Rose's Heavenly Cakes (61 page)

Make the Shortcake

Make one shortcake recipe (see
Chocolate Bull's-eye Cakes
).

Make the Marionberry Filling

In a large bowl, place the marionberries. Sprinkle with the sugar. Toss to coat evenly and set them aside to thaw, about 2 hours at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator). Drain the marionberries thoroughly, reserving the syrup. There should be ½ cup/4 fluid ounces syrup. If not, allow the berries to sit longer.

Place the syrup in a 4-cup heatproof glass measure, coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray, and, in a microwave on high power, reduce it to ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons/3 fluid ounces (½ cup/2.4 fluid ounces, if not using the Chambord). (Or reduce it in a saucepan on the stove, stirring frequently.) When cool, add the Chambord, if using. Cover tightly and set aside.

Compose the Cakes

If you baked the cakes in custard cups, use a small sharp knife to cut a ¼- to 3/8-inch-deep circle out of the center of the cakes, leaving a ¼-inch-wide rim around the outer edge of the cake.

Use a serrated knife to trim off the crust from the flat bottoms. Brush the bottoms of the cakes with about half the syrup, using more toward the outside than the center. Invert the cakes onto serving plates. Brush the remaining syrup on top of the cakes, especially on the sides and on top of the side border. There will be 4 teaspoons of syrup for each little cake.

Up to 1 hour before serving, spoon the berries into the wells. Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped crème fraîche or whipped cream, if using.

Make the Whipped Crème Fraîche

In a mixing bowl, combine the crème fraîche and sugar and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Using a whisk or handheld mixer on low speed, whip only until soft peaks form when the whisk is raised. This will happen very quickly. It will not increase in volume.

The whipped crème fraîche can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Make the Whipped Cream

In a mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. (Chill the mixer's beaters alongside the bowl.)

Starting on low speed, gradually raising the speed to medium-high as it thickens, whip until the mixture mounds softly when dropped from a spoon.

The whipped cream can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours. For longer storage, see
Stabilized Whipped Cream
. There are four different versions.

Plan Ahead

For best flavor, compose the cake and syrup 1 day ahead.

Special Equipment

Four 4½ by almost 2-inch nonstick mini angel food cake pans (1¾ cups capacity) or six 4 by 1¾-inch (1¼ cups capacity) nonstick mini angel food cake pans, ungreased

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 325°F/160°C.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, mix the flour, all but 2 teaspoons of the sugar, the baking soda, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Mix the Liquid Ingredients

In a small bowl, stir together the coffee extract and 1 tablespoon of the water (or the instant espresso powder and 2 tablespoons of the water until the coffee granules have dissolved). Into the well in the dry ingredients, add this mixture together with the yolks, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. If you don't have a second mixer bowl, scrape this mixture into a large bowl and thoroughly wash, rinse, and dry the mixer bowl and whisk beater to remove any trace of oil.

Beat the Egg Whites into a Stiff Meringue

In the clean mixer bowl and with the clean whisk beater, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. With the beater off, add the cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat in the remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly.

Make the Batter

With a large balloon whisk, slotted skimmer, or large silicone spatula, stir about one-fourth of the meringue into the batter. Gently fold the remaining meringue into the batter just until uniform in color. Pour the batter evenly into the pans.

Bake the Cakes

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wire cake tester inserted between the tubes and the sides comes out clean and the cakes spring back when pressed lightly in the middle.

Cool the Cakes

Immediately invert the pans onto a wire rack to cool completely, 20 to 30 minutes.

While the cakes are cooling, make the syrup.

Make the Kahlúa 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 rolling boil, stirring constantly. Cover it at once and remove it from the heat. Cool completely. Transfer it to a measuring cup with a spout and stir in the Kahlúa and coffee extract. If the syrup has evaporated slightly, add water to equal ½ cup/4 fluid ounces of syrup.

Apply the Syrup and Unmold the Cakes

Reinvert the pans onto a wire rack and set the rack on a half-sheet pan or sheet of aluminum foil to catch any falling syrup. Brush the surfaces of the cakes with about one-quarter (2 tablespoons) of the Kahlúa syrup. Run a wire cake tester around the center tube of each pan and a small metal spatula between the sides of the pans and the cakes, pressing firmly against the pans. Lift out the center tubes and run the spatula between the cakes and the bottom of the tube base. Invert the cakes onto a large plate and brush the bottoms and sides with the remaining Kahlúa syrup.

Special Equipment

One 9-inch pie plate    |    One 12-inch round cake pan or roasting pan to serve as a water bath

Preheat the Oven