
Directions for Chiffon Cake:
Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan (at least 3 inches high) with parchment paper cut to fit exactly; don't grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Sift flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.  Add 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the salt and whisk to combine.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, lemon zest, until combined. Make a well in the flour, add the yolk mixture,  whisking until very smooth.

In another large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, then add the lemon juice and beat on medium-high speed until it holds soft peaks. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar slowly while beating on medium-high speed until the whites hold firm, shiny peaks. Add a third of the egg whites and fold into the yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the rest of the whites until just combined.

Pour the batter into the pan smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 55  minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once completely cool, run a thin knife around the sides and release and lift off the pan sides.  Invert the cake, peel off the parchment.  Cut the cake in half to use as the two cake layers.

Directions for Fruit Puree:
Combine the berries, sugar and salt in a blander and process on high speed until smooth. Set aside until needed for assembly.

Directions for Filling:
In a small dish add the water and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes to soften. In a medium saucepan add enough water so the depth is about 2 inches. Put the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Put 1/2 cup of the pastry cream in a stainless-steel bowl that will rest securely on the rim of the saucepan, not touching the water. Heat the pastry cream, whisking constantly, until it is hot to the touch, about 5 minutes. Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk half of the remaining cold pastry cream into the hot mixture, then whisk in the remaining cream.

In a mixing bowl, using the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately and gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula. Set aside until needed for assembly.

Directions for Topping:
Using a mixer or a whisk, whip the heavy cream in a bowl until thickened. Add the sugar and whip until the cream holds soft peaks.

Only make topping when ready to frost the complete cake.

To assemble:
Line the sides of a springform pan with plastic wrap, allowing enough overhang to cover the top of cake completely when it is assembled. Leave the bottom of the pan unlined.

Fit 1 cake layer into the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a brush moisten the layer evenly with half of the fruit puree. Next spoon enough filling onto the cake to create a 1/4-inch thick layer. Stand the strawberries upright, pointed end up, pushing them into the cream. Add in the remaining filling over the fruit, lightly pressing down with the back of a large spoon to fill in any air pockets.

Put the second cake layer on top and moisten it with the rest of the fruit puree. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the top of the cake and then gently press down on the plastic to distribute the cream evenly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

When you are ready to finish the cake, release and lift off the pan sides and peel away the plastic wrap. Using a spatula frost the top of the cake with the topping. The cake can be served immediately or kept cold in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cake will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Linked to:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday