Happy Birthday Moe

It was Moe's birthday yesterday.

Family Tradition for Moe's birthday is

a cake/dessert of some sort with Strawberries. 

Doesn't matter which cake or dessert as long as 

there are strawberries.  

This year I made a cake that I haven't made in a few years.

Strawberry Genoise.

First time I made this was back in 1984. 

Strawberry Genoise

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This cake is from the 1984 Food and Wine Magazine. 

Genoise

Makes one 10 x 3 inch round layer

1-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

8 eggs, at room temperature

1-1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 cup clarified butter, tepid

Filling

1 cup heavy cream chilled

2 tablespoons confctioners sugar

1 tablespoon framboise, raspberry brandy

1 pint coarsely chopped strawberries

sliced strawberries and fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Raspberry Syrup Recipe

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon framboise (raspberry brandy)

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup of

water. Bring to boil over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the

sugar. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10

minutes. Stir in the framboise.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly butter a 10 inch springform pan.

Cover the bottom with a round of parchment or waxed paper. Lightly

butter the paper. dust the entire pan with flour; 

tap out any excess.

Sift the flour two more times on a piece of waxed paper

and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and lemon zest. Set over

- not in - a large saucepan filled one-quarter of the way with hot

water. Warm over low heat, whisking occasionally, until the

mixture is smooth and syrupy, with a deep yellow color and feels

warm to the touch, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the warmed eggs and sugar at high

speed until tripled in volume and holds a ribbon for a full 10

seconds after the beaters are lifed. (This will take 10 to 15

minutes if you are using a kitchenaide type mixer or 15 to 20

minutes with a hand beater.)

Sprinkle half the flour on top of the beaten egg mixture. Using a

balloon whisk, fold in the flour lightly but thoroughly, using

scooping and swirling motions and lifting the whisk out of the

mixture with each folding stroke. Pour the tepid butter on top and

quickly fold it in, using the same motion. Spoon the remaining

flour on top and fold in quickly and delicately, with a minimum

number of strokes; too much folding will deflate the batter. Pour

into the springform pan and tap once on the counter to help spread

the batter evenly.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes to 45 minutes, until

the cake is golden brown on top and a cake tester inserted in the

centre comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and tranfer to a wire rack to cool for 5

minutes. Remove the sides of the pan. Invert to remove the bottom;

peel off the waxed paper. Invert again to let the cake cook

right-side up on a wire rack for 2 or 3 hours.

If making ahead, wrap airtight in plastic and store in a cool dry

place for up to three days or freeze.

Hollow out the cake: Using a potlid or tart pan bottom as a guide,

centre a 7 inch circle on top of the genoise and with the tip of a

sharp knife, cut down 1 inch deep into the cake and 

cut around the circle.

Insert the knife in the side of the cake 1 inch down from the top

and swivel it back and forth, keeping the knife horizontal. The

idea is to remove the 7 inch circle of cake from the top, leaving

the sides of the cake intact.

Carefully remove the top of the cake and with the cake cut side

up, trim off enough of the cake to leave an even layer of 1/2 inch

thick. Cut this round into 8 wedges and reserve.

Place the genoise shell on a large serving platter. Carefully

hollow out the inside with a knife, leaving a 1/2 inch layer on

the sides and a 1 inch layer on the bottom.

Cut the insides pieces roughly into 1/2 inch cubes and place them

in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the rasperry syrup on

top and toss to moisten.

Brush the insides of the genoise shell with the remaining

Raspberry Syrup, dabbing generously on the sides and lightly on

the bottom. Do not moisten the wedges.

In a large bowl, beat the cream with 1 tablespoon of the

confectioners sugar and the framboise until soft peaks form. Fold

in the chopped strawberries and the moistened cubes of cake.

Spoon this filling into the genoise shell, spreading it into an

even layer. Arrange the wedges of cake decoratively on top, in a

spiral pattern with the points meeting in the middle. For

decoration, slice whole strawberries almost through to stem and

fan out. Place one on the edge under each wedge and a couple in

the middle. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar 

and a some sprigs of mint.