Rose's Heavenly Cakes (60 page)

Make the Vanilla Cognac Syrup

In a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, stir together the sugar and water until all the sugar is moistened. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover and remove it from the heat. Cool completely, then add the Cognac.

Apply the Syrup

As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, place the pans on a wire rack, poke the cakes all over with a thin skewer, and brush them with about one-third of the syrup. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding.

Unmold the Cakes

If not using disposable pans, run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pans and the cakes, pressing firmly against the pans, and invert the cakes onto a wire rack or baking sheet covered with plastic wrap and coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Brush the bottoms of the cakes with the remaining syrup and reinvert the cakes onto another rack. Cool completely.

The cakes keep, wrapped airtight in plastic wrap in an airtight container, for 3 days at room temperature, for 1 week refrigerated, and for 3 months frozen.

Plan Ahead

Chill the composed cakes at least 2 hours before unmolding.

Make the Biscuit

Make one biscuit recipe (see
Apple Caramel Charlotte
).

Special Equipment

Two silicone muffin pans, each with six cups (about 4 ounces capacity), coated lightly with baking spray with flour and set on a wire rack. (You can also use aluminum muffin pans lined with foil muffin liners.)    |    One 18 by 9-inch baking pan or roasting pan large enough to fit the wire rack and to serve as a water bath. (If you have a roasting pan and wire rack large enough to fit both pans, you can bake them at the same time. Alternatively, while the first pan is baking, fill the second pan and refrigerate it covered until ready to bake.)

Line the Pans

Cut out the sponge cake with a biscuit cutter or scissors to conform to the size of the bottoms of the muffin cups. Line each cup with a round of cake.

Preheat the Oven

Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack on the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.

Make the Filling

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and yolks, beating until smooth and scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the lemon juice and salt and beat until incorporated. Beat in the sour cream on low speed just until blended, about 20 seconds.

Fill the Pans

The easiest way to fill the pans is to pour the batter into a disposable pastry bag, or gallon-size resealable plastic bag, with a small part of one of its corners cut off, and pipe the batter into the cups, filling them almost to the tops (2.2 ounces/63 grams each). Alternatively, scrape the batter into a large measuring cup or pitcher with a spout and pour it in. Set the pan on the wire rack in the larger pan and add very hot water to reach about halfway up the sides of the muffin pan.

Bake the Cheesecakes

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F/70°C. When the pan is moved, the batter will jiggle like jelly and the top will be set and bounce back when pressed lightly.

Cool the Cheesecakes

Remove the large pan to a wire rack and add a handful of ice cubes to the water to stop the heating. Allow the cheesecakes to cool for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water is cool enough that you can remove the muffin pans. Cover the pans with plastic wrap, being careful not to allow it to touch the surface of the cheesecakes. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour to firm up before topping with the lemon curd. Prepare the lemon curd just before you are ready to pour it on top of the cheesecakes.

Make the Lemon Curd

Have ready a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a medium bowl.

In a small heavy saucepan, whisk the yolks, sugar, and butter until well blended. Whisk in the lemon juice and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula and scraping the sides of the pan as needed, until thickened and resembling hollandaise sauce, which thickly coats the spatula but is still liquid enough to pour. The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and begin to turn a yellow color on the spatula. Don't allow it to come to the boil or it will curdle. Whenever steam appears, remove the pan briefly from the heat, stirring constantly, to keep the mixture from boiling. When the curd has thickened and will pool thickly when a little is dropped on the surface, pour it at once into the strainer and press it through with the back of the spatula.

Apply the Lemon Curd

Transfer the lemon curd to a pitcher or measuring cup with a spout and pour the hot curd evenly over the top of each cake. Use about 1 tablespoon for each. Smooth the curd or make concentric circles, if desired, with a small metal spatula.

Cover the pan carefully with plastic wrap, stretching it so that it doesn't dip down and mar the top of the curd, or cover the pan with a larger pan, such as a disposable aluminum foil pan. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before unmolding.

Unmold the Cakes

Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pans and the cakes, pressing firmly against the pans, and with your finger, push up the bottom of the silicone pan. The cheesecake will rise up and out of the pan and can be supported with a small offset metal spatula and then transferred to a serving plate. If using aluminum muffin pans, lift out the cakes by grasping each side of the foil liners. Remove the liners and, if you desire smooth sides, use a small metal spatula run under hot water.

Special Equipment

One 5 7/8 by 2-inch-high (3 cups) heart-shaped pan, coated with baking spray with flour (One 6 by 2-inch round cake pan can be used, but the cake will be only about 1 inch high.)

Preheat the Oven

Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.

Mix the Liquid Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks, 1 tablespoon of the cream, and the vanilla just until lightly combined.

Make the Batter

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining cream. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the batter in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface evenly with a small metal spatula.

Bake the Cake

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown, a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. It will just begin to shrink from the sides of the pan.

Cool and Unmold the Cake

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before unmolding. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. To prevent splitting, reinvert it so that the top side is up. Cool completely. The cake keeps uncovered for 1 day at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap airtight in plastic wrap. It will still be delicious after 3 days, but the crust will have softened.