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Strawberry-Rose Baby Cakes

Enjoy these elaborate and flavorful baby cakes: Strawberry Baby Cakes with Rose Tea-Infused Mousse.
Recipe Courtesy of Tea Time Magazine, April 2015.
https://www.teatimemagazine.com/strawberry-rose-baby-cakes-recipe/

Ingredients

  • 1 dry quart strawberries washed, hulled, and thinly sliced

Easy Sponge Cake (recipe follows)

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup self-rising flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Rose Tea–Infused Mousse (recipe follows)

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
  • ½ cup cold strongly brewed white tea divided
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • ½ vanilla bean split in half, seeds reserved
  • 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

Vanilla-Rose Crème (recipe follows)

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon rose water*

Instructions

Easy Sponge Cake (13x9x1 inch cake)

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Spray a (13-x-9-x-1-inch) baking pan with baking spray. Line with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, beat eggs, vanilla, and sugar at high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.
  • Sift flour and salt over egg mixture. Gently fold in. Spread batter into prepared pan.
  • Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, approximately 8 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Line 2 (12-cup) mini cheesecake pans with parchment strips. Cut 24 (2-inch) rounds from sponge cake. Carefully cut each in half horizontally.
  • Place a cake-round half in the bottom of each cheesecake well. Line sides of each well with sliced strawberries. Pipe approximately 1 tablespoon mousse into well. Top with remaining cake-round halves. Spread approximately 1 teaspoon Vanilla-Rose Crème on each cake-round half.
  • Refrigerate for 4 hours.
  • Carefully remove cakes from pan by pushing up each with a pencil or pen. Remove bottom disk, and pull away parchment strips. Pipe a small dollop of Vanilla-Rose Crème onto top of each cake.

Rose Tea-Infused Mousse (6 cups)

  • In the work bowl of a food processor, combine yolks and salt. Pulse to mix. Set aside.
  • In a small microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle gelatin over ¼ cup tea.
  • Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and remaining ¼ cup tea. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat until mixture begins to boil. Remove lid.
  • Continue to cook, approximately 16 minutes, until mixture reaches 240° on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat.
  • Place gelatin mixture in microwave and melt on High (100 percent power) for approximately 30 seconds. Add gelatin to hot syrup mixture, whisking until dissolved and smooth.
  • With food processor running, slowly and carefully pour in syrup mixture. Continue to pulse until mixture is thickened, cooled, and almost tripled in volume, approximately 4 minutes.
  • In a separate bowl, beat cream, reserved vanilla seeds, and extract at high speed with an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment until medium peaks form. Add syrup mixture, beating until stiff peaks form.
  • Refrigerate for 2 hours. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Use immediately.

Vanilla-Rose Créme (2 Cups)

  • In a medium bowl, beat cream, confectioners’ sugar, extract, and rose water at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.

Last Step

  • Garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired. Serve immediately, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

Notes

*Rose water can be found in the flavorings section of many major supermarkets and specialty-foods stores or in stores that specialize in Middle-Eastern food products.