Best Pastry Cream For Chestnut Chocolate Layer Cake Recipes

NO-FUSS PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in a glass measuring cup; add to saucepan along with butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil 1 minute, still whisking; then remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of cream to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Just before using, whisk until smooth.

YULE-LOG LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment. Flour pans and tap out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• In a food processor, puree chestnuts with rum and 2 tablespoons water. Add sugars; process to combine. Add butter and vanilla; process to combine. Add egg yolks; process to combine. Transfer chestnut mixture to a large bowl; whisk in flour mixture. Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into batter.
• Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack, 10 minutes, then remove from pans and let cool completely.
• Frosting: With a mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and salt. Divide mixture into 2 bowls.
• Puree chestnuts and rum in food processor until almost smooth, then stir into half of frosting. (If frosting looks slightly broken, chill, then whisk to combine.) Stir melted chocolate and cocoa into other half of frosting.
• Place one cake layer on a cake turntable or stand. Frost cake as shown, right. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before garnishing as desired and serving.

CHESTNUT CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9 × 2-inch round professional baking pans, and line the bottoms with parchment. Butter the parchment, and set aside.
• Using a chestnut knife or a small paring knife, make an incision about 1/8 inch deep through the shell and into the flesh of each chestnut almost all the way around the circumference of the nut. Transfer to a chestnut pan or rimmed baking pan. Roast in the oven until the chestnuts are tender, about 35 minutes. Turn the oven off. Leaving the pan with the chestnuts in the oven, remove several at a time. Working quickly, place 1 chestnut in a towel, and, holding both, peel the chestnut while still hot. Remove and discard the shells and inner skin; let cool completely. Transfer the chestnuts to the bowl of a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, and pulse until very finely ground; set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until foamy on medium-low speed, 5 to 6 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 1/2 cup sugar. Raise speed to medium-high; beat until stiff peaks form, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the egg white mixture to a bowl.
• Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift together the cake flour, chestnut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar. Add the egg yolks, water, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.
• Using a rubber spatula, carefully and gently fold the flour mixture in 4 or 5 additions into the egg white mixture until well combined. Gently fold in the reserved chestnuts and chocolate. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake on the same shelf, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until golden and a cake tester inserted into the centers of the cakes come out clean, about 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool. Invert the pans to remove the cakes. Remove the parchment paper.
• Place 1 layer on a cake round (or directly onto a cake stand or serving platter). Using an offset spatula, spread the pastry cream on top to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Place the other layer on top.
• Pour the ganache on top; carefully spread to about 1/4 inch from the edges. The ganache will overflow slightly and gently brim the edges. Arrange the marrons glacés on top of the cake, spaced evenly. Set the cake in a cool place to allow the ganache to firm.
• Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap for several minutes. Remove the wrap, and stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Set the ganache in a cool place; let stand until thickened to the consistency of thick cake batter, 10 to 15 minutes. to cool. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.