Bleeding Hearts (Vanilla, Rose & Strawberry Cakes)

• portionen: Makes 6 muffin-sized cak

Zutaten

For the cake batter

140g unsalted butter

200g confectioners' sugar

110g ground almonds

50g all-purpose flour seeds from ½ vanilla pod

120g egg whites (from about 3-4 eggs)

For the filling

6 tsp strawberry & rose jam (page 33), or ordinary strawberry jam with a couple of drops of rose water added

For the icing

170g confectioners' sugar

1-2 strawberries (or ½ tsp strawberry jam)

½ tsp rose water a few vanilla seeds (¼ pod) or 1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp light corn syrup or honey

Anweisungen

MAKE THE BATTER

Melt the butter in a small pan on a high heat and cook until it starts to foam, turns golden and catches a little at the bottom, then remove from the stove.

A food processor will give the best results for these cakes if you don't have one you can make the batter by hand, but you will need to be quite vigorous).

Place the dry ingredients and vanilla seeds in the food processor and mix together.

With the food processor running, pour in the egg whites in a constant steady stream and mix to combine thoroughly.

Follow with the hot burnt butter, pouring it slowly into the processor as it works, making sure to scrape in the sticky brown bits at the bottom of the saucepan too-they add great flavor.

Set the batter in the fridge to cool for at least an hour (and up to a week).

BAKE THE CAKES

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F/350°F convection. Lightly grease the silicone molds with butter spray (if using metal molds, lightly butter and flour them). Divide the batter between the molds. It should reach about ¾ inch below the top.

Insert a teaspoonful of jam into the heart of each one: simply use the teaspoon to push some batter aside, then slide the jam off. As you pull the spoon out, the batter should rise up and cover the jam.

Place the molds on a baking tray and bake for about 25-30 minutes until the smell is irresistible and the cakes are set to the touch (in this case you can only test the edges, as the center will sink because of the jam underneath).

Lay a large piece of baking parchment on top of the tins, set a baking tray on top of that, and very carefully flip them over and allow to sit for 20 minutes.

MAKE THE ICING

Mix the icing ingredients together in a bowl, squashing the strawberries a little to extract their juice and color. The icing should be the texture of thick honey, so if it seems a little thick, add a couple of drops of water.

Remove the cakes from the molds and leave to cool entirely on a wire rack before spooning or piping the icing on generously. Let the natural flow of the icing gently trickle down the sides and set.

If you want, you can top each one with some fresh rose petals or a strawberry. Once set, these keep at room temperature for 2-3 days, staying lovely and moist.

Notizen

From: ‘Golden Sweet & Savory Baked Delights from the Ovens of London’s Honey & Co.’ by Itamar Srulovich & Sarit Packer