I can almost smell the ocean out my door

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

Imagine my surprise after returning home from our Caribbean, twenty year wedding renewal, on June 29th, to find the Daring Baker’s challenge was a Faisier Cake. I had the opportunity to use the Ritz Carlton Hotel’s kitchen; Sydney and I created a  Faiser Cake for DF’s and mine twenty year anniversary. The original one we used fondant for the top, this one we used marzipan. I personally found the marzipan easier to work with, but Sydney prefers fondant.

Who wouldn't want a chance to reminisce?

You can never have too many strawberries

Basic Chiffon:

112 grams/ 1- cups,plus 2- Tablespoon cake flour, sifted

150 grams/ 3/4 super fine sugar

2.5 gram/ 1/2 -teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

54 grams/ 1/4 -cup safflower oil

64 grams/ 4 egg yolks

180 grams/ about 6.5 eggs egg whites

1/4-teaspoon egg white powder

78 grams/ 1/3-cup water

15 grams/ 1-Tablespoon fresh  orange juice

5 grams orange zest/ 4- teaspoons

5 grams/  1-teaspoons vanilla extract

I just love the bright colors!

Prepare your mise en place, have an angle food cake pan ready or a tube pan, and preheat the oven to 177 degrees C/ 325 degrees F. A small neck bottle will be needed.

In a large bowl  sift the flour, sugar, (keeping 2-Tablespoon in reserve), baking soda, and salt whisk for 1 minute with a large ballon whisk. Place a well in the center and pour in oil, egg yolks, water, orange juice, zest, and vanilla extract. Continue beating till smooth about 1 or 2 minutes.

I mean large!

In the bowl of a standing mixer, with the whisk attachment, place liquid egg whites and egg white powder. Whisk until soft peaks form and slowly add the 2- Tablespoons of sugar, continue to whisk till stiff peaks form.

Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until just blended. Pour gently into the  angel food cake pan or tube pan, run an off set metal spatula through the batter to prevent air bubbles.

Bake for about 59 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently pressed and is a light golden brown color. Remove the cake from the oven, insert the small neck bottle into the opening of the cake pan, allow the chiffon to hang upside down till completely cooled. Once cooled remove the bootle from the pan and loosen the cake with a metal spatula and invert.

Filling and Assembly

For the assembly the only change is to cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers.

Decorate

310 grams/ 1 3/8-cup Marzipan

food colorant of choice, either gel or powder

daisy FMM cutters

Fondant Roller

White Writing Chocolate, melted

Knead about half the marzipan, add 2 drops or a pinch of colorant (at a time till desired color is achieved), and continue to knead for about 1 minute more. Try not to over work the marzipan or it will become greasy. Sprinkle a VERY flat surface with icing sugar, using a fondant roller  roll the marzipan out to a 20cm/ an 8-inch diameter 3mm/1/4-inch thick circle, and place the marzipan circle on top of the chiffon. Fill a paper pastry cone with the writing chocolate and finish the decoration with daisies.

Voila!!