Recipe:

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Ivoire Royale

Makes one 10-inch cake; serves 14 to 16

When making the cake batter and the mousse, the sour cream should be at room temperature so that it folds in easily. Also remember that once you have made the whipped cream, it must be used immediately. While not difficult to master, the décor requires some confidence with a pastry bag. As an easier option, toast any extra cake cut off during assembly, grind the pieces into crumbs and use them to edge the sides. The top can be finished with simple rosettes and a sprinkling of fresh berries.

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Sour Cream Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons of unsalted butter, melted but not hot

• 6 large eggs

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil

• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

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Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-by-3-inch cake pan with removable bottom with the melted butter and line the bottom with a 10-inch-diameter parchment paper round.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and lightens in color, about 7 minutes.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add the sour cream mixture to the eggs and sugar and whip just until blended.

4. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the sifted ingredients to the batter, mixing just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed. Do not over mix. If necessary, finish folding in the sifted ingredients by hand.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and place on a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the cake until golden brown, about 90 minutes. The top of the cake may crack while baking. The cake is done when a knife blade inserted into the center comes out clean and when the top of the cake springs back lightly when touched.

6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan and peel the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap until ready to use. The Sour Cream Pound Cake can be stored for up to 1 day in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 1 week.
    

Vanilla Simple Syrup

Ingredients

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
   

Directions

1. Combine the sugar with ½ cup water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, pour into a clean bowl and allow to cool.

2. Once fully cooled, stir in the vanilla and 2 tablespoons water until well combined. The Vanilla Simple Syrup will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    

White Chocolate Sour Cream Mousse

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

• 6.5 ounces (1¼ cups) good-quality white chocolate, chopped

• 1¼ cups heavy cream

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Directions

1. Place the sour cream in a mixing bowl and whisk quickly to loosen. If the sour cream is colder than room temperature, gently warm it in a microwave.

2. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof mixing bowl.

3. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let sit for a couple of minutes before whisking until smooth and fully combined.

4. Using a hand whisk, mix the sour cream into the white chocolate ganache in 2 additions. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the White Chocolate Sour Cream Mousse and refrigerate overnight to set. The White Chocolate Sour Cream Mousse can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, until ready to use. This mousse recipe can be used cold, directly from the refrigerator.

 

To assemble cake

1 pint fresh strawberries

3 cups heavy cream

¼ cup granulated sugar

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Sour Cream Pound Cake, baked and cooled

1 recipe Vanilla Simple Syrup

1 recipe White Chocolate Sour Cream Mousse

1 cup each fresh raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.

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Directions

1. Hull approximately 8 medium-size strawberries and slice each into 10 to 12 pieces.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream and the sugar until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. The whipped cream must be used immediately so it does not lose its volume and soften. Fit a pastry bag with a ½-inch plain round decorating tip and fill with half of the whipped cream.

3. Place the unwrapped pound cake on a flat work surface. Using a long, serrated knife, slice off the top ¼ inch to even out the top of the cake as necessary. Set the cut piece aside to be used later as an option to edge the cake. Slice the cake horizontally into 3 even layers.

4. Using a 10-inch cake board as the bottom of a 10-by-3-inch cake pan with removable bottom, place one cake layer on the cake board cut-side up. Using a pastry brush, moisten the cake layer with one-third of the Vanilla Simple Syrup.

5. Using an offset spatula, cover the syrup-soaked cake layer with approximately one-quarter of the White Chocolate Sour Cream Mousse. Using the filled pastry bag, pipe a layer of whipped cream over the mousse in a spiral pattern, using the entire bag. Refill the bag with the remaining whipped cream to be used on the next layer. Sprinkle 1 cup of raspberries and the sliced strawberries over the whipped cream.

6. Top with a second layer of cake and repeat with the syrup, mousse and whipped cream. Sprinkle with 1 cup blueberries and 1 cup blackberries.

7. Top with the final layer of cake and moisten with the remaining Vanilla Simple Syrup. Using an offset spatula, spread the remaining White Chocolate Sour Cream Mousse evenly over the top of the cake. Tightly wrap the cake in the pan in plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight.

 

Décor

Ingredients

• 3 cups heavy cream

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• White chocolate shavings (optional)

• ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted

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Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream and the sugar until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Fit a pastry bag with a ¼-inch 7-point star decorating tip and fill with half of the whipped cream.

2. Remove the assembled cake from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap and unmold the cake from the pan. Using an offset spatula, spread a ½-inch-thick layer of the remaining whipped cream around the sides and top of the cake as evenly as possible.

3. Using the pastry bag and working in a clockwise direction, pipe straight lines around the side of the cake from the bottom edge to the top. Return the decorated cake to the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours or overnight to thaw and to allow all of the fruit to fully defrost.

4. One hour before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator and place on a doily-covered 12-inch round cake board or directly onto a cake plate. Finish decorating the cake using piles of white chocolate shavings, if desired. Fill a small sieve with the powdered sugar and generously dust the top of the cake.

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Tips 

•To make a cake in advance and keep it fresh, wrap the just-baked and cooled cake in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze. It will keep for several weeks. If keeping in the freezer longer, place the plastic-wrapped cake inside a plastic container to keep out freezer odors.

•To avoid a lopsided cake, freeze the layered cake and filling in the cake ring before decorating. Remove from the freezer and add the final decorations as the cake is thawing.

•To enhance the flavor of chocolate-cream mixtures like mousses and ganaches, refrigerate overnight so that the flavors marry.

•Use toasted cake crumbs to add crunch and decorate the sides of cakes. Toast cake trimmings in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 20 minutes until dry. Crumble and store in an airtight container until needed.

•Baking times are approximate because ovens vary. Check for doneness starting three-quarters of the way through the baking time. Also invest in an oven thermometer to verify temperatures and locate oven hot spots.

•Before starting to bake, make sure you have all the needed ingredients. Measure to be certain you have the correct amounts as well. Also prepare the components in the order given. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/lifestyle/food-and-cooking/sdut-sweet-success-2011oct07-htmlstory.html