from I Love You
Inspired by Tarte Tropezienne, a staple in Saint-Tropez. If you can find tiny wild forest strawberries (fraises des bois) you are in luck. I adore them. Red currants are nice, too, and fitting for a romantic forest fairy wedding or celebration. This is a recipe for a grand multitiered cake – but you can also make a petite version. I always add flowers and every cake looks different. It’s a little rustic sauvage but also delicate and not too sweet…I get asked a lot for this recipe.
Ingredients
Brioche
2 ¼ cups (540 mL) unsweetened plant milk
5 tsp (15 g) active dry yeast
7 ¼ cups (900 g) unbleached organic all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups (150 g) powdered sugar
2 ¾ tsp fine sea salt
Finely grated zest of 3 oranges
¾ cup (180 mL) vegetable oil
3 tbsp orange blossom water
Plant creamer, for brushing
Diplomat Cream
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp (4 g) agar-agar
4 tsp cold water
2 ½ cups (600 mL) unsweetened plant milk, divided
1 vanilla bean
1 cup (125 g) plus 6 tbsp (45 g) powdered sugar
½ cup (60 g) cornstarch
Tiniest pinch of ground turmeric (optional, for colour)
2 (13.5 ounce/400 mL) cans unsweetened coconut cream, refrigerated overnight
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Tiny pinch of fine sea salt
Soaking Syrup
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Juice of 1 orange
1 tbsp orange blossom water
Assembly
Small, ripe strawberries, for decorating
Red currants, for decorating
Edible flowers, for decorating
Instructions
Make the brioche dough: In a small saucepan, heat the plant milk until lukewarm. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in the yeast. Let rest for 5 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt, orange zest, oil and orange blossom water. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Continue mixing on low speed while you slowly pour in the yeast mixture. When it has all been incorporated, mix on medium speed until a soft sticky dough forms, about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Place 2 pieces in a large bowl. Place the remaining piece in a separate bowl. Cover the bowls with damp clean kitchen towels and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, start the diplomat cream: In a small bowl, stir together the agar-agar and water. Measure 2 cups (480 mL) of the plant milk into a medium saucepan. Split and scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds and pod to the pot. Add the agar-agar mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking well. Remove from the heat and let infuse for 30 minutes.
Remove the vanilla bean. Bring to a boil again. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup (125 g) of the powdered sugar, the cornstarch, turmeric and remaining ½ cup (120 mL) plant milk. Add about one-third of the vanilla milk to the sugar mixture and stir. Then slowly add all the vanilla milk. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until it bubbles. Let it boil for 1 minute. Transfer to a container, lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface (this will prevent a skin from forming), and let cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, prepare the soaking syrup: Dissolve the granulated sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the orange blossom water.
Bake the brioche: Line the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) and a 6-inch (15 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with oil.
When the dough has risen, transfer to a clean work surface and press out the air. Shape each piece into a ball, then flatten the larger piece with your hands and place in the prepared 9-inch (23 cm) cake pan. Press down on the dough so that it covers the entire bottom of the pan. Flatten the smaller ball of dough with your hands and place in the prepared 6-inch (15 cm) cake pan. Press down on the dough in the same way. Cover with damp clean kitchen towels and let rise in a warm spot until puffy, 15 to 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325F (160C).
Brush the tops of the brioche layers with plant creamer. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans on a wire rack.
Finish the diplomat cream: Carefully open the chilled cans of coconut cream. Scoop out the creamiest part, which will be at the top, and transfer to a medium bowl, leaving behind the watery part at the bottom. Using an electric mixer, start at low speed and gradually increase until you have the desired whipped cream consistency. Add the remaining 6 tbsp (45 g) powdered sugar and the vanilla. Whisk again until mixed.
Whisk the cooled pastry cream to loosen, then fold in one-quarter of the whipped coconut cream. When it is well incorporated, fold in the remaining coconut cream.
Assemble the cake: Trim the rounded top off the larger cooled brioche. Using a long, serrated knife, cut it through the middle twice to create three large, even layers. Cut the smaller cooled brioche through the middle three times to create four small, even layers. Brush the layers with the soaking syrup. Place one of the flat larger layers on a cake stand. Spread it with some diplomat cream and decorate with fresh fruit and flowers. Place the rounded larger layer on top and spoon diplomat cream in the center so that the next layer will stick. Then stack one of the flat smaller layers on top, followed by more diplomat cream plus fruit and flowers, the final flat smaller layer, the remaining cream filling plus fruit and flowers, and then the rounded smaller layer. Dust the cake generously with powdered sugar. Refrigerate until serving.
Makes 1 grand multitiered cake.
Petite Variation: To make just a petite version of the grand cake, do a half batch of the brioche and bake it in a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan. Once cool, cut the brioche through the middle to create two or three layers. You’ll need only half the diplomat cream filling and half the syrup.
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: Have a special event coming up? Practice with a small version to ensure you are confident with all the steps and then progress to a larger cake. Decorate the cake to suit the occasion and put your own creative spin on it. Your guests will love it!
Excerpted from I LOVE YOU by Pamela Anderson with Maria Zizka. Copyright © 2024 by Anderson Media Company, LLC. Photographs by Ditte Isager. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/pamela-anderson/i-love-you/9780316573481/
