July 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge # 54: FRESH MATCHA FRAISIERS!

I just couldn't stop thinking about the kind of Fraiers that I want to make, after reading the challenge of this month. July 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge # 54: FRESH MATCHA FRAISIERS! We gonna make this lovely cake!

There are many variations that we can make, because strawberry can go along well with many things too, chocolate, orange, cherry, other berries and etc., and I just couldn't decide which one is the one that I will make.
Finally, I turn to the combination that I once make in verrines (didn't post it, because I didn't have a chance to take a photo), the chocolate, Japanese green tea powder (Matcha) and strawberry. They are great combination esp. when green tea is in creamy form, the bitterness of it will be tamed down into something soft and addicted ^^. While the chocolate is a good back up from behind, with a little kick from the Crème de cacao. 
I'm so happy that I have a chance to try the chiffon recipe from the book: Tartine  by Elisabeth M Prueitt and Chad Robertson, I love this book and my friends adore this recipe, but I have so many things that I want to do and forgot about it.  I really like it, the chiffon cake is soft, moist and has good texture and most of all it's very easy to make (you can see the recipe here).
You can make this cake in 20cm size or if you're crazy about small cake like me, you can turn it into small size cakes and be happy with the loveliness of it ^^. 
"Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine."

FRESH MATCHA FRAISIERS!

Components:

1 baked 8 inch (20 cm) chocolate chiffon cake

1 recipe pastry cream filling

⅓ cup (80 ml) simple syrup with 2tbsp of Crème de cacao

2 lbs (900 g) strawberries

Pastry Cream Filling:

Ingredients:

1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) whole milk

1/8 teaspoon (1/2 ml) (¼ gm) salt, preferably kosher

2 tablespoons (30 ml) (10 gm)cornstarch

5g Japanese green tea powder (Matcha)

1/4 cup (60 ml) (2 oz/55 gm) sugar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons (30 ml) (1 oz/30 gm) unsalted butter

3/4 teaspoon (3¾ ml) (4 gm) gelatin

1/2 tablespoon (7½ ml) water

1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) heavy cream

Pour the milk and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine
Add the eggs to the sugar, matcha and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.
Bloom the gelatin in cold water.

Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat add the gelatin, stir to combine and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.

Cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.

Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let the pastry cream cool completely.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

Fraisier Assembly:

Directions:

Line the sides of a 8-inch (20 cm) spring form pan with plastic wrap. Do not line the bottom of the pan.
Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers.
Fit the bottom layer into the prepared spring form pan. Moisten the layer evenly with the simple syrup. When the cake has absorbed enough syrup to resemble a squishy sponge, you have enough.
Hull and slice in half enough strawberries to arrange around the sides of the cake pan. Place the cut side of the strawberry against the sides of the pan, point side up forming a ring.
Pipe cream in-between strawberries and a thin layer across the top of the cake.
Hull and quarter your remaining strawberries and place them in the middle of the cake. Cover the strawberries and entirely with the all but 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of the pastry cream.
Place the second cake layer on top and moisten with the simple syrup.


Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To serve release the sides of the spring form pan and peel away the plastic wrap.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

July 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge # 54: 

FRESH MATCHA FRAISIERS!