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The ispahan cake

It's a Macaron Cake

The ispahan is a macaron pastry created by the famous French pastry chef, Pierre Herme'. 
This version slightly changes from his 2 layer cake filled with a lychee curd and rose buttercream. 
Today's cake contains 3 layers of macaron filled with 2 layers of a a raspberry lemon curd anda white chocolate cream icing. To make this Macaron Cake you will need to complete three
components first before you can build your cake.
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The Macaron

You  must first make your macaron batter for the cake portions. Here, we will be using the French Meringue method.
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Lemon Curd

The Lemon Curd is made  during the macaron 'drying' stage.
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White Chocolate Cream Icing

White Chocolate Cream Icing iincludes white chocolate, creamy mascarpone cheese and
​heavy cream. 

The Macaron 

Ingredients
Amounts
Almond Flour
2 1/2 cups
All purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
Confectioner's sugar
2 3/4 cups
Egg whites, room temperature
6
Granulated sugar
1/2 cup
Red food coloring gel
scant

Instructions

1. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and trace 6-inch circles on the back. Prepare a large pastry bag tipped with a 1/4' round tip.
2. ​Sift the almond flour, flour and confectioners’ sugar into large mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, just until stiff peaks form. Add a few drops of food coloring to the meringue and mix again for 30 seconds. 
4. ​Add the meringue to the dry ingredients, folding and mixing thoroughly until the batter reaches ribbon stage.
5. ​Transfer the batter into the prepared pastry bag. Starting from the center of each circle, pipe the batter onto the parchment paper, following your template, forming a flat disk, approximately 1 cm tall. Pipe 1-inch macaron disks onto parchment line baking sheet with any remaining batter.
6. ​Tap the baking pan against a kitchen counter to release any trapped air bubbles. Rest the macarons for at least 1 hour, allowing a thin shell to form on the outside.

Meanwhile

​While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C) and prepare the raspberry lemon curd.

The Raspberry Lemon Curd 

​Ingredients
Amounts
Ingredients
Amounts
Lemon juice, fresh & strained
1/3 cup
Salt
pinch
Granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons
Butter, unsalted
1/2 cup
Egg yolks
3
Raspberries, crushed
1/2 cup
Cornstarch
1 tablespoon
Raspberry extract
1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

1. Combine the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks and salt in a small saucepan.
2. Combine the cornstarch with the water to form a slurry and add that into the saucepan.
​3. Heat the curd over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 7 minutes.


​4. Remove the curd from heat and add the butter, whisking until the butter is melted.
4. Add the crushed raspberries and extract last.
​5.Transfer the curd into a large bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator to cool.

Time to Bake the Macaron

​Bake the rested macarons one sheet at a time for 18 to 20 minutes.
​Allow them to cool on the parchment paper.

White Chocolate Whipped Icing

Ingredients
Amounts 
Heavy cream, chilled
2 cups
Granulated sugar
2/3 cup
Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon
Mascarpone cheese, softened
8 ounces
White chocolate, melted
1 cup
Fresh raspberries
2 cups

Instructions

1. ​In a large mixing bowl, whisk the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and melted chocolate for a minute until creamy.

3. Add the cheese mixture to the whipped cream and whisk again for 1 to 2 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
​
​4.Transfer the cream into a pastry bag tipped with French star tip.


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The Assembly

​To assemble the cake, pipe dollops of cream onto each layer, top with raspberries and add a generous amount of the lemon curd in the center.

Garnish the top with whipped cream, more raspberries. Set the cake into the refrigerator for 1 day, allowing the macarons to mature. When ready to serve, use a sharp serrated knife to slice the cake.

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