City Limits Pastry Chef Tracy Kamperdyk Assue shares her recipe below.
Tahitian Vanilla Cake and Fudgy Chocolate Ganache
Vanilla Sponge Cake
Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cup Cake flour
1.5 tbsp. Baking powder
Pinch Salt
1 Cup Egg yolks
2 Cups Sugar
1 tbsp. Vanilla extract
1 Cup Water
12 Egg whites
Directions:
1. Sift dry ingredients and set aside.
2. Combine yolks, oil, sugar, vanilla, and water and whip in a mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Fold in sifted dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, salt).
4. Whip egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until medium peaks, and then fold in the above mixture.
5. Divide batter between two 9×12 inch sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 13-15 minutes or until cakes are springy to the touch.
7. Remove cakes; allow to cool.
Bittersweet Fudgy Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients:
3 Cups Heavy cream
1/2 Tahitian vanilla bean
1 1/2 Cups Bittersweet chocolate (Tracy prefers Valrhona 61%, available at specialty grocery stores or online)
4 tbsp. Sweet butter (slightly softened)
Favorite preserves (optional)
Directions:
1. Seed the vanilla bean.
2. In a saucepan, bring heavy cream, and vanilla bean seeds to a boil.
3. Pour the mixture over chopped chocolate in a stainless steel or glass bowl and let sit for 1-2 minutes.
4. Slowly stir the mixture using a hand whisk until smooth.
5. Add butter and mix until melted.
6. Set aside to cool to the consistency of slightly soft butter (if it cools too much or “sets” to a firm consistency, it may be warmed slightly over a pot of slowly simmering water).
7. Using an 8-inch cake ring (or cake pan), cut out three 8-inch circles of cake.
8. Spread a very thin layer of your favorite preserves over cake layers (optional); alternate layers of cake and ganache (a 1/2 inch layer). You may leave it rustic and leave the sides unfinished, or spread the ganache over the sides of the cake.
9. Refrigerate and take out at least one hour before serving (cake is best served at room temperature.
