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Strawberry - guava cake (gluten-free option)

I've been having fun experimenting with different ways to make even more delicious and varied layer cakes, naturally using seasonal ingredients. This all started out because my cousin dropped off a bushel of guavas from his recent harvest.  Usually I make guava juice for drinks, like guava-lime-strawberry or guava-fizzy water with lemon or orange rind, or daiquiris and margaritas. 

For this week's layer cake, since it was all about guava, and let me tell you coring and preparing them is half the fun since the fragrance is so delicate and delightful, bringing back childhood memories. Not gonna lie, it does take time, but the juice and guava cream are a nice delicate color and flavor for cakes and so worth it. I made a cream from pureed guava (seeds strained) and also a strawberry-guava mousse.  There are 2 mousses in this cake.  Also there are 2 different cakes.  

My little time-saving secret for home-bakers : I usually make one batch of layer cakes one day, baking for example 4-6 disks of the yogurt vanilla flavor and freezing them (remember to label them with the kind of flavor and date, I've made the mistake of forgetting this step, with dire results, bahahaha). The next day I bake the fruit flavor layer, this time guava, other times almond, lemon or cheesecake layers. You can then build a cake pretty readily, just allow 2-3 hours to defrost, layering with a different fruit preserve or mousse or curd or another cake flavor.  I also make the mousses and creams and freeze them (once again, label !). You can then look in your freezer and build a cake. This week it's : 2 layers of yogurt cake - strawberry mousse - layer of guava cake - guava strawberry mousse - whipped vanilla cream and berries. 

Here are some recipes from this week's cake :

Fluffy yogurt cake
2 eggs
1 cup yogurt
1-1/2 cup sugar
3/4 vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cup flour (or gluten free flour + 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt

For chocolate cake : add 1/2 cup of cold coffee and 1/2 cup cocoa powder.
For guava or strawberry cake : add 2/3 cup of pureed guava cream (simmer about a dozen peeled and quartered guavas over medium heat 10 minutes or until softened, +2 tablespoons of sugar, allow to cool then mix in a processor, remove seeds through a sieve) and/or strawberries (softened over medium heat +2 tablespoons of sugar, pureed in a processor) + 1/2 cup of cake flour.
For a lemon layer : add 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice + 1/2 cup cake flour.

Preheat oven 350 degrees F / 175 degrees C. Line 2 round 8"-9" baking pans. Mix ingredients in a bowl, first all the wet ingredients, beating 2 minutes, then folding in the rest, whisking 2 minutes.  Batter should be medium thick, not too runny nor too heavy (add a tablespoon of flour or yogurt to get the right consistency. Pour batter into pans then bake 35-40 minutes or until the center is cooked (test with a toothpick which should come out clean).

For the strawberry-guava mousse :
1/2 guava puree
1/2 cup strawberry puree
1 tablespoon of sugar according to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup softened cream cheese

Whip up the cream in a bowl (make sure it's cold or it won't fluff up as much).  After 2-3 minutes, beat in confectioner's sugar.  Add softened cream cheese and mix until you get a thickened cream, about 1 minute.  Fold in fruit purees.  Store in the refrigerator about 2 hours or until thickened.  You can then pipe between layers of cake or simple spoon on top evenly.  Save some for the top, here I paired the mousse with a homemade whipped cream, then added strawberries.

Enjoy, everyone !

 








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