In my humble opinion, meringues live their best life when tumbled together with barely-sweetened cream and fresh fruits. If you’re feeling extra, a citrus curd adds a rich dimension while conveniently using up orphaned egg yolks from making the meringue. If that’s not delicious serendipity, I dunno what is. In this luxurious Honey Cardamom Meringue Roulade with Mandarin Curd, there is billowy whipped cream kissed with honey and orange blossom water, dribbles of luscious mandarin curd, and fresh juicy mandarin segments. All of it gets rolled up snug as a bug inside a marshmallow-y duvet of cardamom-flavored meringue. More fresh fruit and a smattering of crunchy slivered almonds on top is the perfect touch for a beautiful presentation and for each perfect, textured bite.
Read moreApple and Tahini Frangipane Tart
Considering how much this Apple and Tahini Frangipane Tart blew my socks off, it has taken me too long to post the recipe here! Imagine the flavors and textures of these layers: shatteringly flaky puff pastry, creamy decadent frangipane, sweet apple slices and crunchy almonds. Altogether, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Read moreWhole Roasted Duck with Plum Butter Glaze + Slaw
May I interest you in an epic recipe perfect for the holidays? Actually, it is ideal for any dinner party at any time of the year, for that matter. Yes? I’m so glad! Because today I’m sharing this recipe — the second of my six-recipe collaboration with All-Clad Canada — a succulent Whole Roasted Duck with Plum Butter Glaze + Slaw made with All-Clad Canada’s Large Roaster with Rack. This was such a fabulous meal that everyone loved. I highly recommend this recipe if you’re into impressive, delicious, and NOT the same-old-same-old!
Read moreVanilla Layer Cake with Peach-Passionfruit Curd { gluten-free }
Tender and rich. Gorrrgeous in a subtle and unpretentious way. Reliable, yet full of surprise. Ladies, I know it sounds like I’m describing the perfect man but what I’m talking about is even better (read: attainable, real, non-fictitious. Ha. Sorry fellas, I couldn't resist 😉). I’m talking about this cake: gluten-free vanilla cake layers with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream hiding a luscious, peach-passionfruit curd inside. I’ve declared this Vanilla Layer Cake with Peach-Passionfruit Curd my favourite cake of all time! The recipe for the gluten-free vanilla cake itself is frankly, the only gf vanilla cake recipe you’ll ever need. But the show-stopper here is the peach-passionfruit curd which is simply sublime.
And both of my girls agree. Which is extra, extra important because I made this cake for Elise, for her 6th birthday. The flavour of her birthday cake to-be was the topic of many, many conversations leading up to the actual day. Six year olds take their birthdays very seriously (bless their sweet little hearts). We came up with this flavour together, the day we stumbled upon our beloved passionfruit on sale for half price at Whole Foods and each gleefully grabbed handfuls of them into our shopping cart. They are normally pricey little suckers probably on account of them being tropical, or at least subtropical, fruits that do not grow anywhere near us.
It’s also late summer, so there are loads of peaches on sale as well. Peaches and passionfruit are heavenly together so it is no surprise that this peach-passionfruit curd is to die for. Do try to make it before peach season is over. (And if the season is over, you can puree frozen peaches for the curd).
Remember when I said ‘tender and rich’? I was in fact referring to the gluten-free vanilla cake layers. I make it often as my go-to vanilla cake or cupcakes. Some say it tastes as good as, if not better than, a traditional version made with wheat flour. Yup. It’s really good. The egg (yolks), the butter, and the almond flour are to be credited for its lovely richness. Whipped egg whites folded into the batter at the last step to lighten it up, my trick for gluten-free bakes. This cake is similar to a pound cake in that it has a dense but moist crumb. Do take a moment to read the NOTES below, before starting, as they are there to help you.
NOTES:
Thick batter: The vanilla cake layers in this cake are rich and cakey, rather than light and fluffy. This is by design, as it is more similar to pound cake. The cake batter will seem very thick when spreading into cake pans but don’t worry, they will bake up just as it looks in the photos, with a moist and dense crumb.
Lightly sweet: The cake batter is intentionally sweetened with a light hand (i.e. not a lot of sugar) since it is part of a layer cake, surrounded by Swiss Meringue Buttercream which is very sweet. Together, they are a perfect bite.
Almond Flour: For baked goods, you should always use almond flour that is blanched (no brown bits / skin) and finely-ground. I use either Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour or JK Gourmet Very Fine Ground Almond Flour. I believe Costco also sells a reasonably priced fine almond flour under their Kirkland brand. (not sponsored)
Gluten-Free Flour: Each brand of gluten-free flour blend is not the same. Therefore, using different brands may yield different outcomes. I always use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour because it is very accessible and available in most grocery stores. (not sponsored)
Make in Advance: The cake layers can be baked a day ahead, kept well-wrapped in a cool room or several days ahead but kept frozen (wrap well then frozen inside freezer bag) and defrosted overnight. The Swiss Meringue Buttercream can be made ahead and kept in a cool room for 3-4 days. The Peach-Passionfruit Curd can be stored in tightly-lidded container in the fridge for up to a week.
Tip for Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Make sure the butter is at a “cool” room temp of about 65f. If it curdles at any point, whip the mixture on high speed for as long as it takes to get it smooth again, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Quickest way is to also aim a hairdryer perpendicularly at the mixing bowl as it whips. Works like a charm every single time.
Vanilla Layer Cake with Peach-Passionfruit Curd
Recipe makes one 3-layer 6” round cake (pictured in blog post) or one 2-layer 8” round cake.
Yield: 6" cake
Vanilla Layer Cake with Peach-Passionfruit Curd
Ingredients
For the Peach-Passionfruit Curd (makes ~1 cup of curd):
For the Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream (makes ~3 cups which is just enough for naked cake look, as pictured in blog post. Double the recipe for traditional frosted cake).
For the Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Layers:
Optional for garnish:
Instructions
Prepare the Peach-Passionfruit Curd
- Heat and whisk all the curd ingredients, except the passionfruit pulp, in a small pot over low heat. Once the butter has completely melted, increase the heat to medium-low and cook 7-10 minutes or until tiny bubbles surface, all the while stirring frequently. Keep going until mixture is noticeably thickened, like thin yogurt. A thermometer should read 170f. Strain over a sieve into a bowl and stir in passionfruit pulp. The curd will thicken further as it cools, to the final pudding-like consistency of curd. Refrigerate if not using right away.
Prepare the Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Place both sugar and egg whites into a large bowl. Set the bowl over a double boiler (making sure the bowl bottom does not touch the water in the pot), whisk sugar and egg whites, stirring and moving everything around constantly, until mixture reaches 160f or you can feel between your fingers that the sugar grains are completely dissolved. Pour mixture into the metal bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until thick, glossy and white (very firm peaks), about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, sift confectioner's sugar. Once the egg whites are done, turn the stand mixer to the lowest speed and add the confectioner's sugar all at once. Let the whisk turn a few times to settle the sugar before increasing mixer speed to medium-high and whisking until everything is evenly incorporated. While the mixer is still running on medium-high, add the room temperature butter in 2-tbsp chunks at a time until all of it is incorporated. Add the vanilla bean paste or extract. Mix until thoroughly combined. Switch to the paddle attachment and blend on medium-low speed until the buttercream is nice and smooth, about a minute. Swiss meringue buttercream can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. Tip: if your Swiss meringue buttercream curdles at any point, whip the mixture on high speed for as long as it takes to get it smooth again, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Quickest way is to also aim a hairdryer perpendicularly at the mixing bowl as it whips. Works like a charm every single time.
Prepare the Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Layers:
- Preheat oven to 325f. Lightly grease and/or line with parchment paper, three 6” round cake pans (or two 8” round pans). Whisk the flours, baking powder and salt together and set aside. Place the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, and cream them at medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs (whites in a separate vessel). Add the yolks to the butter-sugar mixture and beat a minute more. Add the flour mixture all at once and beat on low until just mixed. Using a hand-whisk, whip egg whites to soft peaks. (Alternatively, you may scoop out cake batter, clean bowl thoroughly, and whisk the whites in the stand mixer on high (8 speed) to soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Fold the whites into the cake batter. Divide batter evenly amongst your prepared cake pans. If you are making three 6” cakes, bake them for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer pierced into the middle emerges clean with just a crumb or two. If you are bake two 8” cakes, bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer emerges clean with just a crumb or two. Since ovens vary widely, it is always a good idea to check doneness earlier to ensure cake does not over-bake. Over-baking will surely result in dry cake. Cool cakes in their pans for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then remove the cakes and cool rest of the way. Make sure cakes are fully cooled before frosting.
Assemble the Cake:
- Scoop some of the buttercream into a piping bag and snip off the end for ¾” opening – you just need to eyeball enough to pipe rings around the edge of the inside layer(s) to encircle the curd. Place bottom cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Scoop about ½ cup of buttercream for 6” cake (more for 8” cake) and spread evenly with spatula. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge. Fill center of the ring with fully cooled peach-passionfruit curd, about ¼ cup for a 6” cake layer, more for 8”. Place next cake layer on top, upside down so the flat bottom is facing upward. Repeat one more time for a three-layered cake, placing final cake layer upside down again so the flat cake bottom is facing upward. Frost top and outside of cake with a thin layer of buttercream, filling in the outside in between the layers as needed and smoothing the buttercream with a spatula or icing smoother. This is the crumb coat. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Frost entire cake with remaining buttercream, this time taking more care for a smooth finish. Garnish the cake with fresh peaches, fresh passionfruit curd and flowers or petals if you like. I used Dahlias with the stems wrapped in plastic food wrap since they were not specifically grown to use with food.
Notes
1. Almond Flour: For cakes, baked goods, pancakes etc, you should always use almond flour that is blanched (no brown bits / skin) and finely-ground. I use either Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour or JK Gourmet Very Fine Ground Almond Flour. I believe Costco also sells a reasonably priced fine almond flour under their Kirkland brand. (not sponsored)
2. Gluten-Free Flour: Each brand of gluten-free flour blend is not the same. Therefore, using different brands may yield different outcomes. I always use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour because it is very accessible and available in most grocery stores. (not sponsored)
3. Make in Advance: The cake layers can be baked a day ahead, kept well-wrapped in a cool room or several days ahead but kept frozen (wrap well then frozen inside freezer bag) and defrosted overnight. The Swiss Meringue Buttercream can be made ahead and kept in a cool room for 3-4 days. The Peach-Passionfruit Curd can be stored in tightly-lidded container in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
1155Fat
90 gSat. Fat
48 gCarbs
96 gFiber
7 gNet carbs
73 gSugar
62 gProtein
15 gSodium
281 mgCholesterol
404 mgDisclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and should only be used as an approximation.
Copyright 2024 © saltnpepperhere. All content including images is copyrighted and may not be republished or copied in part or whole without prior written permission and proper credit.
Crab Cakes with Peach Salsa and Tarragon Aioli
Is it just me or are people pretty divisive when it comes to crab versus lobster? I feel like they’re usually in one camp or the other, with few who like them equally. It may be the more pedestrian choice but I’ve always been team lobster since I was a child. My husband, on the other hand, is all about the crab. My lobster bias is due in no small part to sheer laziness and my desire to get large juicy morsels of seafood into my mouth with a minimal amount of work. Large lobster tails = chunks of seafood in my mouth with minimal work. There is no equivalent body part on a crab! Eating crab requires patience and finesse to extract the meat from the claws, legs and body. But ahhhhh…enter: LUMP CRAP MEAT. Fresh picked and already cooked, juicy crab meat can be purchased from any seafood monger or the seafood counter of a well-stocked grocery store. This magical food item is ready to be tossed with a shortlist of simple ingredients to create this decadent yet totally approachable recipe, Crab Cakes with Peach Salsa and Tarragon Aioli. Imagine the warm and juicy crab cakes together with the cool creaminess of tarragon aioli and zippy freshness of the peach salsa! This meal will awaken your taste buds, guaranteed.
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This recipe for CHILLED NOODLES WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE is a refreshing and delicious recipe featuring bouncy noodles loaded with a variety of crisp veggies and shredded chicken all tossed in a Chinese-style creamy, savoury, spicy and tangy peanut butter sauce. I think of this as the Chinese version of pasta salad! Perfect on warm days as a standalone meal or as a side dish for bbq parties. Great in a packed lunch or as a potluck offering since it keeps and transports so well.
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To say the recent arrival of Teri Turner’s wonderful new cookbook No Crumbs Left, Recipes for Everyday Food Made Marvelous was highly anticipated by her legion of loyal fans (she calls her “crumbles”) would be a massive understatement. I have been following Teri’s instagram for years. She approaches cooking with the ease and confidence that inspires so many of us. “Don’t be afraid to fail; it’s just food” is what Teri frequently says. Don’t those words alone empower you to tackle almost anything in your kitchen?
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This Spaghetti with Clams and Shishito Peppers with a Pancetta-Hazelnut Topping is one of those dishes you can make rather quickly on any given night for your family but also elevated enough for your most important dinner guests. And everyone will assume you slaved over it all afternoon too 😉
Read moreSpringtime White Lasagna { gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian }
Are you Team White Sauce or Team Red Sauce? Honestly, I have been Team Red all the way, all my life. BUT, this dreamy creamy Springtime White Lasagna almost made me second guess my lifelong allegiance. Plus, I tricked my whole family into eating THREE whole different kinds of green vegetables in ONE meal because of this luscious, roasted garlic cream sauce. I said roasted garlic cream sauce. I just wanted to make sure you read that. 😉 Can you even imagine??! It’s definitely kinda magical.
Read moreGluten-Free Carrot Cake
You may have noticed my love affair with cake. I’m not too selective when it comes to flavour. I have no prejudices and have enough love (and sweet tooth) in me to love them all! Unless they are excessively sweet. If you’ve baked any of my cake or loaf recipes, you may have noticed that my palate prefers just-sweet-enough desserts that don’t ache my teeth or leaves me feeling ill after eating it. Carrot cakes, in particular, seem to be guilty of being cloyingly sweet. Is it the sweetness of the carrots? The cream cheese frosting? Perhaps both. In any case, if you love carrot cakes, you will love this perfectly sweet, perfectly moist, slightly better-for-you Gluten Free Carrot Cake with an amazing tangy, “no-cream-cheese” frosting that might blow your mind like it did mine.
Read moreCreamy Avocado Pesto Pasta with King Crab (or Shrimp) { gluten-free, dairy-free }
This amazing Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta with King Crab (or Shrimp) is a luxurious, creamy pasta dish fit for royalty but is also pretty perfect for a quick meal because it involves minimal cooking and is ready in less than 30 minutes. There is a reason why king crab meat is so beloved by seafood lovers all over the world. Nothing compares to their succulence and sweetness. If you haven’t yet tried, you should find a good excuse to splurge on it to taste for yourself. But for an everyday, less bougie yet still delicious version, shrimp is the way to go in this pasta. The recipe for either option is nearly identical (and I walk you through both in the recipe).
Read moreTuna and Kimchi Onigirazu aka Japanese Rice Sandwich { gluten-free, dairy-free }
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Read moreTahini Cake with Berries { gluten-free }
I’ve baked enough gluten-free cakes to confidently say that despite its bad rap, gluten-free cakes need not to be dry or dense or sandy in texture. They can be moist, light and often times in my opinion, more flavourful than wheat flour cakes depending on the ingredients used. In this case, I use a mix of almond flour (see - flavour boost right there) and gluten-free flour blend. Egg yolks provide richness and egg whites (whipped) provide airiness to lighten the denser nature of gluten-free flours.
Read moreThai Coconut Soup, The Living Kitchen Cookbook { gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, Whole30, vegan, vegetarian }
All it took was a delicious cookie. The kind that is hearty and chunky with all my favourite things like seeds and cacao nibs and cranberries and goji berries and tahini (aka my favourite butter of all time until infinity). The kind that promises to be hearty, healthy AND delicious, and actually delivers on that promise. It’s no wonder that I fell in love with it and have made the recipe more than half a dozen times. And in falling in love with the cookie, I discovered and also fell a little bit in love (not in a creepy stalker way … in a respectful admiration type of way) with its creators, Sarah Grossman and Tamara Green, the duo behind Living Kitchen Wellness blog and now their debut cookbook, The Living Kitchen Cookbook, Healing Recipes to Support Your During Cancer Treatment and Recovery.
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Last week I threw a little tapas dinner party and it was sooo much fun. Not to mention, utterly delicious! I made some of the greatest hits and you know what, they are all surprisingly easy to prepare, as you'll see in the recipes below. Are you ready for this epic, six-recipe blog post featuring some of the most popular and best loved tapas? I promise the deliciousness you're about to encounter will make your tastebuds extremely happy!
Read moreGinger Apricot Chicken
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Read moreThai Red Curry Noodle Soup with Shrimp Balls { gluten free, dairy free }
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Read moreKefir Gin Fizz Cocktail
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Read morePeppermint Chocolate Mousse with Meringue Kisses
SPOILER ALERT: This dairy-free and vegan chocolate mousse involves NO tofu, NO avocado, NO aquafaba and NO praying that the coconut cream will whip up properly. It is luxuriously rich with that dreamy fluffiness of traditional mousse. It is SUBLIME.
When I set out to make a dairy-free and vegan chocolate mousse, I deep-dived Google and Pinterest and came across a multitude of recipes using one of the four aforementioned ingredients: avocado, silken tofu, aquafaba (brine from canned chickpeas) and whipped up coconut cream. But I really, really wanted to create a version that steered clear of all of them. I wanted a recipe that uses more conventional dessert ingredients AND a fool-proof method, while still achieving a mousse that delivers the same intense chocolate flavor with a billowy texture that slightly melts on the tongue. No compromise.
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