Véro's Fruit Crate Cake (Mains dans la farine)

Ingredients

6 servings

• 200 g unsalted butter
• 160 g icing sugar
• 100 g egg
• 6 g salt
• 50 g almond powder
• 400 g flour
• 125 g egg white
• 40 g sugar
• 125 whole eggs
• 100 g icing sugar
• 25 g flour
• 50 g almond powder
• 50 g pistachio powder
• 500 g melted milk
• 100 g egg yolk
• 100 g sugar
• 50 g cornstarch
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 g gelatin
• 200 g heavy cream
• 100 g white chocolate
• 500 g red berries
• 50 g sugar
• 30 g lemon juice
• 10 g of water
• 5 mint leaves

Steps

1. 1

   For the sweet pastry: Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix. Add the flour, almond flour, and salt without overworking the dough. Form a ball, wrap in plastic film, and refrigerate (ideally overnight).

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Roll out to 3-4 mm thickness. Cut out the 4 sides of the crate for a crate approximately 25x35 cm. Prick and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 180°C. Watch carefully, the biscuit should be lightly golden but not overcooked.

3. 3

   For the Joconde biscuit: Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Make a French meringue: Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add the sugar in 2-3 batches, beat at high speed to stiffen. Set aside.

4. 4

   Beat the whole eggs, add the icing sugar, flour, and sifted powders. Whisk for 2-3 minutes until well combined. Gently add the melted butter in a thin stream. Finally, fold in the meringue.

5. 5

   Pour onto a tray of approximately 30x40 cm lined with parchment paper and lightly greased, then bake for 10-15 minutes at 200°C. The biscuit should be lightly golden and not sticky. Set aside.

6. 6

   For the diplomat cream: Heat the milk with the scraped vanilla bean. Let it infuse for 20 minutes to overnight (in the fridge). Soak the gelatin in cold water. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, add the sifted cornstarch. Bring the milk to a boil, pour over the yolk-sugar-cornstarch mixture, mix well, then thicken over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the wrung-out gelatin and the butter. Incorporate these 2 elements well. Cover with film and refrigerate.

7. 7

   Once the pastry cream has cooled, soften it with a whisk at high speed. Then whip the heavy cream into whipped cream and gently fold it into the pastry cream. Put into a piping bag.

8. 8

   For the assembly: Make a soaking syrup by boiling water with sugar and lemon juice. Let cool. Melt the white chocolate.

9. 9

   Assemble the sides of the crate with the white chocolate. Lightly soak the bottom with the syrup using a brush.

10. 10

    Pipe the cream onto the biscuit base, then arrange the red berries of your choice and a few mint leaves for decoration.