Selection Of Cakes And Pastries Recipe
Make Selection Of Cakes And Pastries Recipe in just 4h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Vanilla Layer Cake
Chocolate Eclairs (Pastry and Filling)
Fruit Danish (Dough and Filling)
Method
Vanilla Layer Cake
- 1
Prepare and preheat
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- 2
Dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 0.5 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt until evenly combined.
- 3
Cream butter and sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 0.75 cups unsalted butter and 2 cups granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
- 4
Add eggs and oil
Add 4 large eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add 0.25 cups vegetable oil and 2 tsp vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- 5
Combine wet and dry
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and 1 cup whole milk in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
- 6
Bake
Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- 7
Assembly (optional frosting)
Once completely cool, level the cakes if needed. Fill and frost as desired (buttercream or whipped cream).
Chocolate Eclairs (Pastry and Filling)
- 8
Make choux pastry
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 0.25 cups whole milk, 0.5 cups unsalted butter and 0.25 tsp salt. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add 1 cup flour all at once, stirring vigorously until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes to dry slightly. Transfer dough to a bowl or mixer and beat in 4 large eggs, one at a time, until the dough is smooth, glossy, and pipeable.
- 9
Pipe and bake
Pipe the dough into 4–5 inch logs (or 2–3 inch for smaller eclairs) on the prepared baking sheet. Smooth any peaks with a wet finger. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake another 15–20 minutes until puffed and deep golden. Do not open the oven while baking. Once baked, turn off oven, open door slightly and let eclairs dry in oven for 10 minutes to prevent collapse. Cool on a rack.
- 10
Make pastry cream
In a saucepan, heat 2 cups milk until simmering. Whisk together 0.75 cups granulated sugar, 0.25 cups cornstarch, and 4 egg yolks until pale. Temper the yolk mixture with a few tablespoons of hot milk, then pour mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbling. Cook 1 minute more to eliminate starchy taste. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbs unsalted butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap and chill until cold.
- 11
Assemble eclairs
Cut or poke a hole in the bottom of each éclair and fill with chilled pastry cream using a piping bag fitted with a small tip or by cutting the pastry in half and spooning in the cream.
- 12
Chocolate glaze
Place 6 oz chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Heat 0.5 cups heavy cream until simmering and pour over chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Dip the tops of filled eclairs into the glaze or spread with a spoon. Chill briefly to set.
Fruit Danish (Dough and Filling)
- 13
Activate yeast and mix dough
In a small bowl, sprinkle 2 tsp active dry yeast over 1 cup warm milk (110°F/43°C) with 1 tbsp of the 0.25 cups granulated sugar and let bloom for 5–10 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, the remaining sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Add the bloomed yeast, 0.25 cups softened butter, and 1 large egg. Mix until a soft dough forms. Knead briefly until smooth, about 3–4 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour in a warm place.
- 14
Laminate with butter
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a rectangle about 12x8 inches. Place 1 cup cold butter (flattened into a 6x6 inch square between parchment) on half the dough, fold the other half over to encase the butter and seal edges. Roll gently into a rectangle, fold into thirds (single turn), rotate 90°, chill 20–30 minutes. Repeat rolling and folding two more times (total 3 turns), chilling between turns, to create layers.
- 15
Prepare filling
In a bowl, beat 8 oz cream cheese with 0.5 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth and spreadable.
- 16
Shape danishes
After the final chill, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into rectangles (4x5 inches). Place a tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each, top with 1–2 tablespoons assorted fruit. Fold corners toward the center or create a border to hold the filling. Brush edges with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp milk) and let proof for 20–30 minutes until slightly puffy.
- 17
Bake
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake danishes for 15–20 minutes until golden and puffed. Remove and cool on a rack.
- 18
Finish
If desired, brush fruit lightly with warmed apricot jam (strained) to glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.
