Click here for mobile version

Click here to download PDF

This is a recreation of my favorite pastry at Ladurée in Paris and a cake I had in London. The result is this fluffy dream of pistachio sponge cake, vanilla custard, fresh raspberries and to top it all: crème Chantilly with the most delightful dash of rose!

You need:

Vanilla custard:
1,5 vanilla bean
80 g raw cane sugar (coarse)
300 g whole milk
72 g egg yolks (around 4 egg yolkes)
21 g cornstarch
15 g (1 tbsp) butter, cut into small cubes

3 layers of pistachio sponge cake:
3 eggs (around 180 g)
85 g raw cane sugar (fine)
100 g pistachios, finely ground
75 g potato starch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla sugar

Rosy crème Chantilly:
250 g whipping cream
¼ of the vanilla custard
Rose essence (Add a few drops at a time until perfectly rosy)
Pink food coloring (I used 1 ml organic beetroot powder)

Raspberry filling:
160 g frozen raspberries, preferably organic (thawed at room temperature, or if from an area with risk of parasites: allowed to boil for 1 minute)
140 g raspberry jam

Topping suggestions:
Fresh raspberries
Rose petals or whole roses in preferred color/s
Hole or coarsely chopped pistachios

Instructions:

The vanilla custard:
1. Pour the sugar into a saucepan.
2. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds into the sugar. Use the sugar to scrub the remaining seeds out. Add the vanilla pods and milk. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and cover immediately. Allow to infuse over night or as long as you can.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until completely smooth.
4. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and pour half of the milk over the egg mixture, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly with a whisk, until thickened. (At this stage is shall be so thick that it would be possible to spread on a cake)
5. Remove from the heat and incorporate the butter.
6. Pour into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cool and set.

The sponge cake base:
1. Preheat oven to 175°C / 347°F
2. Grease a cake tin (mine is 21 cm/8”) and dust it with potato starch.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar for a few minutes until white and fluffy.
4. Combine the dry ingredients and add gently fold it into the egg mixture.
5. Pour into the greased cake tin.
6. Bake in the lower part of the oven for around 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted as deep as possible comes out clean.
7. Leave to cool.
8. Before assembling, whip until creamy.

The crème Chantilly:
1. Whisk the cream until just lightly whipped.
2. Very gently fold in the other ingredients with a spatula.

Assemble the cake:

1. Cut the cake base into 3.
2. Spread out the whipped vanilla custard on top of the first cake base.
3. Add the second cake base on top.
4. Mix the raspberries with the jam and spread it out on the second cake base.
5. Add the final cake base.
6. Spread out the crème Chantilly and sprinkle with the toppings of your choice.
7. Refrigerate overnight for a delicious and moist cake. Eat and think of rose gardens!