Foodie Penpalls
A few weeks back I have taken my first few steps in cake decoration land. I took a workshop in how to cover a cake and use simple decorations at our Belgian cake decoration reference 'De Taartenfee'.
We've learned how to use fondant, wich is something that is hardly used in Belgium, how to colour it and how to use all the different plungers and shape moulds.
It was a fun evening and although the workshop was meant to last till 21h30 we were still all there decorating away at midnight!
So this is how my first proper decorated cake was born!
Nowadays its just a good reason to eat a nice cake again (like we need a reason!). We tend to hide a whole almond or litle porcelain model in this cake. The one who has this model in his piece of cake, is the king for the evening (and doesn't have to do the dishes) and gets to wear the crown!
The recipe is quite straightforward and easy, but be aware it is shockingly delicious!
For 6-8 persons:
- 3 eggs
- 125 g caster sugar
- 125 g butter on room temperature
- 125 g almond powder
- 20 g flour
- 3 g salt
- 1 Tsp almond essence (be careful with this, because it might get overpowering)
- 1 Table spoon of water
- 2 rolls of ready made puff pastry (you need to have two circles of 30cm diameter)
Preheat the oven on 180 °C
Beat two of the three eggs loose in a bowl with a fork. Take an other bowl to beat the sugar with the soft butter, till you become a creamy substance. Add the almond powder, flower, salt, the two beaten eggs and the almond essence and stir until the texture is smooth.
Roll out one of the rolls of puff pastry till you have a round circle of about 30 cm diameter. Lay this on a greased or non stick baking tray. Poor the almond cream and spread out evenly over the puff. Leave 1,5 cm free of the edges. Brush the edges with some water, press the bean somewhere into the cream. Put the second sheet of pastry on top of it.
Make a little hole in the middle with a knife, so the steam can escape.
Beat loose the third egg with a tablespoon of water, this way we obtain a good egg-wash and this will give the lovely golden color to the top of the cake. Brush the top of the cake with the egg-wash.
I decorated the cake with some stars that I have cut out with a star shaped cookie cutter from some trimmings of the puff pastry.
Bake for about 35 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool on a roster.
Bon apetit!
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