-

Recipe for Love Cake

-

According to Christophe Michalak

Christophe Michalak has selected the most noble

pâtisserie ingredient for this creation: the almond.

Here, he teams it with pain de Gênes, a sponge biscu-

it traditionally associated with wedding cakes, and

sets it against the gentle tanginess of raspberries and

the delicious elegance of orange blossom.

Pain de Gênes Base

Caster sugar

80 g

Eggs

100 g or 2 eggs

Egg yolk

20 g or 1 yolk

Amaretto

20 g (liqueur made from apricot kernels)

Almond powder

80 g

Fecola di patate

60 g

Butter

60

g

Egg white

30 g or 1 egg white

Salt

a

small

pinch

Using an electric whisk, beat the eggs, the egg yolk and the sugar in a bowl, until they form soft peaks.

Use a wooden spoon to add the Amaretto, almond powder and potato starch, followed by the melted butter.

Mix well and add the salt and the egg white, which has been beaten until stiff using a small pinch of salt.

Gently stir and place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cook for around 10 minutes at 180°C.

Remove from the oven and place onto a rack to cool. Once cooled, turn the base upside down and remove

the baking paper.

Raspberry and Orange Blossom Compote

Fresh raspberries

125 g

Raspberry purée

125 g

Caster sugar

25 g

Orange blossom

10 g

In a saucepan, mix the raspberries, the purée and the sugar and cook at

around 102°C (use a thermometer), stirring briskly.

Add the orange blossom and pour the mixture directly onto the biscuit base.

Then, just as we would place a precious piece of

jewelry in a Cartier box, he surrounds his creation

with a sheet of red marzipan. This precious delight,

with its subtle balance of flavors and textures, is

a moment of tenderness to be shared with a loved

one…

>

>

Assembly and Finishing Touches

Cut a rectangle of card to measure 18 cm x 13 cm, then use as a template to cut three rectangles from the

marzipan, placing them one on top of the other.

Roll out the colored marzipan using a rolling pin (colored marzipan can be bought from a

pâtisserie if you

have one near you).

Wrap your cake as if you were covering a book.

Create a fine cord from the marzipan and add a sugar diamond.

Melt some chocolate in the microwave and use a pastry horn to write CARTIER. Allow to set for 10 minutes

in the refrigerator, then dust with edible gold dust.

Chef ’s Advice

Store this long-life cake in the refrigerator and take it out

20 minutes before serving.

>

>