San Rafael Warning or Danger Tips by jessicadf

Yikes, sometimes I scare myself. There's far too much to go in to for directions to make the cake, so I'll just give you the basic parts that you need to put it together:

1 10" yellow cake, split in to three layers
1 batch of pastry cream
1 pints perfect raspberries
1 pint perfect blueberries
2 pints whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks with a little (not too much!) sugar, pure vanilla extract and almond extract.
10 crispy merengues, broken in to pieces

Place first layer of cake on plate and spread an even layer of pastry cream. Top with raspberries and spread thin layer of pastry cream on top of raspberries. Place 2nd layer of cake on top. Spread an even layer of pastry cream on top of 2nd layer. Top with blueberries and spread thin layer of pastry cream on top of blueberries. Please 3rd layer of cake on top.

Continued in next tip...

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Use a pastry bag to pipe an even layer of whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake -- using a decorating spatula to smooth it out.

Then use a star tip to cover the top of the cake with whipped cream stars/flowers. Place a few perfect berries in the center of the top of the cake.

Press merenge pieces to sides of cake and scatter on top of cake.

Refrigerate until time to serve and eat. Because the frosting is whipped cream, it's important to refrigerate until time to eat, or it will melt.

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Oh my god. You've gotta try this!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
1 cup plus 1 tb granulated sugar
1 stick (4oz) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
Blitz Cream Filling
2-3 cups fresh assorted berries/fruit

1. Preheat oven to 350 (farenheit). Spread out almonds on a baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until nuts are lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and let cool. In a food processor, finely grind nuts with 1tb granulated sugar. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Dust pans with flour; tap out excess.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until ight and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour and beating just until blended. Turn batter into prepared pans.

4. Sift together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the powdered sugar. In a small bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar mixture and continue to beat until peaks are stiff but not dry. Beat in almond extract. Divide meringue evenly between prepared pans, then gently spread over batter to edge of pan to cover. Sprinkle ground almonds evenly over meringue.

5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown and feels dry to the touch. Let cakes cool completely in pans on wire racks. Invert 1 cake layer, meringue side down, onto a serving plate and remove pan and parchment paper. Spread top with Blitz Cream Filling. Unmold remaining cake layer, remove parchment paper, and arrange on tp of filling, meringue side up. Serve with fruit on the side.

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For use in the Berries and Cream Blitz Torte

Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tb sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a large mixer bowl, beat all ingredients on medium speed until soft peaks form.

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1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 lb butter (NO substitutes!)
1/2 lb. macadamia nuts
1/2 lb. milk or dark chocolate (your choice)

Do not attempt to make this on a humid or rainy day. Do not double the recipe, make one batch at a time.

Melt butter with sugar, syrup and water in a pan (such as a large non-stick frying pan or stir-fry pan) on medium to medium-high temperature. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon. When butter is melted, add the macadamia nuts. When mixture comes to a rolling boil, set your timer for a minimum of 10 minutes and keep stirring (no more than 15 minutes). The mixture will thicken and turn darker in color. The macadamias will roast. Keep stirring and cooking until the mixture turns an amber color. If you don't cook it long enough it will not harden, so keep stirring and look for the amber (caramel) color.

When it looks light caramel colored, pour the mixture out onto a large cookie sheet and spread it as thin as possible with a fork. While it is still hot, break up the chocolate into chunks and distribute it over the nut mixture and let it melt. Spread it evenly on the top.

Let it cool (refrigerate if you want). When cold you can lift the whole thing off the pan and break into small pieces.

Note: You can use other kinds of nuts such as pecans, almonds or whatever nuts you think would be good.

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Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (6 oz.) butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tb baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk, at room temperature
3 tb unsweetened cocoa powder
Extra-Rich Fudge Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350 (farenheit). Grease thre 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Dust pans with flour, tap out excess.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add egg whites and vanilla. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes longer.

3. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour, and beat until just blended.

4. Turn half of the batter (about 2 1/2 cups) into a medium bowl. Sift cocoa powder over top. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in cocoa until blended.

5. Carefully spoon a 2-inch ring of remaining white batter around outer edge of 2 prepared cake pans, then spoon a 2-inch ring of chcolate batter right next to white batter. Finish with a small circle of white batter in center of each pan. In remaining pan, spoon chocolate batter for outer ring, white batter for next ring, then finish with a center circle of chocolate. *Note: I used pastry bags with the largest pastry tips to make the circles, rather than deal with spoon -- was very tidy and easy.

6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes, then unmold onto wire racks and remove parchment paper. Invert cakes again and let cool completely. Fill and frost cake with Extra-Rich Fudge Frosting, using identical layers for top and bottom of cake and different layer for middle.

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Ingredients:
5 oz semisweet chocolate, cut up
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 tb coffee or water
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 sticks (8 oz) butter, softened and cut up

1. In medium glass bowl, combine semisweet and unsweetened chocolate and coffee (or water). Microwave on medium 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until coffee is hot. Whisk coffee and chocolate together until completely smooth.

2. In a double boiler over simmering water, whisk together sugar and egg yolks. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add vanilla.

3. Add chocolate to egg mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until completely cooled, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, blending well after each addition, until smooth and spreadable.

On this particular cake, my niece requested chocolate dipped strawberries as the decoration.

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Crust:

1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted
2 TB granulated sugar
2 TB unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg white

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare crust: combine the pecans and the sugar in food processor, and process until the pecans are finely copped. Add the flour and egg white and process until well mixed.

3. Press the pecan mixture in to the bottom and sides of an 8 1/2" spring-form pan or tart pan with a removable bottom (moistening your fingers with water if necessary). Bake until the crust pulls away from sides, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Filling:

1/4 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup light corn syrup or molasses
1 to 1 1/2 cups broken pecans
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cream butter and brown sugar.

3. Beat in, one at a time, the eggs

4. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients

5. Fill the shell. Bake about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the filling comes out clean.

Cranberry topping:

1 bag fresh cranberries, washed and dried
1/2 cup Cointreau
1 cup sugar

This is to be done when the tart is mostly cooled and the top is firm.

1. Over a medium heat, melt sugar with Cointreau, then add the cranberries and stir for about 7 minutes, when they start to pop. Using a slotted soon, ladle out the berries and arrange on top of the pie.

2. Boil the liquid down to a syrup, and use this as a glaze.

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Spread lemon curd in evenly baked tart shell. Decorate top with whipped cream and/or fresh berries. Serve immedaitely or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Tart shell:
10-2/3 tb unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 c flour

Preheat oven to 375f. In a large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy. Beat in egg yolk until smooth.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour until butter is evenly distributed and dough is crumbly. With lightly floured fingers, press dough along bottom and sides of an 11" tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick bottom of pastry with fork. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely on wire rack before filling.

Lemon curd:
1 c sugar
1/2c fresh lemon juice
2 large whole eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 stick unsalted butter
1tb grated lemon zest

In a medium saucepan, cook sugar and lemon juice over medium heat, stirring occassionally, until sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs and egg yolks. Gradually whisk hot sugar syrup into eggs; return to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture thickens and coats back of a spoon, about 4 minutes (do NOT boil). Remove from heat.

Whisk in butter, a few pieces at a time, until melted. Whisk in lemon zest. Transfer lemon curd to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto top surface of filling to form a tight seal. Refrigerate until cold, 2 hours or overnight.

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For the topping:
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 cups 1-inch chunks fresh pineapple (about 1 pineapple)
4 tablespoons diced crystalized ginger

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup milk
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, as an accompaniment

Topping: In a small bowl stir together well the butter and the brown sugar and spread the mixture evenly in a well-buttered 9 by 2-inch round cake pan. Pat the pineapple very dry between several thicknesses of paper towels and arrange it evenly on the sugar mixture. Sprinkle the crystalized ginger evenly on top..

Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, ground ginger and the cinnamon. In another bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, the grated fresh ginger and beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately in batches with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition. Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly, and bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, run a thin knife around the edge, and invert the cake onto a plate. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with the whipped cream or the ice cream.

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