ISO Cake recipe: not spongy, a little texture

[gfron1]

I'm trying to create a dessert with a very specific cake component. I know I've had (maybe even made) what I'm trying to do, but can't remember what it is. Definitely not spongy like a genoise. But not meringue (daquoise) either. It needs a little texture probably from nut meal. I'm thinking of something that might be like a cake meets shortbread.

 

The closest thing I can come up with are these dutch lady fingers I used to buy. HERE are those cookies. These are not quite what I'm looking for but close. Thoughts?

[pastrygirl]

Like pound cake?  Or drier?

[Kerry Beal]

If you are going for a tiramisu like texture to the cake then the sardovardi work - I've also used Purity Lemon Creams to get cakey with moisture. Or even Maria cookies. 

[gfron1]

28 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

Like pound cake?  Or drier?

crumblier/courser

[gfron1]

5 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

If you are going for a tiramisu like texture to the cake then the sardovardi work - I've also used Purity Lemon Creams to get cakey with moisture. Or even Maria cookies. 

Thicker, moister...but not moist.

[gfron1]

I'm thinking about a thicker version of a traditional sacher maybe

[pastrygirl]

Hmmm, I don't know.  Maybe explore recipes for Italian crumbly cake, torta sbricciolona.  Fairly dry and crumbly with cornmeal and almonds.  Or depending on what shape you need, how about a biscotti dough but only once baked?

 

I'll admit, coarse and dry are usually not my goals when making cake!

[Kerry Beal]

Thinking back - was it the multilayered cake that you made way back when? Someone mentioned a russian cake or something and we brainstormed on it?

 

Edit - it was the Medovik - Russian Honey cake

 

The dough for that one I recall offering was from rum squares that I used to make that had cream of wheat to provide the moisture. 

 

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 ½ tbsp honey
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ cup milk
•  

 

Dough: beat together shortening and sugar. Add honey and eggs. Beat in dry ingredients, alternating with milk, until stiff dough is formed. Divide into four. Roll out each into a rectangle of approximately 15"x10" or the size of your cookie sheets. Bake each on greased and floured cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Cool.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Kerry Beal (log)

[gfron1]

44 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Thinking back - was it the multilayered cake that you made way back when? Someone mentioned a russian cake or something and we brainstormed on it?

 

Edit - it was the Medovik - Russian Honey cake

 

The dough for that one I recall offering was from rum squares that I used to make that had cream of wheat to provide the moisture. 

 

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 ½ tbsp honey
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ cup milk
•  

 

Dough: beat together shortening and sugar. Add honey and eggs. Beat in dry ingredients, alternating with milk, until stiff dough is formed. Divide into four. Roll out each into a rectangle of approximately 15"x10" or the size of your cookie sheets. Bake each on greased and floured cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Cool.

 

Funny you should mention that because I was thinking about that too. If I could remove the graham flavor from it that could work if I could make it thicker. The cake is meant to be soaked, but still hold up structurally.

[teonzo]

I second Kerry's suggestion for savoiardi. They are definetely crumbly (when natural, meaning not soaked). They soak well and keep their structure. If you need coarser texture then you just need to add nut flour, processed to your desired width.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[JeanneCake]

I'm thinking of the good old "Wowie" cake - it has the open crumb you're looking for and if you short the oil in it, you'd be close to the right texture.  You can sub out a nut flour for the cocoa and get a non-chocolate version.  If you bake it in a half or quarter sheet pan, you can get a shorter cake without having to torte it and it should hold up (not disintegrate) when you soak it, providing you're not drenching it....

 

what's the big picture for this dessert - is it layered with mousse or cream or something?  How it is served (sliced like a cake or pie)? Glazed with something?

[jmacnaughtan]

The Medovik cake could work - it's pretty dry and biscuity, but does have a big honey flavour.  Maybe replace the honey with golden syrup, or even glucose.

 

A Joconde might be good too.  It's light, firm and robust, and designed to be soaked within an inch of its life.

 

Failing that, you could try a yeasted cake - a savarin or kugelhopf or something.

 

ETA: Here's the recipe I came up with for the Medovik biscuit.  It works well, especially for people like me who can only use metric

Edited January 15, 2017 by jmacnaughtan (log)

[gfron1]

I'm not pushing hard on this anymore because currently I'm working with a chef who is very bullheaded. He is dead set on one of his recipes that is almost a chocolately angel food cake. He's not a pastry chef at all, so he likes it because he can soak it three days ahead of time and still be able to pick it up for service. Don't ask me why (hanging my head in culinary shame at the lack of freshness). I don't think he realizes the vast options that are out there for people who do pastry, and I'm reluctant to put time into a hopeless cause.

 

What he wanted was a plated tiramisu. So I helped him get a 2" sphere of mascarapone filling that was stable enough for the cook to pick up by hand but soft to the spoon. I got him a chocolate anglaise sauce. We figured out all the garnish - chocolate plaques mostly. He is determined to do a dehydrated meringue garnish, which I hate what it does to the teeth in a dessert like this. I've been arguing for texture. Tiramisu is all smoosh and no crunch. That's fine when you're serving it out of a 9x13 as a square, but as a plated dessert that's not acceptable.

 

I've suggested some type of granola inspired crunch using almonds and brandy. But mostly I wanted the cake to have some crunch to it, but still not be so far away from a traditional tiramisu that people ordering it get disappointed. There is a stark difference in visions and ultimately in this case he is the chef so I've backed off.

[MelissaH]

@gfron1, I admire your restraint and your tact.