Atlas Restaurant's Marjolaine
Editor's Note: Atlas Restaurant has closed.
Ingredients
For the rum syrup
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup dark rum
For the sponge cake
8 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1½ cups sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g.)
For the dacquoise
2 cups slivered almonds, toasted
2 cups toasted hazelnuts, skins removed
2 1/8 cups sugar, divided
2 cups egg whites
Note about the cakes
Once the sponge cake and dacquoise are cooled, cut a piece of the sponge cake the long length of the pan by 4½-inch wide (17½ by 4½ inches). Cut 2 of the same size pieces of the dacquoise. Stack the cakes to check for uniform length and width. Trim if needed. Poke the cakes with an ice pick so they'll be able to absorb the syrup.
For the ganache
2½ cups cream
500 g. dark chocolate, chopped
For the crème blanc
4 oz. butter
1 cup cream
½ cup sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla
Preparation
For the rum syrup
• Simmer the sugar with the water until dissolved. Allow to cool.
• Add the dark rum, stir and set aside.
For the sponge cake
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter a 17½-by-12½-inch half-sheet pan and line it with parchment. Butter the parchment, dust it with flour and tap out the excess.
• Using an electric mixer with the whip attachment, whip together the egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar until the mixture is light in color and it ribbons when the whip attachment is lifted. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Use a clean mixer bowl with the whip attachment to whip the egg whites and the remaining ½ cup of sugar until the mixture forms peaks.
• Use a rubber spatula to fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Sift the flour over the combined yolk and white mixture.
• Fold the flour in and spread in the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the dacquoise
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Butter a 17½-by-12½-inch half-sheet pan and line it with parchment. Butter the parchment, dust it with sugar and tap out the excess.
• In a food processor, chop the nuts with 1½ cups of sugar till the nuts are tiny pieces but not a paste.
• Using an electric mixer with the whip attachment, whip together the egg whites with the remaining sugar until it forms firm peaks. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Use a rubber spatula to fold in the nut mixture.
• Spread the mixture, or dacquoise, into the prepared pan.
• Bake until fairly dry and pulled away from sides.
For the ganache
• Heat the cream to a boil and turn off the heat.
• Add the chopped dark chocolate and let stand about 20 minutes to melt the chocolate.
• Transfer the mixture to a warm bowl and whisk until smooth. Set in a cool area.
For the crème blanc
• Melt the butter then allow to cool.
• Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla. When the cream is almost completely whipped, pour in the melted butter and finish whipping.
To assemble the marjolaine
• On a tray without high sides, place a layer of dacquoise and soak with some of the rum syrup.
• Use a metal spatula to spread an even layer of ganache on top.
• When the ganache is firm, add the layer of sponge cake, soak with some of the syrup and top with the crème blanc.
• Add the remaining layer of dacquoise and soak with the remaining syrup. Cover the top and sides evenly with ganache and allow to cool.
Tags : Cake
