Lemon almond cake with vanilla buttermilk panna cotta and lemon curd

 

I really really liked this cake! It embodied my version of a perfect citrus cake. I used Claire's recipe for the sponge - a Pain de Gênes, which is essentially a dense almond cake with a really little amount of flour (the method was also unusual because of the timing of adding the eggs instructions) and the lemon syrup. I liked the cake cos it tasted really moist after soaking. But weird that the cake layer turned out quite high for my tin (probably cos I adapted her recipe for a 8x6 to 7x7?).

And for the rest of the components (panna cotta and curd), I adapted from Aran's recipe. I made a slight change to the buttermilk panna cotta by adding in vanilla bean paste to make it vanilla flavoured. The panna cotta turned out perfect, and the addition of vanilla sweetened the layer slightly, which in turn, complemented the top layer - the lemon curd. The lemon curd was the sour star of the show. It was tart, tart and tart.

I shared the cake with a few different group of friends, and there were mainly two responses - the "love it" people and the "erm, it's sour" people. Well, for those who love sour goodies, it's bound to appeal to them, so I did try to make sure I shared the good stuff with all those friends who happen to be fans of sour goodies. So thankfully, there was a slightly higher percentage of those in the former group. If you're a fan of tart and refreshing citrusy treats, I highly recommend this dessert. I mean, there's always the sweetness of the panna cotta and baked meringue bits to cut through the tangy-ness. ^^

*Do note also that I only added the meringue bits and candied lemon zest on the cake right before I was serving it cos the meringue will absorb moisture from the cake and turn soggy very quickly. So when I was bringing the slices out of the house, I try to pack the decor bits in a separate small container, and only scattering them on before I passed them to the tasters.

 

Lemon almond cake with vanilla buttermilk panna cotta and lemon curd 

(adapted from Aran at Cannelle et Vanille & Claire Clark’s Indulge)

(makes a 7x7 cake)

Baked meringue sticks

50g egg whites (a little under a quarter cup)

50g sugar

50g powdered sugar, sifted

Whip the egg whites until a light meringue forms. Slowly add in the sugar while mixing. Continue to mix to stiff peaks. Fold in the powdered sugar.

Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a number 5 plain tip. Pipe straight lines of meringue on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake the meringues in a very low oven, about 90C until crispy, about an hour. Keep them in an airtight container to stop them from becoming soggy. Break into chunks for decorations.

Pain de Gênes

150g unsalted butter

120g caster sugar

1 medium egg

150g almond meal

20g plain flour

20g cornstarch

2 small eggs

Preheat oven to 170C. Grease and line a 7x7 baking tin and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar till fluffy, lightly beat the medium egg before adding to the creamed mixture a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the dry ingredients together into the creamed batter and use a large metal spoon to fold together.

Lightly whisk the two small eggs in a small bowl, then add to the batter and mix in thoroughly. Transfer to baking tin and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake is well risen and the top springs back when gently pressed. Leave to cool in tin.

Lemon syrup

1 lemon

50g water

50g caster sugar

Finely zest the lemon. Combine lemon zest, water and caster sugar in saucepan and stir well. Bring to boil over the stove and simmer for two to three minutes. Using a pastry brush, spread the hot syrup evenly over the cooled Pain de Gênes (still in the tin) and leave to soak.

Vanilla buttermilk panna cotta

1 cup heavy cream

55g sugar

2 sheets gelatin

1/2 cup buttermilk

few drops of vanilla bean paste

Wash the square cake ring and place it on a sheet pan lined with a silicon mat. If your cake ring is not completely level and any liquid might leak out, you might want to wrap the bottom of the ring with plastic film.

In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream and the sugar until hot but not boiling. In the meantime, soften the gelatin in ice water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess water from the gelatin and add it to the hot cream. Let the cream cool to lukewarm, and then mix in the buttermilk and the vanilla bean paste.

Pour the panna cotta into the ring and bring this to the freezer. Freeze until solid, about 2-3 hours. When solid, remove the cake ring and wash it, we will need it to assemble the cake.

Lemon curd

3 eggs

zest of 1 lemon

100g sugar (1/2 cup)

2/3 cup lemon juice

2g gelatin

150g butter, cut into small cubes (still slightly cold)

Whisk the eggs, lemon zest and sugar together in a large bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice. Place the bowl over a water bath and whisk constantly until it thickens. It will start to make ribbons.

In the meantime, soften the gelatin in water. Squeeze out excess water and when curd has thickened, add the gelatin to the bowl. Strain this curd into a clean bowl.

Using a submersion blender, start mixing the curd and add the small pieces of butter. The curd will start to change in color and become lighter. Add all the butter and continue to mix till well combined.

Assembly

Place the cake ring on a sheet pan. Insert the almond and lemon sponge on the bottom of the ring.

Spread about a thin layer of the lemon curd over the sponge and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.

Then place the frozen buttermilk panna cotta square on top of the lemon curd and press gently. Spread the rest of the lemon curd on top of the panna cotta. Refrigerate the entire cake until set.

Slice into desired portions and decorate with baked meringue sticks and candied lemon zest.

source: http://vintagetrinkets.blogspot.com/2011/06/lemon-almond-cake-with-vanilla.html