MASTERCLASS VIDEO
00:52 | Old-Fasioned Vanilla Cake
Recipe by Nadine Ingram
Ingredients
Sponge
375g butter
375g sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste or one vanilla pod of seeds
325g whole egg or 6 whole eggs
325g SR flour
50g cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100ml milk
Pastry Cream
250ml milk
50g caster sugar
3 egg yolks
20g plain flour
Berry Compote
500g mixed berries
50g sugar
1 orange (juice)
Mascarpone Custard Filling
200g mascarpone
400ml pure cream
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 x recipe of pastry cream (above)
Method
Note: Make the pastry cream the day before.
1. Place the milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile beat the egg yolks with the caster sugar just to combine then add the flour and beat till well combined.
2. When the milk comes to the boil, turn the heat down to low and spoon a little of the milk into the yolk mixture just to heat them a little, give the yolks a quick whisk. Now pour all the yolks back into the boiled milk and continue to stir for 2 minutes until the cream has thickened.
3. Use a whisk initially for this step if you feel it looks a bit lumpy. After the two minutes spread out onto a flat tray cover with cling wrap and refrigerate.
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4. For the compote place the berries, sugar and juice into a saucepan and bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes just to thicken the syrup a little. The idea with the compote is that it doesn’t become like jam. You want to maintain as many of the whole berries as possible so that when you cut the cake you will see whole berries studded through the layers. Cool the compote.
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5. With the paddle attachment of your cake mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together. The butter has to be really soft. Beat on medium speed till white and fluffy.
6. Add the beaten egg gradually into the machine while it is whipping.
7. Sieve all the dry ingredients together twice.
8. Turn the machine down to speed one. Add the flour to the bowl alternately with the milk. Imagine dividing the flour into 3 and the milk into 3. So add 1/3 of the flour first, then 1/3 milk, then 1/3 flour and so on. Try and be as quick and even with this step as possible. You don’t want to overwork the flour. Don’t worry if it seems like the flour is all over the sides of the bowl and paddle.
9. Once you have added the last 1/3 of milk and while the flour is not all incorporated turn the machine off. Scrape down the sides and paddle. Then turn the machine up to speed 3 for 2 seconds to give it a final blast.
10. Detach the bowl and do two or 3 final turns down to the bottom of the bowl just to grab any butter that hasn’t been incorporated.
11. Divide the mixture into three cake tins.
12. Bake on 160 for 15 mins then turn the oven down to 145 for about 20 mins. The cake is ready when the middle bounces back.
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13. While the cake is cooking you can make your mascarpone filling for the layers.
14. Whisk the mascarpone, vanilla and the cream together until it is stiffly whipped.
15. Add the pastry cream and give another really quick whisk. You wouldn’t want to break the firmness of the cream down at this stage so don’t beat it for very long after adding the pastry cream.
16. Cool the cakes and cover two of them with the mascarpone custard filling either with a piping bag or spread it on in a rustic fashion with a dessert spoon.
17. Spread the filling with compote and then layer the two cakes on top of one another. Finally place the top cake on top and dust cake with icing sugar.
The Digital Chef Masterclass Series is presented in partnership with Smeg Australia.