Cream Cake with Rosemary Pears and Strawberries
Serves 8 to 10
In an American book on Scandinavian food from the 1960s, Norwegian cream
cake is dismissed as "a cake consisting almost exclusively of cream:' This
is not exactly a misstatement, but it shows a deep lack of understanding,
Whereas a cheesecake or chocolate cake, for example, is supposed to be heavy
and full of flavor, the cream cake
is featherlight, fresh, and festive, Cream cake is normally served on
May 17, Norway's constitution day, and at birthday parties, weddings,
and other special occasions,
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch nonstick round cake pan or
springform pan with the butter
FOR THE SPONGE CAKE
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
FOR THE FILLING
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
One 15-ounce can pears in light syrup, drained, syrup reserved
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 cup superfine sugar, or more to taste
1 pound strawberries, hulled
2 tablespoons Calvados or eau-de-vie (optional)
1/4 cup strawberry or orange juice (optional)
To make the sponge cake, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff
peaks form, In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together
until pale and thick. Sift together the flour and baking powder, and beat
into the egg mixture, Fold in the beaten egg whites as gently as possible,
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean, Let the cake rest for 10 minutes
before you remove it from the pan, then let it cool completely on a rack.
To make the filling, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the back of
a knife, and reserve for later, Cut the pears into thin slices, Set aside
a few of the nicest slices for decoration (brush them with lemon juice to
prevent discoloring).
In a nonstick skillet, combine the rest of the pears, the vanilla bean (not
the seeds), and the rosemary and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or
until the pears start to lightly brown, (if the pears dry out completely,
add a little of the reserved syrup.) Remove the vanilla bean and discard,
Set aside to cool.
Whip the cream in a large bowl until stiff. Add the sugar. Transfer
approximately one-third of the cream to two small bowls, dividing it evenly.
Reserve 8 of the nicest strawberries for decoration. Puree two-thirds of the
remaining berries in a blender, or push them through a sieve using the back
of a spoon. Coarsely chop the rest of the berries and mix with the puree in
a bowl. Gently fold the strawberry mixture into one of the small batches of
whipped cream. If necessary, add more sugar to taste, but the mixture should
still have some gentle tartness left.
Stir the vanilla seeds into the other small batch of whipped cream.
With a long, thin knife, cut the cake into three layers. Place the bottom
layer of the cake on a large serving plate. Soak the cake with some of the
syrup from the pears. Sprinkle with the Calvados, if using. Arrange the
pears on top. Spread the vanilla cream over the pears. Add the second layer
of sponge cake. Soak the cake with strawberry juice, if using. Spread the
strawberry cream over the layer. Place the final
layer on top. Frost the entire cake with a thick layer of cream. Decorate
the cake with the reserved strawberries and slices of pears. Serve
immediately.
kitchen of light New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad
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