If you asked me years ago about Valentine’s Day, I would have said I hate it, it’s too commercial bla bla bla, but years have gone by and I realized that we need more and more days that celebrate love in any way, whether we call it V-Day or some other way, just let them be and let’s enjoy it. I prefer looking at 14 February as the day when we should be gentle with each other, be patient, express our love more and just be there for each other. Of course, these are things that should be done all year around, but let’s face it, life is not as pink as we imagined in childhood or teen years, is it?! We often end up telling ourselves that we should love more, express more, feel more – and that’s when celebrations like this one step in, as a reminder of all that, so let’s enjoy this day to the maximum and look at its deepest meanings, not at its pink or red colored gifts.

This strawberry blood orange cake wasn’t designed for Valentine’s Day, although it’s so refreshing and delicious that I would highly recommend it for any special day. Instead, I designed it to celebrate the upcoming spring. It has layers of moist, rich sponge and a refreshing strawberry and blood orange filling. Once layered, the cake is covered with the most delicious, richest, creamiest, flavorful cream cheese frosting, which you’ve seen on this blog before, but I love it so much that I don’t miss any occasion on making it. Its mild tartness and intense vanilla flavor is just what this cake needs to become the perfect treat for this time of the year. Don’t you just love it how, despite being still winter on the calendar, people already feel like spring? The snow is still on the ground, but in stores you can find fresh strawberries, tulips and other spring flowers. That’s what this cake represents – the way winter and spring intertwine at this time of the year, the richness of winter food and ingredients and the freshness of spring, bright, light fruits, vegetables and greens.

It’s barely half way through February, but we had such a lovely spring day today – sunny and bright, warm and joyful, the town and people looked so happy. Now I know winter is not over yet and we’ve had heavy snow in March in the past, but we’re almost there and I couldn’t be happier. I’m a person to love the sun, light and being warm, flowly skirts and loose t-shirts and this winter has been nothing but cold and boring so I’m happy to get rid of it asap.

{Strawberry Blood Orange Cake}

 

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Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop

Serves:: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 400g all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 30g shredded coconut
• 125g butter, softened
• 100ml vegetable oil
• 250g white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons blood orange zest
• 125g sour cream
• 250ml buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

• 3 egg whites
• 130g white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 145g butter, softened
• 300g cream cheese, room temperature

Strawberry Blood Orange Filling:

• 200g fresh strawberries, diced
• 300g blood orange segments
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 50g white sugar
• 10g fruit pectin

Candied Blood Orange Slices:

• 2 blood oranges, finely sliced
• 100g sugar
• 100ml water

Directions:

Cake:

1. Prepare 2 18cm round cake pans by lining them with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add the shredded coconut.
3. Mix the butter, oil and sugar in a bowl until creamy, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the eggs, one by one, then add the vanilla and orange zest, as well as the sour cream.
5. Mix the buttermilk with baking soda in a cup.
6. Fold in the flour, alternating it with buttermilk. Always start with dry ingredients and end with wet ones.
7. Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated then pour the batter into your prepared pans.
8. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Let the cakes cool in the pan then cut them in half lengthwise. You will get 4 layers of cake - well, 3 in my case as one of them dissapeared by magic when my little man entered the kitchen.

Strawberry Blood Orange Filling:

1. Combine the fruits in a saucepan. Add the orange zest, sugar and pectin and bring to a boil.
2. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes then remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

1. Mix the egg whites, salt and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a hot water bath and mix with a whisk until the egg whites are frothy and hot.
2. Remove from heat and continue mixing with an electric mixer at least 5 minutes or until the bowl cools down and the egg whites turned into a stiff, glossy meringue.
3. Add the butter, all at once and continue mixing for 5-6 minutes. At first, the mixture will turn soupy and curdled, but keep mixing on low speed until it comes together into a creamy, smooth frosting.
4. Mix the cream cheese with vanilla extract then add the buttercream made earlier, spoon by spoon, mixing just until incorporated.
5. Spoon a few tablespoons of cream into a pastry bag and place aside.

To assemble the cake:

1. Place one sponge on a platter then pipe a circle of cream cheese buttercream on the outer edge of the sponge. Fill the center with part of the strawberry orange filling and cover with another sponge.
2. Repeat the same process with the cream and filling.
3. Cover the cake with the remaining cream cheese buttercream and place in the fridge.

Candied Blood Orange Slices:

1. Mix the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add the orange slices and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.
3. Remove from heat and let the slices cool in the syrup.
4. Drain the orange slices well and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 10 minutes or until they begin to caramelize slightly. Just stay close to the oven as the line between perfectly caramelized and burnt is fine.
6. Allow the slices to cool completely then use them to decorate the cake.
7. Serve the cake chilled.

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ROMANIAN!

Desi in calendar e inca februarie si frig, in realitate vremea din ultimele zile in partea asta de Romanie ma duce cu gandul la primavara, la arome fructate, la soare, la fuste largi si vaporoase, la sandale si vreme calduroasa. Sunt o persoana solara, fara lumina de la soare, fara razele care sa-mi mangaie parul nu rezist prea mult timp, ma deprima zilele intunecate nesfarsite, iar iarna asta a avut din plin din aceste zile care parca nu se mai terminau. Asa ca eu una, in pofida trecerii timpului atat de rapida, sunt fericita ca de apropiem de primavara.

Si desi maine e Valentine’s Day, tortul acesta nu a fost facut pentru aceasta ocazie, ci pentru a celebra tocmai apropierea primaverii. Mi se pare magnific cum, desi inca iarna, elemente ale primaverii si-au facut aparitia – capsune proaspete, lalele – inconjurate inca de pere, mere, portocale, toate sinonime cu iarna din punct de vedere culinar. Asa ca tortul acesta reprezinta imbinarea perfecta dintre iarna si primavara, trecerea dintre cele doua anotimpuri, trecerea de la mancarurile grele si torturile bogate, la cele fresh, usoare, aromate. O parte din elementele acestui tort au mai fost prezentate pe blog asa ca garantez pentru reusita lor si va invit sa va delectati pupilele (si papilele) cu acest tort delicios!

Ingrediente:

Blat:

• 400g faina alba
• 1 1/2 lingurite praf de copt
• 1/2 lingurita sare
• 30g nuca de cocos
• 125g unt, moale
• 100ml ulei vegetal neutru
• 250g zahar alb
• 2 oua
• 1 lingurita extract de vanilie
• 2 lingurite coaja de portocala
• 125g smantana
• 250ml lapte batut
• 1 lingurita bicarbonat de sodiu

Crema de branza pe baza de bezea belgiana:

• 3 albusuri
• 130g zahar
• 1/4 lingurita sare
• 1 1/2 lingurite extract de vanilie
• 145g unt la temperatura camerei
• 300g crema de branza

Jeleu de capsune cu portocale rosii:

• 200g capsune proaspete, cuburi
• 300g segmente de portocale rosii (segmente inseamna felii de portocala fara coaja)
• 1 lingurita coaja de portocala
• 50g zahar
• 10g pectina de fructe (eu am folosit Gelifix Dr. Oetker 3:1)

Felii de portocala confiate:

• 100g zahar
• 100ml apa
• 2 portocale rosii, taiate felii subtiri

Mod de preparare:

Blat:

1. Pregatiti doua tavi rotunde de 18cm si preincalziti cuptorul la 180C.
2. Cerneti faina cu praful de copt si sarea intr-un bol apoi adaugati nuca de cocos razuita.
3. Mixati untul, uleiul si zaharul intr-un bol pana obtineti o compozitie cremoasa, fina.
4. Adaugati ouale, unul cate unul, apoi vanilia, coaja de portocala si smantana.
5. Amestecati laptele batut cu bicarbonatul.
6. Incorporati faina in amestecul de unt, alternand-o cu laptele batut. Incepeti si terminati cu ingredientele uscate.
7. Turnati blatul in cele 2 tavi pregatite si coaceti pentru 40-45 minute sau pana blatul trece testul scobitorii.
8. Lasati blaturile sa se raceasca in tava apoi taiati-le in jumatate. Veti obtine 4 discuri de blat – desi in poze veti vedea doar 3 straturi caci in cazul meu, unul dintre discurile de blat a disparut in mod misterios dupa ce un anume baietel si-a facut aparitia in bucatarie.

Jeleu de capsune si portocale rosii:

1. Combinati toate ingredientele intr-un vas si fierbeti 5 minute doar pana fructele sunt usor moi.
2. Luati de pe foc si lasati amestecul sa se raceasca complet.

Crema de branza pe baza de bezea:

1. Combinati albusurile, sarea si zaharul intr-un bol rezistent la caldura. Puneti bolul pe o baie de aburi si infierbantati amestecul bine, amestecand continuu pana zaharul e topit complet iar amestecul e fierbinte.
2. Luati bolul de pe baia de aburi si mixati albusurile cu un mixer electric cel putin 5 minute pana obtineti o bezea ferma, lucioasa, iar bolul s-a racit complet.
3. Adaugati untul la temperatura camerei si mixati bine. La inceput, compozitia va fi apoasa, moale, dar continuati sa mixati pana obtineti o crema de unt bine legata, cremoasa, fina.
4. Mixati crema de branza cu vanilia, apoi adaugati crema de unt, lingura dupa lingura.
5. Turnati cateva linguri de crema de branza intr-un pos si dati deoparte.

Felii de portocala confiate:

1. Combinati apa si zaharul intr-un bol si fierbeti pana se topeste zaharul.
2. Adaugati feliile de portocala si fierbeti-le 10 minute la foc mic. Lasati portocalele sa se raceasca in sirop.
3. Scurgeti feliile de portocala bine apoi asezati-le pe o tava tapetata cu hartie de copt.
4. Coaceti la 180C pentru 5-10 minute sau pana feliile de portocala incep sa se caramelizeze.
5. Scoateti din cuptor si lasati-le sa se raceasca complet.

Pentru a asambla tortul:

1. Asezati un disc de blat pe un platou apoi turnati cu posul un strat de crema pe marginile blatului. Umpleti centrul cu jeleu de capsune si portocale apoi acoperiti cu un al doilea disc de blat si repetati procedeul si cu restul de crema si jeleu.
2. Acoperiti tortul cu un strat de crema de branza si dati la rece.
3. Decorati tortul cu felii de portocala confiate si capsune proaspete.