WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #149

Weekend Cat Blogging # 149 is a special edition this weekend and is hosted by "A Byootaful Life", "HotMBC" and "Kashim and Othello".

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in their blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact them via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

At the moment, Fridolin is a yammer monster.
He can't stop wimpering and complaining for no particular reason as if he's asking for something...
He cries and cries without a break and it is really nerve-racking!
His new nickname is "Mosquito", because his little high-pitched cries sound very similar to the annoyingly persistent and shrilly sound that those horrible insects make!

DOWNPOURS AND FLOWER BLOSSOMS

Today, my post will be nature- and spring-oriented. The weather is so rotten that I need to blog about tree buds and flower blossoms in order to summon the sun to shine down on us...

The last days have been terribly disgusting and depressing weather-wise. Everyday, the sky is grey, we rarely see the sun, either it rains cats and dogs or we get horrible soakers and the air is fresh. I've seen better Aprils in the past!

Anyway, in order to chase those bad weather-induced melancholic feelings away, I recommend you to take your time in order to enjoy the beauty of those colorful natural wonders which I was lucky enough to capture two weeks ago (click on the pictures to enlarge).

A handmade gift from my good friend Corinne...
Thanks!

"BREAD BAKING CLASS" FOR USA EXPATS

Last Friday, by popular demand, I was asked to animate a "Bread Baking Class" for some of my American expat friends...

As my kitchen is quite narrow and not very big, it took place, in Veyrier, at my good friend Jessica's (see her blog "In Search Of Dessert") place. The course started at 9 am and finished around 1-2 pm. During this time, I showed them how to bake a Swiss traditional "Zopf" and how to make the most delicious "Lemon, Ricotta and Almond Pesto" (which we ate for lunch with spaghetti).

Braiding the dough.
- Photo Courtesy of Jessica -

It was really successful and everybody made braided loafs which looked perfect! I was really pleased with my, because it was the very first time that I taught others how to bake or cook something. I'm looking forwards to our next classes!

Thanks to Jessica, Cathy, Serena and Stephany for participating, being great pupils and for learning fast!!!

Rosa (me), Serena & Cathy (left to right) making the dough.
- Photo courtesy of Jessica -
Jessica & Stephany (left to right) kneading the dough.
Serena, Jessica & Stephany (left to right) shaping the dough into a braid.
The "Zopf" just before it was baked.
- Photo courtesy of Jessica -
Serena and Cathy (left to right) having fun.
The "Zopf" breads after the baking.

If you want to read Jessica's post (and see her pictures) regarding our "Bread Baking Class", then click here...

If anybody out there (Geneva area) is interested in learning how to bake (bread, cakes, cookies, etc..) or cook (from Swiss to exotic dishes), then please contact me and we can discuss prices! Please remember that I can only take two persons at a time...

Si quelqu'un (région genevoise) aimerait prendre part à un de mes cours (atelier pain, cake, biscuits/cookies, cuisine exotique ou bien de chez nous, etc...), alors n'hésitez pas à me contacter et on pourra discuter des tarifs (très attrayants)! Par contre, je ne peux que prendre 2 personnes à la fois...

QUIZ VI - THE ANSWER

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment has come to reveal the identity of that mysterious leaf (see last week's post) which was the cause of all tha brain racking...

Mesdames et Messieurs, voici enfin venu le moment tant attendu de révéler le nom de cette mystérieuse feuille (voir le billet de la semaine passée) qui vous à donner tant de fil à tordre...

No, it wasn't a yuka leaf, a banana leaf nor was it ramp, it was a "Pandan Leaf"!!!

Non, ce n'était pas une feuille de yuka ou de bananier, ni de l'ail des ours, mais bien une "Feuille de Pandan"!!!

Very lately, the new "trend" ingredient in the French blogosphere is "Pandan" (aroma, whether chemical or natural), so I thought that I might "surf on the wave" and put the culinary knowledge of both bloggers and readers to the test. To my surprise, many people actually know what this exotic plants looks like in reality.

Dernièrement, le nouvel ingrédients qui fait sensation dans la blogosphère française est le "Pandan" (arôme naturel ou chimique). De ce fait, j'ai décidé de "prendre le train en marche" et de tester les connaissances culinaires de mes chers blogeurs et lecteurs à ce sujet. A ma grande surprise, beaucoup de vous savent à quoi ressemble cette plante exotique.

I'm not a trendy person myself. If I like or discover something interesting, I generally do it out of such momentary mass movements... When I first go introduced to "Pandan", it was about 13 years ago. Since then, I have been literally addicted and in love to the delightful, subtile and unique fragrance of that wonderful plant!

Je ne suis pas quelqu'un de "in" par définition et je suis rarement les modes. Si j'aime ou découvre quelque chose d'intéressant, ça se passe généralement toujours hors des mouvements de masse... La première fois que j'ai découvert le "Pandan", c'était il y a à peu près 13 ans. Depuis ce jours-là, je n'ai pas arrêté d'être amoureuse et dépendante de l'arôme délicieux, subtil et unique que produit cette merveilleuse plante!

The "Pandanus" ("Daun Pandan" in Indonesian/Malay, "La Dua" in Vietnamese, "Bān Lán" in Mandarin and "Bai Toey" in Thai) is a tropical plant which comes from the screwpine family. It can be found throughout Oceania, Africa, Penninsular South East Asia, Indonesia, Southern India and New Guinea (tropical places). Various species exist...

Le "Pandanus" ("Daun Pandan" en Indonésien/Malais, "La Dua" en Viêtnamien, "Bān Lán" en Mandarin et "Bai Toey" en Thaï) est une plante tropicale de la famille des Pandanaceae. Elle pousse en Océanie, en Afrique, dans tout le Sud Est de l'Asie péninsulaire, en Indonésie, en Inde du sud et en Nouvelle Guinée (pays tropicaux). Différentes espèces existent...

Pandan is said to be a restorative, deodorant plant that promotes a feeling of well-being and acts as a counter to tropical lassitude or as a painkiller. It may be chewed as a breath sweetener or used as a food preservative. It is also said to contain flavanoids which are believed to have a variety of healthful properties (antiviral, anti-allergenic, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant).

Le "Pandanus" est restorant, déodorant, donne une impression de bien-être et agit contre la fatigue tropicale ou comme un anti-douleur. Les feuilles peuvent être mâchées afin d'avoir bonne haleine ou utilisées pour conserver la nourriture. Elles contiennent aussi des flavanoïdes qui ont des effets bénéfiques sur la santé (propriétés antivirales, anti-allergénique, antiplaquettes, anti-inflammatoires et antioxidantes).

The leaves may be torn into strips, then tied in a knot (to facilitate removal), placed in a cooking liquid (water, coconut milk, etc...) and removed at the end of cooking. They can also be dried or pureed with water. The filtered juice (when pureed) is known as "Pandan Extract or Pandan Juice". One can also find a natural paste or a chemical aroma that replaces the natural extract (it has a similar taste).

Les feuilles de "Pandanus" peuvent être coupées en lanières, attachées par un noeud (pour faciliter le retrait des lanières) qui sera placé dans le liquide de cuisson (eau, lait de noix de coco, etc...) et retiré lorsque la cuisson sera terminée. Elles peuvent aussi être séchées ou réduites en purée avec de l'eau. On appelle alors "Extrait de Pandan" le jus issu du filtrage de cette purée. La "Pâte de Pandan" (naturel) ou l'arôme chimique de "Pandan" remplace aisément l'extrait (sans vraiment avoir le même goût, pour ce qui est du chimique).

The flavor of "Pandan" is hard to describe. It is somewhat sweet, nutty, reminiscent of vanilla, perfumed rice and of freshly cut grass. Anyhow, it smells and taste incredibly good and adds an undescribably pleasant aroma to either savory and sweet dishes (rice, curries, meats, desserts, cakes, beverages, etc...).

La saveur du "Pandan" est difficile à décrire. Son goût est doux, a des relents de noix, de vanille, de riz parfumé et d'herbe fraîchement coupée. Quoi qu'il en soit, le "Pandan" goûte et sent incroyablement bon et apporte un arôme indescriptiblement plaisant à tous les plats salés ou sucrés (riz, curries, viande, desserts, cakes, boissons, etc...).

How to make "Pandan Juice"/Comment fabriquer son "Extrait de Pandan".

Ingredients/Ingrédients:
6 Pandan leaves/Feuilles de pandan
1/2 Cup water/Tasse d'eau

Method/Méthode:
1. In a mixer, blend the leaves with the water./Dans un mixer, réduire les feuilles de pandan en purée avec l'eau.
2. Strain./Filtrer.
3. Squeeze the pureed leaves in order to extract as much juice as possible./Bien égoutter et presser les feuilles réduites en puréee grossière afin d'en extraire le maximum de jus.
4. Pour the juice in freezer boxes and freeze./Verser le jus dans des boîtes pour congeler et entreposer au congélateur.

Remarks/remarques:
The juice extracted can be used to make French crêpes, pancakes, (sponge & chiffon) cakes, bread, etc... If you wish your preparations to look greener, then add some green food coloring./Le jus extrait peut être utilisé afin de faire des crêpes, des pancakes, des gâteaux (éponge & chiffon), du pain, etc... Si vous le désirez, vous pouvez ajouter du colorant vert afin d'obtenir une couleur plus foncée.

Recipe links/Liens (en anglais):
Gourmet Sleuth (see link)
My Malaysian "Kueh Salat" (see recipe)
Recipezaar (see link)

(Pandanus With Iguana - Pic by www.botanik.uni-karlsruhe.de)

AJVAR DIP - DIP A L'AJVAR

A year ago, while browsing through the shelves of my favorite discounter (which carries a lot of amazing products like Yufka/Filo pastry, Croatian breakfast canned beef, Turkish cheese, etc...) I fell upon some "Ajvar" from Bosnia. Very intrigued by the sauce that was contained in that jar, I was compelled to buy this fabulous Balkanic speciality...

The day I had my first taste of "Ajvar", I remember feeling like an explorer/adventurer having discovered some kind of treasure. It was a real revelation! Since that very moment, I always make sure that my cupboards hold, amongs other things, a jar of that delicious and versatile "relish-like" sauce!

"Ajvar (or Ayvar)" is a kind of reddish-colored "ratatouille salsa" with a fine consistency which is made principally with roasted red bell-pepper (paprika), eggplants, tomatoes, garlic and chili peppers. It also contains small quantities of olive oil, sugar and vinegar. This wintertime staple (called "zimnica" - winter food) is very popular in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and in the Republic of Macedonia where it is traditionally made in a ritualistic way during the summer season and early autumn (it marks the beginning of fall), just after the paprika harvest. Depending on the amount of bell-peppers and chili peppers used, this sauce ranges from "mild" to "moderatly hot/piquant" (the most common), or even very "hot". According to the legend "Ajvar" was a common dish on the table of the Ancient Greeks and heroes ( Plato, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, etc…).

"Ajvar" can be used as an addition to many dishes whether it is served as a starter or as a complement to grilled meat, kebab, fish (salmon & swordfish especially), or eaten just like pesto, tossed with pasta (spaghetti, tagliatelle, penne, etc...), spread on a slice of bread or served, as a dip, alongside hummus (see my recipe), baba ganoush (see my recipe) or salads (mezze-style). "Ajvar" is also great when mixed to other ingredients in order to spice up things (omelets, dips, savory muffins/cakes, etc...)...

This red bell-pepper concoction has a distinctively silky, smooth, yet slightly chunky texture. It somehow, looks a lot like "Red Pesto"... "Ajvar" tastes really great! With it's smoky, tangy, spicy and somewhat powerful flavor, it is just perfect with anything!

I invented this "Ajvar Dip" on the occasion of a dinner I prepared for my good neighbor friends Jessica & Jonathan (see Jessica's blog "In Search Of Dessert"). Never would I have thought that this starter dish would have had such a success. Both literally gobbled it hungrily, and simultaneously made me a happy cook and a fulfilled host!

With it's creaminess, mind bogglingly snappy pepper aroma, intense garlicky taste, delicate yet zesty goat's cheese flavor, beautiful reddish-orange color and velvety texture, this dip is just simply perfect. A real kickass sauce that is addictivily luscious...

~ Ajvar Dip ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2008

Makes about one medium bowl.

Ingredients:
350g Mild ajvar
4 Cloves garlic, crushed
6-10 Almonds, toasted
200g Goat's cheese
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Put the nuts in a processor and blend until "powdery" and fine in texture.
2. Add the garlic and blend again.
3. Add all the other ingredients and process until smooth in texture and well blended.
4. Serve.

Remarks:
I used flaky-style goat's cheese like the French Chèvre Bûche (or Bucheron Chevre Cheese), but I guess that any other creamy cheese (cream cheese, sheep's cheese, quark, ricotta, mascarpone, etc...) would do...
If you wish, you can replace the toasted almonds by toasted and husked hazelnuts.
You can also add some fresh basil to this mixture (step 3).
It can be made 2 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

Serving sugsestions:
This sauce can be tossed with pasta (warm or chilled), served with boiled potatoes, used as a dip with grissini, nachos and chips or spread onto fresh bread (see recipes), toasted baguette (see recipe 1 & recipe 2) or focaccia (see recipe).

If you want to make your own "Ajvar", here's a recipe that might be helpful: see link...

***************

~ Dip A l'Ajvar ~
Recette de Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2008

Quantité pour un bol moyen.

Ingrédients:
350g d'Ajvar doux
4 Gousses d'ail écrasées
6-10 Amandes, torréifiées
200g de Fromage de chèvre
Sel, à volonté
Poivre, à volonté

Méthode:
1. Mixer les amandes afin d'obtenir une poudre fine.
2. Ajouter l'ail et mixer.
3. Ajouter tous les autres ingrédients et mixer à nouveau jusqu'à ce que le mélange devienne assez homogène et lisse.
4. Servir.

Remarques:
J'ai utilisé une variété de fromage de chèvre très friable comme la Bûche de Chèvre. Vous pouvez aussi prendre une autre sorte de fromage crémeux tel que le fromage de brebis, le cream cheese, le quark, la ricotta, le mascarpone, etc...
Si vous le désirez, vous pouvez remplacer leas amandes torréifiées par des noisettes torréifiées et pelées.
Vous pouvez aussi ajouter du basilic à la préparation (au point 3).
Ce dip peut être préparé 2 jours à l'avance et gardé au réfrigérateur.

Idées de présentation:
Vous pouvez manger cette sauce avec des pâtes (chaudes ou froides) telle du pesto, la servir avec des pommes de terres en robe des champs, en faire un dip à servir avec des grissini, des nachos ou des chips ou étalée sur une tranche de pain (voir mes recettes), sur un morceau de baguette (voir ma recette 1 et ma recette 2) ou comme garniture sur une focaccia (voir ma recette).

Si vous voulez fabriquer votre propre "Ajvar", alors voici une recette qui vous peut-être sera utile: voir lien...

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #148

This week, Weekend Cat Blogging #148 is held by Megan at "The Bad Kitty Cats" (USA)...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in her blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact her via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

Tremble with fear, my children.
Freddy is amongst us!
Can you really believe that Maruschka is a fierce monster coming straight out of "Nightmare On Elm street"???
Nooooooo way!
She is the sweetest thing on earth, a fury love pillow/cushion and a soft teddy bear...

A WALK ON THE SALÈVE FLANKS - PART V

I don't know if you are getting bored by my Salève ramblings, but unfortunately for you, I am not yet tired of exploring that fabulous region nor do I want to stop writing about it!

We have now discoverd how to reach the cute French village of Collonges-Sous-Salève (74 160/see mapor official site) and every time we walk on the Salève flanks, we try to go a little further and reach new areas...

Please note that those pictures (click on the photos to enlarge) were taken a month ago. Now, nature looks a little more spring-like and cheerful!

QUIZ VI

A little quiz for the foodie "experts". Your knowledge will be challenged!

I wonder if some of you will know what it is...

What is this leaf? Where does it come from and what use does it have? Is it edible? Can it be employed in cookery in order to make savory dishes or only to make sweet dishes (or both)?

The answer will be given next week...

Quelle est cette feuille? D'où vient-elle et quelle utilisation on fait en? Est-elle comestible? Peut-on l'utiliser afin de préparer des plats salés ou plutôt sucrés (ou les deux)?

La réponse sera donnée la semaine prochaine...

PERFECT PARTY CAKE - DARING BAKERS

Six months have passed since I first joined "The Daring Bakers" and the recipes submitted never cease to be challenging. I mean, no matter how simple they look, you can be sure that there will be something tricky lurking around the corner and waiting, ready to leap, during the baking process. That's exactly what makes it all the more interesting as, in that way, you learn a whole lot more through the inevitable trials and error than if everything would go comfortably, without trouble!

Somehow, this challenge started with a startling disappointement as my cakes were kind of sturdy and didn't rise as much as I expected. Ok, they were very smooth and fluffy, but, unfortunately, they looked far too flat to be satisfying (in my opinion, at least). As Dorie Greenspan didn't give any information regarding that matter, I assumed that it was my fault if they haden't risen enough. But, after I had read what the other "Daring Bakers" wrote on that subject, I felt more confident about my cakes and came to the conclusion that they were meant to be in that way and that nothing was wrong with them...

Anyway, I didn't want to call it a day, so I decided to give it another try. Instead of taking milk, I used buttermilk and replaced some of the all-purpose flour by cornstarch in order to obtain a similar result as if I had baked my cakes with "cake flour" (we can't find it in Switzerland). My second essay wasn't really more concluding as the cakes came out pretty much the same. They did look good, but weren't really much thicker (only ever so slightly). Anyhow, I wasn't going to bake those cakes for the third time, I chose to stick with the second batch.

In fact, I stressed for no real reason at all, because, finally, everything went perfectly well. No matter how thin the cakes were, I had no trouble halving them as they were sort of sturdy. The buttercream was easy to make and didn't curdle (contrarily to what happened with the "Yule Log"). The cakes were just great and the assembling/decorating was quite botherless, although I am not much of an expert in that field (I still have to learn how to decorate cakes in an artistic way...).

I've always loved rich layer cakes, so this snow white "Perfect Party Cake" had everything to please me as it was highly fulfilling texture- and taste-wise. This delicious, elegant and refined cake had a pleasant lemony flavor that paired wonderfully well with the not overly sweet (nor sickly), slightly tart and extremely fluffy hot-meringue buttercream and the nectariousness of the red currant jam. The cake had a somewhat tight crumb, but was, at the same time, very moist, smooth and soft. Delicious!

This luscious cake is delicate on the tongue, but is fuss-free to make. A great outcome is guaranteed whether you focus on it's final looks or it's delightful palatebleness!

Thanks to Morven at "Food Arts And Random Thoughts" (New Zealand) for having chosen that gorgeous recipe!!!

~ Perfect Party Cake ~
Recipe courtesy of Dorie Greenspan’s "Baking from My Home to Yours".

Ingredients for the cake:
2 1/4 Cups Cake flour (see remarks)
1 Tbs Baking powder
1/2 Rsp Salt
1 1/4 Cups Whole milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk with the lemon)
4 Large Egg whites
1 1/2 Cups Castor sugar
2 Tsps Grated lemon zest
1 Stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 Tsp Pure lemon extract
Ingredients for the buttercream:
1 Cup Castor sugar
4 Large Egg whites
3 Sticks (12 ounces) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 Cup Fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
Ingredients for the finishing:
2/3 Cup Seedless raspberry preserves (see remarks) stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable in consistency
About 1 1/2 Cups Sweetened shredded coconut (or roasted, sliced/slivered almonds)

Getting ready:
I. Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
II. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper.
III. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Method for the cake:
1. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
3. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
4. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.

5. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
6. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
7. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
8. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
9. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.
11. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.
12. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up.

Method for the buttercream:
13. Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
14. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
15. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
16. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
17. Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes (during this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again).
18. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
19. You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

Method for assembling the cake:
20. Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half.
21. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
22. Spread it with one third of the preserves.
23. Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.
24. Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).
25. Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.
26. Press the coconut (or sliced almonds) into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Remarks:
You can leave out the lemon and replace it by another flavor (orange, vanilla, banana, etc...).
The cakes won't rise much, so don't worry! They'll be smooth, but will stay quite thin.
If you don't have any cake flour, here's what you can do:
Use 2 1/4 Cups minus 4 1/2 Tbs all-purpose flour and replace those 4 1/2 Tbs by the same amount of cornstarch. For a better result, I worked everything by hand (no handmixer or Kitchen Aid): Fistly I beat the butter until smooth, then I added the sugar mixture and beat the butter/sugar mixture for a few more minutes, until pale and fluffy. After that, I processed as written in the recipe...
The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months.
Since lemon is such a friendly flavour, feel free to make changes in the preserves: other red preserves – cherry or strawberry – look especially nice, but you can even use plum, blueberry or red currant jam (the one I choose).
The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it’s best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it’s cold.

The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.
The base recipe is for a cake flavoured with lemon, layered with a little raspberry jam and filled and frosted with a classic (and so simple) pure white lemony hot-meringue buttercream but, because the elements are so fundamental, they lend themselves to variation, making the cake not just perfect, but also versatile.

"Fresh Berry Cake" version:
If you will be serving the cake the day it is made, cover each layer of buttercream with fresh berries – use whole raspberries, sliced or halved strawberries or whole blackberries, and match the preserves to the fruit.
You can replace the coconut/almonds on top of the cake with a crown of berries, or use both coconut and berries.
You can also replace the buttercream between the layers with fairly firmly whipped sweetened cream and then either frost the cake with buttercream (the contrast between the lighter whipped cream and the firmer buttercream is nice) or finish it with more whipped cream. If you use whipped cream, you’ll have to store the cake the in the refrigerator – let it sit for about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Serving suggestions:
Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Etant donné la longueur du texte original, je n'ai malheureusement pas pu faire une traduction française de ce billet et je m'en excuse auprès de tous mes amis lecteurs et blogueurs francophones!!!

Je vous suggère de vous rendre sur les blogs mentionnés ci-dessous. Vous y trouverez cette recette en version française:

Chez Vibi de "La Casserole Carrée" (Canada)
Chez Isa de "Les Gourmandises d'Isa" (Canada)