Jayne in Tampa asked for a recipe for torta (cake) filled with pastry cream. Chef Julie suggests a genoise layered with a pastry cream enhanced by soft whipped cream and herbs. The herbs take a pastry cream to a completely new level and really make the cake dance on your tongue. Top the whole cake with a whipped cream frosting and be transported everyone to Europe with a classically delicate and impressive special ocassion cake.

ASSEMBLY

1. One recipe, genoise. Baked.
2. One recipe, pastry cream. Chilled.
3. 4+ cups of whipped cream.
4. 1 pint strawberries.

1. Begin by cutting your genoise horizontally, so as to obtain two disks and the other cake should be about the same size. Put the first disk of cake on your work surface, brush it with the brandy.

2. Fold in, 1/4 cup whipped cream into pastry cream.

3. Layer cake with pastry cream.

4. Sprinkle the second disk with brandy too and lay it over the pastry cream.

5. Cover everything with the third disk, pressing gently so it sticks, and sprinkle it with the remaining brandy.

6. Cover cake with sweetened whipped cream and decorate with whole strawberries.

7. Chill the cake in the refrigerator (not the freezer) for 4 hours or overnight.

OPTION
Begin each layer with strawberries, sliced flat and tossed with a bit of sugar. Then top with pastry cream.

Genoise
from Baking with Julia, Julia Child. Source: Baking911.com

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sifted cake flour (sift, then measure)
1/2 cup brandy

METHOD:
Position rack in lower third of oven; heat to 350°. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans; set aside.

Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Pour into small mixing bowl; set nearby. Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip egg mixture until it has tripled in volume, about 4 to 5 minutes. Fold flour into mixture, one third at a time, just until incorporated. Pour about 1 cup of batter into the melted butter, and fold just until combined. Return butter mixture to reserved batter, and again fold to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pans: fill one half way and the rest place in second pan. Smooth batter evenly. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until top springs back slightly when lightly touched. Cool 10 minutes, then run a table knife blade around the outside edge of cake, freeing the sides and allowing air to get under the layer. Invert cakes onto rack and allow to cool completely.

Tips:
-You may notice that after the cake rises it settles a bit while baking. Don’t worry. It’s supposed to do that.
-If you beat the eggs on medium rather than high speed, it takes longer, but the cake will be less airy and will have a richer texture.
-Fold gently, and try not to over-mix or deflate the fluffy egg batter.
-If you have never prepared a genoise, do not hesitate to call ChefsLine. Not the easiest cake to prepare but well worth the effort.

Herbed Pastry Cream
adapted by Chef Julie from Joy of Cooking
Yield: 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks
1 egg
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp rough chopped of one of the folllowing fresh herbs: lemon verbena, lemongrass, geranium, (or half basil, half lemon grass)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:
1. In a heavy saucepan, dissolve sugar in milk and bring to a boil. Turn off heat.
2. With a whisk, beat egg yolks and whole egg in a separate, stainless steel bowl.
3. Sift cornstarch and sugar into eggs, whisking until perfectly smooth.
4. Take 1 to 2 Tbsp of of hot milk mixture and whisk into the eggs quickly. Add hot milk, a couple of tablespoons at a time, to egg mixture while whisking until egg mixture is rather warm. Pour egg mixture back into remaining milk/saucepan.
5. Add fresh herbs to saucepan.
6. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Continue whisking and cooking for approximately 45 seconds.
7. Once mixture looks like it is thickening, remove from heat.
8. Pour it through a sieve or fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.
9. Stir in butter until completely blended in.
10. Cover custard with wax or parchment paper - press to surface of custard. Let cool. Then, cover and refrigerate before using, up to 2 days.

TIP:
You can taste the pastry cream to see if it tastes very starchy before you remove it from the heat. If it does, cook it for 30 seconds longer to reduce the starchy flavor.

Whipped Cream

2 cups of whipping cream
4 Tbsp powdered sugar
Chill a bowl. Whip the cream with the sugar just until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate after preparing.

NOTES