SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FOR FRENCH ALMOND MACARONS

Steps:

• Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees).
• Attach bowl to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.
• Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; beat 2 minutes to eliminate air bubbles. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth.

ORANGE ALMOND CAKE WITH SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Butter parchment and flour cake pans; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together 1 cup of sugar and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Add orange zest, juice, and almond extract; mix until well combined. Turn mixer off. Remove the whisk and add the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium, slowly add ground almonds, followed by flour; mix cake batter until well combined.
• In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Add salt and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar; beat until stiff but not dry. Set aside.
• Fold melted butter into cake batter, a little at a time. Gently fold in egg white mixture, taking care not to deflate whites. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake layers to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Invert cakes to remove from pan and remove parchment paper; reinvert cakes. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread frosting over the first layer with a small offset spatula so it extends just beyond edges.
• Place the remaining layer on top, bottom-side up. Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
• Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.

JOHN'S ALMOND SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is very warm to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Attach the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add almond extract and continue beating until incorporated. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-high speed, quickly add butter, a few tablespoons at a time, beating until mixture is smooth and has increased in volume. (If the frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, continue beating until smooth again.), Reduce speed to low, and continue beating for 2 minutes to eliminate any air bubbles.

ALMOND MACAROONS WITH SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Make macaroons:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Finely grind almonds with confectioners sugar in a food processor.
• Beat whites with salt in mixer at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks.
• Reduce speed to medium, then add granulated sugar, a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks. Fold almond mixture in 2 batches into whites until just combined, then fold in vanilla and almond extracts. Transfer meringue to pastry bag and pipe 16 (1 1/2-inch-wide) mounds 1 inch apart on each lined baking sheet (32 total). Smooth tops of mounds with a wet fingertip.
• Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until macaroons are puffed and tops appear dry, 15 to 17 minutes. (Macaroons should be crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.) Slide parchment with macaroons onto racks and cool 10 minutes, then peel macaroons from parchment, transferring to a rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Make buttercream:
• Vigorously whisk together whites, sugar, and salt in cleaned mixer bowl set over a 4-quart pot of barely simmering water until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm. Put bowl in mixer and beat with cleaned whisk attachment at medium-high speed until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Continue to beat, scraping down side of bowl with a rubber spatula, until meringue is completely cool to the touch, about 5 minutes.
• With mixer at medium speed, gradually add butter 1 piece at a time, beating well after each addition until incorporated. (If buttercream looks soupy after some butter is added, meringue is still too warm. If so, briefly chill bottom of bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water for a few seconds before beating in remaining butter.) Continue beating until buttercream is smooth. (Mixture may look curdled before all of butter is added but will come back together by the time beating is finished.) Add vanilla and almond extracts and beat 1 minute more.
• Assemble cookies:
• Transfer buttercream to cleaned pastry bag and pipe about 1 tablespoon onto flat sides of 16 macaroons, then top with remaining 16 macaroons.

JOHN'S ALMOND SWISS MERINGUE

Steps:

• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and almond extract. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and whites are hot to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Attach the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Raise speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Use immediately.

WHITE ALMOND TIRAMISU CAKE WITH SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 6-inch round cake pans.
• Whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, almond extract and eggs in a small bowl until well blended; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer), add the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed to combine, 30 seconds.
• With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the butter a few pieces at a time. Beat until the dry ingredients are crumbly and moistened by the butter, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Gradually add half of the egg mixture to the flour-butter mixture and beat on medium speed until the batter is thick and fluffy, 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 additions, scraping the bowl and beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and sharply tap the pans once on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely on the rack.
• For the tiramisu syrup: Bring the sugar, water and espresso powder to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the coffee liqueur.
• For the Tiramisu Filling: In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer), add the mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, coffee liqueur and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until well blended.
• In a separate bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer), add the whipping cream and whisk until stiff peaks form. (Do not over-whisk.) Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream.
• For the vanilla bean Swiss meringue icing: Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixture set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar melts and the mixture becomes very thin and warm. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the vanilla seeds. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Continue beating on low speed until cool.
• Beat in the butter, a few pieces at a time, on medium speed. (The mixture may curdle before coming together.)
• To assemble the cake: Using a serrated knife, level off the tops of the cake layers. Place one layer on a serving plate or board and brush some tiramisu syrup on the top. Put 1 cup of the Swiss meringue icing in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe a thin dam around the edge of the cake. Spoon a 1/2-inch layer of the tiramisu filling onto the cake and gently spread it out to the dam. Repeat with the second layer of cake. Place the final layer on top and ice the cake with the remaining Swiss meringue icing.

ALMOND SWISS MERINGUE

Steps:

• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and almond extract. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and whites are hot to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Attach the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Raise speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Use immediately.

ORANGE ALMOND CAKE WITH SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Step 1
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Butter parchment and flour cake pans; set aside.
• Step 2
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together 1 cup of sugar and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Add orange zest, juice, and almond extract; mix until well combined. Turn mixer off. Remove the whisk and add the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium, slowly add ground almonds, followed by flour; mix cake batter until well combined.
• Step 3
• In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Add salt and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar; beat until stiff but not dry. Set aside.
• Step 4
• Fold melted butter into cake batter, a little at a time. Gently fold in egg white mixture, taking care not to deflate whites. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake layers to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Step 5
• Invert cakes to remove from pan and remove parchment paper; reinvert cakes. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread frosting over the first layer with a small offset spatula so it extends just beyond edges.
• Step 6
• Place the remaining layer on top, bottom-side up. Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
• Step 7
• Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.