Dessert Recipes
Julia’s Gateau a L'Orange Et Aux Amandes
This classic orange and almond sponge cake comes from Julia Child’s cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Inspired by French pastries, we topped it with sticky apricot glaze, orange twists, and dreamy puffs of whipped cream.
Enjoy this light, delicately citrusy cake at brunch with a glass of Champagne or for a simple dessert after your most elegant dinner party. Our tip: sponge cakes are leavened only by the air you whip into the batter, so be very gentle with the batter and try not to press or beat out the air, or else your cake will turn out dense.
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Julia’s Gateau a L'Orange Et Aux Amandes
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease a 9”-inch cake pan with butter, line it with parchment paper, and grease the parchment. Lightly coat the bottom and sides in flour, shaking out any excess.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks on medium speed. Slowly add ⅔ cup of the sugar and beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until thick, pale yellow, and when drizzled over itself, the batter forms a ribbon that slowly disappears.
Add the orange zest, orange juice, and almond extract. Beat until combined, light, and foamy, about 15 seconds.
Sift in the almond flour and cake flour, and beat until just combined, 30 seconds. Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl.
In a clean stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, a pinch each of cream of tartar, and salt on low speed. Slowly increase the speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
Continue to beat on medium speed and slowly stream in the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Set aside.
Using a rubber spatula, stir the melted and cooled butter into the cake batter until well combined. Fold in ¼ of the whipped egg whites until combined. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold until no streaks remain.
Immediately transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and use the rubber spatula to spread the cake batter up the sides of the pan and to the rim. This helps the cake bake evenly.
Bake on the center rack of the oven for 23 to 28 minutes or until the cake is puffed, springy, and light brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, flip and unmold the cake, and remove the parchment paper. Let cool on the rack until room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.
To glaze the cake, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the apricot jam and water. Cook, stirring, until the jam is softened, 2 minutes.
Using a pastry brush, spread the apricot glaze all over the cake. Serve with whipped cream and garnish with toasted almonds and orange twists.
Recipe adapted from: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child