One of my most vivid memories of my childhood is the
strawberry shortcakes my Grandma Lilly used to make my brother and me during
the summer. From June through August, Wednesdays meant playing in grandma’s and
grandpa’s pool (diving board included J), helping grandpa in his garden and ending the day
with a deliciously sweet strawberry shortcake with extra cool whip. It was too hot to even think about
turning on an oven, so the shortcakes was from the store, but the garden fresh
strawberries truly made it so you’d never know. We had it good!
With summer just around the corner I was inspired to
recreate this most loved dessert with a bit more panache. One of my prized
accomplishments in the kitchen is making a Genoise cake. Though the recipe
itself isn’t too complicated, I’ve always viewed Genoise as a challenge given
the care that is needed while heating the egg mixture and incorporating the
flour. It’s a delicate process that yields a delicately delicious cake and
endless possibilities. The
strawberry rhubarb compote takes the traditional version up a notch by adding
sweet depth to the dessert. While I wouldn’t dub this the most healthy of desserts
it is on the lighter side and uses little butter compared to other cakes. The
strawberries boast a big dose of vitamin C, while rhubarb is rich in vitamin K.
These power house vitamins help with tissue repair and bone health! Not too bad
for dessert, right?
Genoise (from Tartine, 2006)
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 ⅓ cups
all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp cornstarch
6 large eggs
Pinch salt
1 cup +1 Tbsp sugar
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line the bottom of a 10”
springform pan with parchment that precisely covers just the bottom and not the
sides of the pan. You can also use a 10” cake pan.
Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Once
finished, remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch and
set aside.
Create a double boiler with a small saucepan filled with a
small amount of water and bring it to a simmer. In the meantime, combine the
eggs, salt and sugar in the metal bowl of a stand mixer. Place the mixer bowl
on top of the saucepan with the simmering water, making sure the bowl does not
touch the water. Whisk the egg mixture constantly until it is warm (120˚F) –
about 5 to 7 minutes. I used a candy thermometer to ensure the egg mixture did
not get too hot.
Next, place the bowl on the mixer stand and fit the mixer
with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until the batter is pale
yellow and has tripled in volume. The batter should fold back onto itself and
dissolve slowly into the batter when the whisk attachment is lifted out – about
3 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula (one that is slightly curved works best),
fold the flour mixture into the egg batter. Be sure to scrape the spatula on
the bottom of the bowl as the flour will sink to the bottom.
Once the flour is completely incorporated, scoop out a few
tablespoons into a small bowl and whisk in the warm butter, then fold the
mixture into the batter. Take care not to deflate the batter.
Pour the batter into the springform (or cake) pan and bake
for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake should spring back when lightly touched. Cool
the cake in the pan on a wire rack.
Genoise cakes are extremely versatile and can be used as a
base for nearly any recipe. Try topping with an orange marmalade and serving as
a sweet brunch treat, or topping with fresh raspberries and drizzling with
melted chocolate. The possibilities are endless!
Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
4 stalks rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 large oranges
¼ cup water
⅓ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup sliced strawberries
Similar to the Genoise cake, you can use this compote recipe
in many ways. It’s delicious spread on scones or stirred into greek yogurt in
the morning.
Clean rhubarb stalks thoroughly and pat dry before slicing.
Zest and juice the two oranges and set the zest aside. In a
medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb, orange juice, water and sugar and bring
to a gentle boil. Simmer on
medium-low heat until rhubarb can be pierced with a fork – about 10 minutes.
Add the vanilla, cinnamon and strawberries and continue to cook for another 5
minutes.
Then, put it all together...
After the cake has cooled gently slice the cake in half horizontally.
Set the top layer aside and spoon half of the compote onto the bottom layer.
Cover with the top layer and spoon the remaining compote on top. If desired add
a few dollops of fresh whipped cream, mascarpone cheese, or even break out the
cool whip for nostalgia’s sake!
