Recipe courtesy of Inniskillin Winery
Black Walnut and Almond Cake with Eiswein Sabayon and Vanilla Bean Caramel Pear Skewers
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 771
- Total Fat
- 38
- Saturated Fat
- 9
- Carbohydrates
- 95
- Dietary Fiber
- 5
- Sugar
- 71
- Protein
- 17
- Cholesterol
- 272
- Sodium
- 293
- Total: 2 hr 32 min
- Prep: 1 hr 15 min
- Inactive: 2 min
- Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
Cake:
10 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon good quality bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 cup black walnuts, ground in food processor
10 egg whites
1 cup icing sugar
3 tablespoons ground ladyfinger biscuits
1 cup blanched almonds, ground in food processor
1/2 lemon, juiced
Pears:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
4 vanilla beans
2 pears, Bosc or Bartlett
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
Sabayon:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup eiswein
Directions
- Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan, and line the base with parchment paper.
- In a standing electric mixer whisk the yolks with the sugar until thick and light colored. Fold in chocolate, vanilla, and walnuts until just combined. Pour mixture into the prepared cake pan.
- Using a clean bowl again with the whisk, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, add icing sugar and continue beating until stiff. Gently fold in biscuits, almonds, and lemon juice.
- Pour mixture on top of walnut mixture already in cake pan. Bake in preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
- Pears: Bring sugar and water to a boil in small pan. Let boil for 30 seconds, lower heat to a simmer and add vanilla beans.
- Poach vanilla beans for 10 minutes, remove from syrup and let dry in oven set at a very low heat (160 degrees F) for 2 hours. Halve each vanilla bean, making 8 pieces.
- Peel pears, halve, and remove seeds. Cut pears into large cubes, sprinkle with lemon juice, thread 3 to 4 cubes onto each vanilla bean.
- Heat butter and sugar in pan until a caramel color is reached. Place pear skewers in caramelized butter and allow to caramelize on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove skewers from pan.
- Sabayon: Beat yolks with sugar in a medium bowl until light. Place bowl over simmering water and whisk in the eiswein. Beat until mixture triples in volume. Remove from heat and serve immediately with cake.
- Serve with cake and sabayon.