Baumkuchen Food

BAUMKUCHEN -- THE KING OF CAKES!

Steps:

• Whip butter and sugar well until creamy. Gradually add egg yolks and the rum, zest, salt, almonds, flour and cornstarch to the butter-sugar mixture until a light, foamy batter forms.
• Beat egg whites until very stiff and fold gently into the batter.
• Pour about 2 tablespoons batter (a thin covering) into a 8-1/2" springform pan greased with butter.
• On the uppermost oven rack,
• or broil in a preheated for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Watch carefully, this browning can take place very quickly.
• Repeat until all the batter is gone -- you should have about 14 to 16 layers. When the cake is done, let it stand a few minutes before running a sharp knife along the sides of the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and glaze with melted apricot jam. Once the jam is set, you can add an additional glaze of thinned almond paste or immediately finish the cake with a thin icing made from powered sugar or the highest quality chocolate available (use your favorite chocolate).

BAUMKUCHEN

Steps:

• Butter a 9 inch square metal pan. Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom. Butter the parchment, and flour the whole pan. Position the rack of the oven to the lowest level, and preheat the broiler.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter or margarine until light and fluffy. Add in the almond paste in small chunks; beat until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Beat in the yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth.
• In another bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add in the sugar slowly while continuing to beat the meringue to stiff, glossy peaks. Fold the meringue into the yolk mixture. Sift the flour over this, and fold in.
• Spoon a small amount of batter onto the parchment in the baking pan. With a pastry brush, paint the batter on. You want to cover the paper completely, but have a thin layer. Place under the broiler, and cook until light brown; this should take about 1 to 2 minutes. Brush another layer of the batter over the cake, and place under the broiler. Continue on in this way until all of the batter is used. Cool completely. Turn the cake out of the pan, and trim the edges clean.
• In a double boiler, combine the chocolate and the oil. Heat until the chocolate is smooth. With a pastry brush, brush one side of the trimmed cake with some chocolate. Don't make it too thick. Allow this to harden. Turn the cake over, and brush the other side. Allow the cake to set. Cut the cake into 6 narrow strips, each about 1-1/2 inches wide. Brush the sides and top with the glaze, and allow to set. Store in the refrigerator, but serve at room temperature.

BAUMKUCHEN

Steps:

• Heat the grill to medium-high, or set it to 220C if you can. Butter and line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin. Put the marzipan and 2 tbsp of the cream into a bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 1-2 mins with a paddle attachment until it forms a paste. While beating, gradually add the rest of the cream. Tip the mixture into another bowl and set aside. You don't need to clean the mixer bowl.
• Put the butter, caster sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt in the empty mixing bowl and beat for 3-4 mins until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the creamy marzipan mixture.
• Mix the egg yolks into the cake batter, one by one, then fold in the flour and cornflour.
• Using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until it begins to form firm peaks, then fold it into the cake batter so you don't knock out too much air.
• Ladle just enough mixture into the cake tin to cover the base - you'll need about two-thirds of a ladle. Spread the mixture evenly over the base of the tin, then cook under the grill for 3 mins until set and golden, watching it carefully so it doesn't start to burn.
• Remove from the grill and ladle the same amount of batter on top. Spread it out in the same way, making sure that all the cake below is covered in a thin layer. Cook again for 3 mins. Continue until all the batter is used. It should make about 10 layers, depending on the thickness.
• When it's finished cooking, run a small paring knife around the edge of the tin to stop it from sticking, and leave to cool completely. Remove the cooled cake from the pan and invert onto a cooling rack.
• To make the glaze, heat the chocolate, cream, syrup and butter together in a saucepan until melted together into a smooth, glossy sauce, about 1-2 mins. Pour over the top of the cake and down the sides, then leave to set fir 1 hr before serving.

BAUM TORTE/BAUM KUCHEN (GERMAN TREE CAKE )

Steps:

• Sift cake flour and cornstarch together set aside.In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a food processor, beat the almond paste with half and half, one tablespoon at a time. It will resemble mashed potatoes when you're done.
• Add butter mixing till well incorporated.
• Add sugar mixing in well and scarping side to incorporate.
• Add yolks one at a time while machine is running.
• Add vanilla.
• Incorporate the flour mixture 1/3 at a time till well mixed.
• Place the whites in a large mixing bowl and whip them up to stiff peaks.
• Fold whipped whites into the almond batter.
• Turn on the broiler and let it warm up for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, butter bottom and side of a 10x3 inch spring form pan. Dust with flour, shake out excess. Line bottom of pan with double thickness of baking parchment.
• Next, spread 1/4 cup of batter in the bottom of the pan. Being sure to go right to the edges keeping center thin.
• Broil this layer until deep golden brown.
• Then, add another 1/4 cup batter. Spread it out with a brush and broil, as before.
• The first layers will take longer to brown.
• After repeating this step a few times, spread a layer with a bit of apricot and raspberry preserves jam. Alternating jam and preserves. Giving more contrast of layers. Continue making a few layers of cake to every layer of jam, until half the jam is used up and all the raspberry is used up.
• Be sure to push the batter evenly around so the cake remains flat.
• Doming cakes are bound to happen. You can correct as you go.
• Refrigerate over night.
• Spread the top and sides of cake with the remaining half of apricot jam.
• Set in refrigerator while making chocolate glaze.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add corn syrup or alternate choices,.
• vanilla extract and rum.
• Remove from heat add in the chocolate chips.
• Cover five minutes, or until the chocolate is completely softened.
• Stir the glaze until glossy and pour evenly over top and sides of cake.
• Press crushed almonds over the sides and outer edge of cake. Refrigerate to set the glaze.
• Optional:.
• If the cake does dome you can keep as is or remove sides from spring form pan. Center an 8" template on top of torte. Holding blade of thin sharp knife downward at a 30 degree angle, slice away the sides of the torte from the template to outer rim of base. Torte will now have 8" top and 10" base with slanted sides. Trim sides until smooth. Invert torte; remove spring form base and peel off parchment. Place wire rack over torte and invert again.
• Do enjoy the trimmings.