Monday, August 27, 2012

Not that this month's challenge wasn't fun enough itself (thanks to Kat), but I decided to also make a cake (mostly as an opportunity to use some leftovers, so I wouldn't be really precise if a gave detailed recipes) and incorporate the swans as a decorating element. For those who want to have a taste of the dessert as a whole, the cake consists of 3 8x22cm plain spongecake or dacquoise layers, lemon cream and yogurt mousse (also the filling of the swans).
 
                                 Pâte à choux
                                115 gr                                                     butter
                                240 ml                                                    water
                                ¼ tsp                                                      salt
                                140 gr                                                     all-purpose flour
                                4                                                             large eggs
 
                               Yogurt mousse
                               400gr                                                        strained yogurt
                               80gr                                                          powdered sugar
                               150gr                                                        heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
                               5gr                                                            gelatin sheets
 
pate a choux swans
 
For the filling stir the sugar in the yogurt, warm some water (a minimum amount for the gelatin to be dissolved in) until hot, add and melt in the gelatin and combine with the previous mixture. At last fold in the whipped cream and refrigerate until set. Proceeding with the swans, put water with butter and salt in a saucepan over heat until the butter has melted, then remove from heat to add at once all the flour and stir. Return to heat and stir with a rubber spatula just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pot and finally let it quite cool.
 
 
 Add the eggs one at a time (you may not need all of them depending on their size, so keep in mind that the dough should be sticky, stable when piped and not runny) and stir to incorporate well. Pipe the dough with a plain round tip in 3-4 transverse parallel lines (for each of the 36 swan bodies) to achieve a curvy edge on the wings and with a filling tip to draw the swan necks. Bake first the necks at a preheated oven to 180C until golden brown and next the bodies for a few more minutes. Let cool, cut each of the bodies horizontally just a bit over the middle and divide the upper piece in two separate wings. Fill the lower parts with the mousse, stick the neck on front and wings on the sides and lightly dust with powdered sugar.
 


10 comments:

  1. Wow!!! They are beautiful! Amazing cake too! Posting mine tomorrow evening (it's not the 27th here yet ;) ).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful swans and the cake sounds delicious. Cheers from Auckland , New Zealand.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your swans are so professionally piped, they are gorgeous! I love the yogurt filling, I've been in a Greek yogurt kick since I learned how to make my own. And that cake looks delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Everything looks just fantastic, great job! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. That cake has me wanting to lick the screen! The whole dessert looks fantastic! Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your swans are so beautiful! They look great as cake toppers too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the look of the swans on top of the cake. Gorgeous photos.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm kind of speechless - this is incredible. Beautiful swans and an amazing cake! I love the sound of the yogurt mousse you used. Bravo!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wondrous cake and swans, they are so perfect and incredibly beautiful, MARVELOUS job!!!!

    ReplyDelete