Backwards Love: Cream Cheese Biscuit Joconde Imprime

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

I'm going to be honest here. I didn't put a lot of thought into this project. In fact, I didn't have enough ingredients to actually complete the entire project. I halved the recipe and used egg white powder, because I didn't have enough eggs.  Egg white powder is pretty nice to have on hand though - this is what I use:

Actually, I did put some thought into this cake, but the outcome was kind of humorous. I spent all night, after work - getting this cake done and ended up writing 'Love' backwards. You see, when creating the outer cake layer, you need to remember that it's going to be flipped around. I must have been tired. ;)

I'm beginning to get more resourceful with my freezer as well - as I created the filling with cream cheese and my leftover pomcranberry sauce. I just added a little powdered sugar, whipped it in my Kitchenaid and filled up the molds. I ended up coming short of filling for the two mini-cakes that I made, but I didn't need more cake to eat anyways.

For the full instructions and guidelines that I followed (sort of) click here. Below are the recipes for the outer layers - these are taken word-for-word from the pdf that I've linked to though, the photos were taken by me.



Joconde Sponge

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients:
¾ cup almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoon confectioners' (icing) sugar
¼ cup cake flour *See note below
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites
2½ teaspoons white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve
in a separate clean bowl to use later.
2. Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
3. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and
light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand.)
4. Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in
remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
5. Fold in melted butter.
6. Reserve batter to be used later.

Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups plus 1½ tablespoons Confectioners' (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites
1¾ cup cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)
2. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
3. Fold in sifted flour.
4. Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

Preparing the Joconde- How to make the pattern:

1. Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.
2. Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one.

3. Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes.

4. Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.

5. Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.

6. Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.

7. Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

Preparing the MOLD for filling

You can use any type of mold.
Start with a large piece of parchment paper laid on a very flat baking sheet. Then a large piece of cling wrap over the parchment paper. Place a spring form pan ring, with the base removed, over the cling wrap and pull the cling wrap tightly up on the outside of the mold. Line the inside of the ring with a curled piece of parchment paper overlapping top edge by ½ inch. CUT the parchment paper to the TOP OF THE MOLD. It will be easier to smooth the top of the cake.

Preparing the Jaconde for Molding:

1. Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.
2. Decide how thick you want your “Joconde wrapper”. Traditionally, it is ½ the height of your mold.
This is done so more layers of the plated dessert can be shown. However, you can make it the full height.
3. Once your height is measured, then you can cut the cake into equal strips, of height and length. (Use a
very sharp paring knife and ruler.)
4. Make sure your strips are cut cleanly and ends are cut perfectly straight. Press the cake strips inside of
the mold, decorative side facing out. Once wrapped inside the mold, overlap your ends slightly. You
want your Joconde to fit very tightly pressed up to the sides of the mold. Then gently push and press
the ends to meet together to make a seamless cake. The cake is very flexible so you can push it into
place. You can use more than one piece to “wrap “your mold, if one cut piece is not long enough.
5. The mold is done, and ready to fill.

*Note: If not ready to use. Lay cake kept whole or already cut into strips, on a flat surface, wrap in parchment and several layers of cling wrap and freeze.