Princess Cake
This recipe is a challenging one! It's a labor of love—it has several components and requires a bit of technique. But if you’re up for the challenge, the payoff is worth it.
Servings 12
Ingredients
Marzipan
- 8 oz green marzipan
Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
- 1 packet powdered gelatin 7 g
- 2 ½ tbsp water 40 g
- 2 cups whole milk 500 g
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- ½ tsp salt 3 g
- 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch 20 g
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar 130 g
- 5 egg yolks 75 g
- 4 tbsp salted butter room temp (60 g)
- 1 cup heavy cream 250 g, folded in after cooling
Raspberry Jam
- 12 oz raspberries fresh or frozen
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 g
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
Chiffon Cake
- 3 egg yolks 55 g
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed (55 g)
- 3 ½ tbsp olive oil 50 g
- ¼ cup water 50 g
- ¾ cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 110 g
- ¾ tsp baking powder 3 g
- ½ tsp kosher salt 3 g
- 4 large egg whites 120 g
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar 55 g
Mascarpone Cream
- ½ cup mascarpone 130 g
- 1 ⅔ cups heavy cream 400 g
- ½ cup powdered sugar 60 g
- ⅛ tsp salt 1 g
Sweet Milk Soak
- 125 g milk
- 25 g sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt 1 g
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
- Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl. Let bloom 5 minutes.
- Heat milk, vanilla paste, and salt in a saucepan just to a boil.
- Whisk cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly temper in the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return everything to the pan.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking until thick, smooth, and glossy.
- Off heat, whisk in gelatin and butter. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap on top, and chill until set (overnight if possible).
Chiffon Cake
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- In another bowl, whisk yolks, brown sugar, oil, and water.
- Sift in dry ingredients; whisk until smooth.
- In a mixer, whip egg whites + cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually stream in sugar; whip to stiff, glossy peaks.
- Whisk ⅓ of meringue into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the rest gently.
- Pour into an ungreased 16x10” sheet pan. Bake at 325°F ~15 min, until golden and springy.
- Drop pan from 6 inches (helps prevent sinking). Cool completely before releasing.
Raspberry Jam
- Combine raspberries, sugar, lemon juice + zest, salt, and vanilla paste in a pot. Toss to coat; macerate 30 minutes.
- Cook over medium-high heat until jam reaches 220–225°F, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Transfer to a container, cool, and refrigerate until set.
Sweet Milk Soak
- Whisk milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla until dissolved.
Mascarpone Cream
- Whip mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and salt together until stiff peaks form.
Assembly
- Whip the reserved 1 cup cream and fold into chilled pastry cream.
- Cut chiffon into three 5.33"x10” rectangles. We then like to make an acetate cake collar that we shape to the size of our layers to help keep it all intact.
- Place first layer on serving dish. Brush with milk soak, spread ⅓ jam, then half the pastry cream. Repeat with second layer.
- Finish with the last cake layer + remaining jam. Chill overnight.
- Pile mascarpone cream into a dome on top.
- Roll marzipan on a powdered-sugar-dusted counter into a thin sheet. Drape over the cake, smoothing gently, and trim excess.
- Chill until ready to serve. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
⭐ Adapted from Hannah Ziskin’s version.