DESSERT CAKES
Author: Katrien van Zyl
Publisher: Metz Press
Price: R220
The show-stopping creations in this new book of dessert cakes – you can have them after dinner or with tea – would impress anyone.
There are 25 beautifully decorated creations lovingly made by Katrien van Zyl who for many years has baked for a living.
I think they are ideal for special occasions and celebrations, as I’m not sure I would go to all the trouble for everyday meals.
The cakes are not as difficult to make as they appear, and are within reach of even novice bakers.
Van Zyl gives step-by-step instructions, accompanied by photographs, of how to make the various components, and then how to assemble the cakes.
Some are reasonably simple to bake, like the lemon meringue and crème brulee cakes, but others like the almond macaroon and chocolate mousse cakes require more skill.
What gives each cake the wow factor is the creativity Van Zyl shows in combining colour, texture and flavour.
For every recipe, she also gives a quick version where she recommends short cuts like buying ready-made components or leaving out some steps.
She also shows how to do a cupcake version of every cake.
What I appreciated about these recipes too is that you can make (or buy) components of your chosen cake days before and refrigerate or freeze them. Then you just need to assemble and decorate before your guests arrive.
Anyone with a love of baking will be inspired by this book.
Here are instructions to make her beautiful pavlova cake. The meringue layers of a traditional pavlova are stacked with layers of vanilla cake and filled with creamy milk chocolate ganache.
CUT-OUT HEARTS
60g purchased almond paste or fondant icing
red or pink food colouring
Knead a few drops of food colouring into the almond paste or fondant icing.
Sprinkle icing sugar on your work bench and roll out the almond paste or fondant icing to about 3mm thickness.
Cut out heart shapes and set them aside to dry out slightly.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Makes 750 ml
560g milk chocolate,
375ml whipping cream
Heat the chopped chocolate and cream together in a bowl in a microwave oven at 20 percent power or at the defrost setting. Stir at 2-minute intervals until the mixture is melted and smooth.
Refrigerate mixture until very cold or preferably overnight.
Beat mixture with a hand-held electric beater until light and fluffy, but be careful not to overbeat as it can curdle.
MERINGUE DISCS
You need 2 batches
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
a pinch of cream of tartar or 2 drops of lemon juice
125ml castor sugar
2.5ml vanilla essence
a few drops of pink food colouring
Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper and use a 20cm cake tin to draw a circle on the back of the paper. Spray the front with non-stick cooking spray.
Put the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and beat at a slow speed with an electric beater. When starting to beat the egg whites, they will have a light hue and will look translucent and large foam bubbles will form, but as you keep on beating, the mixture will become whiter with finer foam bubbles.
When the egg whites look frothy, add the cream of tartar or lemon juice.
Beat the egg whites at medium speed to the soft peak stage: when you lift your beaters out of the egg whites, a soft point will form that falls back on itself.
Beat the castor sugar into the egg whites, about one teaspoon at a time, beating continuously until all the sugar has dissolved before adding more sugar.
By the time the last sugar is added, the egg whites should form stiff peaks. If not, continue beating the mixture. When the beaters are lifted out of the meringue mixture, a firm point should form that does not fall back on itself.
Add the vanilla essence and food colouring to the meringue and fold it in.
Spoon the meringue mixture into a large zip-lock bag or disposable piping bag and cut off the tip of the bag to create a 1cm hole.
Pipe meringue blobs to fill the circle starting on the outside working inwards. Bake the meringue disc at 120 °C for an hour and then turn the oven down to 100°C and bake for one more hour.
Turn off the oven and leave the meringue disc in the oven until it is cool.
CAKES
Makes 2x20cm cakes
360g self-raising flour
350g white sugar
350g butter, softened
6 large eggs
80ml milk
10ml vanilla essence
Preheat the oven to 160 °.
Line the base and sides of two 20cm round cake tins with non-stick baking paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, softened butter and eggs. Mix for 30 seconds with a handheld electric beater or a standing mixer on medium speed.
Add the milk and vanilla essence and beat for another 1 minute and 30 seconds or until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
Spoon equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the tins, preferably overnight. However, if you are pressed for time, let the cakes cool in the tins for 15 minutes after baking and then put the tins with the cakes in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This will cool and firm the cakes quickly so that you can fill and coat them immediately.
ASSEMBLING AND DECORATING
Divide the ganache in 4 equal portions of about 180ml.
Put a dollop of chocolate ganache filling on a serving plate and place a cake layer on top.
Spread 180ml chocolate ganache filling on the cake.
Place a meringue disc on top of the filling and spread with another 180ml of chocolate ganache filling.
Place the second cake layer on the filling, spread with another 180ml of ganache and place the last meringue disc on top.
Spoon the remaining 180ml ganache into a disposable piping bag and snip off the tip of the bag. Pipe small blobs of ganache on top of the last meringue disc.
Decorate the meringue cake with pink cut-out hearts and optional fresh red rose petals.
Reviewed by Jenny Kay (Angela Day)