The warming weather has me thinking of Julia frolicking on the beach, planting the vegetable garden in Southampton, dinner outdoors and light desserts of berries and cream. In New York, that’s all still many weeks away, but this airy and elegant dessert is a delicious way of reinforcing that lightening mood. Its flavor is subtle –not too sweet and based on the harmonious pairing of orange zest and ground almonds, accented by the unexpected but refreshing flavor of lavender. (Lavender, usually in the form of ice cream, is one of my favorite flavors to complement fresh summer fruit.)
Best of all, this fancy dessert is much easier than it looks to make. Yes, there are three components –the cake, the filling, and a flavored syrup– but all come together quickly. And unlike some roulades I’ve made (with varying degrees of success), this one is pretty forgiving: the cake is spongy and easy to handle without cracking or tearing, and the filling is stabilized with a touch of gelatin so it won’t go all soft and runny on you while your back is turned. In fact, for me assembling a roulade is quicker, easier and less stressful than icing a layer cake, and the results are just as impressive.
This cake does require a couple of special ingredients, but both are inexpensive and relatively easy to come by. Culinary lavender buds (as opposed to those used to scent your underwear drawer) are available in some good supermarkets, at specialty stores and from spice resources such as www.kalustyans.com. Almond meal or almond flour is increasingly available at good supermarkets and at health food stores, I buy mine fresh ground from Kalustyan’s.
Recipe
(Adapted from Lavender-Almond Roulade in Mourad New Moroccan, the Cookbook, by Mourad Lahlou. Serves 8.)
Ingredients
For lavender sugar:
1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For lavender syrup:
1/2 (120 ml)cup water
1/3 (80 ml) cup granulated sugar
3 pinches lavender sugar (from above)
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
For lavender-almond cake:
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup (120 ml) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 cup (235 ml) plus 2 tablespoons finely ground almond meal or almond flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lavender sugar (from above)
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoons powdered sugar
For lavender cream filling:
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/4 teaspoons powdered gelatin
2 cups (475 ml) heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon lavender sugar
Blackberries, strawberries or raspberries to garnish.
Instructions
1. To make the lavender sugar, combine the lavender buds and sugar in a clean spice or coffee grinder or a blender and grind to a find powder. Set aside.
2. To make the lavender syrup, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Set aside.
3. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 275F (135C). Line the bottom of a baking sheet with four raised (about 1-inch) sides with parchment. Butter the bottom and sides of the pan or spray them with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Put the egg yolks and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and fluffy. Transfer to another bowl and then wash the mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly.
5. Put the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in the mixing bowl and whisk for about 1 minute a medium speed, until the whites are foamy. With the mixer running, pour in the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) of sugar and beat for another 4 or minutes or so, or until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
6. Combine the almond flour, cornstarch, lavender sugar and zest in a large bowl and fold in the egg mixture.
7. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture a third at a time.
8. Using an offset spatula (if you have one), spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is a light golden color and a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
9. To unmold the cake, first turn a baking sheet upside-down and cover it with a piece of parchment. Combine 3 tablespoons of powder sugar with 3 tablespoons or cornstarch. Spoon the mixture into a fine mesh strainer and generously dust the parchment with it. (This will prevent the cake from sticking to it as it cools.) Then, run a knife around the edges of the cake and invert it onto the prepared parchment. Let cool completely (which won’t take more than about 20 minutes.)
10. When the cake has cooled, peel off the top layer of parchment and dust the exposed surface with your non-stick powdered sugar mixture. Top with a clean sheet of parchment and set another baking sheet (probably the one you baked the cake in, right-side-up) on top of it. Then, grabbing hold of both baking sheets by their edges, flip the whole works over again, so the cooled cake is again top-side-up. Remove the top baking sheet and parchment and slide the cake and remaining bottom sheet of parchment onto a work surface. (This is all easier than is sounds.)
11. Generously brush the cake with the lavender syrup, reserving the leftovers.
12. To make the cream filling, put the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top, gently shaking the bowl to dampen all of the gelatin. When the gelatin solidifies (which will just take a few minutes), peel it out of the bowl and roughly chop it into about 1/4 inch (6 mm) pieces.
13. Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat to just below a simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk in your chopped-up gelatin until they have melted. Cool for about 10 minutes, or until it’s about body temperature.
14. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 3/4 cups (415 ml) of cream with the two sugars in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, or until soft peaks form. Add the gelatin mixture and whip for another 1 or 2 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
15. To assemble, spread the cream filling over the cake in an even layer about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, reaching just to the edges.
16. Carefully but deliberately roll the cake up, checking as you go to make sure that your roll is tight and even. When you reach the end, continue to roll the cake until the seam is on the bottom. Using the parchment, slide the cake onto a serving platter and refrigerate it for at least an hour to set.
17. While the cake is chilling, toss the berries in about a teaspoon of the lavender sugar and let them macerate at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Taste and add more lavender sugar, if necessary, before serving.
18. To serve, slice off the ragged ends of the roll and eat them immediately. You’ve earned it.
Slice the cake and serve with the berries and a spoonful or two of the lavender syrup on the side. Garnish with a mint leaf or a few fresh lavender flowers if you’re lucky enough to have them. Find a way to modestly work into the conversation that you made this elegant confection yourself. Enjoy the praise and tuck into your own slice.
