The misérable is one of my favorite cake, the first one I tried baking. It took me trying 3 different recipes I found online before finding the one I like.
For this one, you'll have to forget about the calories!
Traditionally, it is 2 layers of almond sponge with a layer of vanilla buttercream in the middle. I love butter cream and playing with its taste. The coffee and biscoff (called speculoos in Belgium) taste buttercream were really nice variations.
SPONGE
Servings: 8
Calories: 384 kcal / serving
Ingredients:
* 250 g egg whites
* 250 g ground almond
* 250 g icing sugar
* 50 g caster sugar
* 50 g flour
Servings: 8 (maybe more)
Calories: 758 kcal / serving
Ingredients:
* 625 g unsalted butter
* 250 ml water
* 250 g caster sugar
* 8 egg yolks
* 1 vanilla stick (or vanilla extract)
Gluten free:
* Use a mix gluten free flour
* Add a few grams of baking soda and/or xanthan gum
Lactose free:
* Use lactose free butter or margarine
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Oven temperature: 180 C
Cookware:
* Mixer or whip
* Spatula
* Scale
* 3 large bowls
* 2 oven pans
* Small cooking pot
* Sieve
* Piping bag (optional)
Method:
* Take the butter out of the fridge one hour in advance
* Preheat the oven at 180 C
Sponge
* Prepare all your ingredients:
- 1st bowl (mixer): 250 g egg whites and 50 g caster sugar
- 2nd bowl: 250 g mix ground almond, 250 g icing sugar and 50 g flour
* Whip up the egg whites and sugar
* Sieve and slowly add the ingredients from the 2nd bowl
* Mix delicately with a spatula
* Pour the preparation in oven pans, 1.5 cm height
* Cook it for +/- 10 minutes
* Once cooked, let the sponge cool down
Tips:
* The butter and eggs should be at room temperature for a better result
* Sieve the ground almond, icing sugar and flour to avoid lumps
Warning:
* The sponge should stay soft and not color too much in the oven
* The lower the temperature of the oven, the longer the sponge has to cook
* Cooking the sponge at 100 C is definitely too low a temperature
French Buttercream
* Prepare all your ingredients:
- 1st bowl (mixer): 8 egg yolks
- 2nd bowl: 250 g caster sugar
- 3rd bowl: 625 g butter
- Pot: 250 ml water
* Boil the 250 ml water in a pot* Cut the vanilla stick in its length and add it to the water
* Turn the stove off and let it rest for 5 minutes
* Filter the water and put it back on the stove
* Add the sugar and boil the water until it becomes a syrup
* Mix half of the syrup with the egg yolks
* Set the stove at a low temperature
* Add the egg yolk mix back in the pan
* Mix the syrup until it covers the spatula
* Pour the syrup in a bowl
* If you use a mixer, set it at a low speed
* Mix the syrup until it reaches room temperature
* Slowly add the syrup to the butter
* Mix until you get a smooth cream
* If the sponges are not cool yet, keep it in the fridge
Tips:
* If you use vanilla extract instead of the vanilla pod, add about 1 tea spoon (or to taste) at the end
* The butter should be at room temperature for a better result
Warning:
* If you're not quick enough and don't let the syrup breathe when pouring it on the egg yolks, it will cook them
* Once the egg yolks are in the pan, don't let the syrup boil
* If the syrup is too hot when pouring it on the butter, it will melt it
Cake
* Wait that the sponges are at room temperature
* Take the buttercream out of the fridge
* Wait that the buttercream is soft enough to be spread
* Spread the buttercream on one sponge
* Cover with the second sponge
Warning:
* If the sponges are warm, the buttercream will melt
* If the buttercream is too cold, it will be more difficult to spread