V8 Cake

Ingredients
2 vani l l a beans
100g bl anched al monds
Sugar spheres, to serve

Vani l l a crme chanti l l y

4g gol d strength gel ati ne l eaves
590g thi ckened cream
1 vani l l a bean, seeds scraped
175g caster sugar
24g col d water

Toasted vani l l a brul ee

3 egg yol ks
50g dark brown sugar
250g thi ckened cream
1 vani l l a bean
1 tsp vani l l a extract

Vani l l a water gel

250g water
38g caster sugar
1.5g gel l an
1 vani l l a bean, spl i t, seeds scraped

Vani l l a gl aze
9.5g gel ati ne l eaves
60g col d water
40g gl ucose l i qui d
35g water
250g caster sugar
400g thi ckened cream
1 vani l l a bean, spl i t, seeds scraped
150g mi roi r gl aze (speci al ty col d-
appl i cati on pati sseri e gl aze)
7.5g ti tani um di oxi de (whi te col ourant,
powdered)

Vani l l a ganache
300g whi te couverture chocol ate
185g thi ckened cream
2 tsp vani l l a extract
1/2 vani l l a bean, spl i t, seeds scraped
95g unsal ted butter, softened

Brown sugar crumbl e

50g unsal ted butter
50g pl ai n fl our
50g dark brown sugar
50g al mond meal
scraped vani l l a bean

Vani l l a macaron
53g egg whi tes
50g pure i ci ng sugar
150g TPT (equal parts si fted al mond
meal and si fted pure i ci ng sugar)
scraped vani l l a bean

Vani l l a dacquoi se
60g egg whi tes
43g caster sugar
65g al mond meal
40g pure i ci ng sugar, si fted
1 vani l l a bean, spl i t, seeds scraped
tsp vani l l a extract

Vani l l a chi ffon cake

17.5g pl ai n fl our
1 roasted and fi nel y ground vani l l a bean
1.25 (21g) egg yol ks
5g dark brown sugar
17.5g water
15g canol a oi l
45g egg whi tes
22.5g caster sugar
2.5g ri ce fl our

Please note - you will need precision scales. The vanilla crme chantilly,
vanilla glaze, brown sugar crumble, and vanilla syrup can all be made ahead
of time.

1.Preheat oven to 160C.

2.To make the roasted vani l l a beans, pl ace 2 vani l l a beans i n oven unti l burnt
and charcoal i n texture. Gri nd to a fi ne powder i n a mortar and pestl e or spi ce
gri nder. Cover and set asi de.
3.To make the pure al mond paste, pl ace 100g bl anched al monds on a baki ng
tray and bake for 10 mi nutes or unti l deep gol den. Gri nd to a coarse paste. Cover
and set asi de.
4.To make the vanilla crme chantilly, cut gel ati ne i nto smal l squares, soak i n
the col d water. Pl ace cream, vani l l a and sugar i n a saucepan and bri ng to the
boi l . Remove from the heat and al l ow to cool to 70-80C, and then sti r through
the gel ati ne and water mi xture unti l di ssol ved. Pl ace i n a contai ner, cover the
surface wi th cl i ng wrap and pl ace i n the fri dge.
5.For the toasted vanilla brulee, mi x yol ks and sugar i n a bowl by hand wi th a
whi sk unti l j ust combi ned. Add cream and vani l l a bean to a smal l saucepan and
bri ng to the boi l , pour a l i ttl e over the eggs whi l e sti rri ng, then add the remai ni ng
l i qui d i ncl udi ng vani l l a bean. Puree wi th a hand bl ender unti l smooth and pour
i nto a shal l ow baki ng tray about 25 x 38cm. Pl ace i nto the oven and cook unti l
j ust set, about 10 mi nutes, then i ncrease oven to 200C and bake unti l i t forms
a gol den brown crust, about 5 mi nutes. It shoul d l ook sl i ghtl y spl i t when removed
from the oven. Scrape mi xture i nto a thermomi x, bl ender, or smal l food processor
and bl end to a smooth paste. Set asi de i n a smal l bowl , coveri ng the surface of
the brul ee wi th cl i ng wrap so i t doesnt form a ski n. Reduce oven temperature
to 160C.
6.To make the vanilla water gel, pl ace a l i ned 18cm square cake ti n i n the
fri dge to chi l l . Boi l al l i ngredi ents i n saucepan whi l st whi ski ng unti l di ssol ved and
mi xture starts to thi cken. To test i f set, drop about a teaspoon of l i qui d i nto a
metal bowl , i t shoul d thi cken sl i ghtl y. It wi l l thi cken on cool i ng. To speed up
cool i ng, pour i nto a metal bowl and set asi de for 5 mi nutes. Pour i nto chi l l ed
cake ti n and pl ace i n the freezer unti l sol i d, about 30 mi nutes. Remove from
moul d and keep gel i n freezer.
7.For the vanilla glaze, soak the gel ati ne l eaves i n col d water unti l softened.
Drai n, squeezi ng out any excess water. Boi l gl ucose, water and sugar unti l
165C, brushi ng around the si des of the saucepan wi th a pastry brush di pped i n
col d water as you go. Do not al l ow caramel to take on any col our. In another
saucepan, bri ng cream and vani l l a seeds to boi l and then add to the sugar syrup.
Mi x through, then al l ow to cool to 70C and add softened gel ati ne, sti rri ng wel l .
Add mi roi r gl aze and ti tani um di oxi de and bl end wel l . Strai n, then freeze unti l
set. Reheat to 35C when gl azi ng the cake.
8.For the vanilla ganache, pl ace al l i ngredi ents i n a bl ender and mi x unti l
smooth and creamy. Cover cl osel y wi th cl i ng wrap and set asi de unti l needed.
9.To make the brown sugar crumble, pl ace al l i ngredi ents i n an el ectri c mi xer
and beat mi x unti l dough forms. Grate through a cool i ng rack wi th a
l i ned baki ng tray si tti ng underneath to catch the crumbl e then bake i n the oven
for about 10 mi nutes unti l gol den.
10.To make the vanilla macaron, draw an 18cm square on a pi ece of baki ng
paper pl aced on a baki ng tray. Usi ng an el ectri c mi xer or hand beaters, whi sk egg
whi tes on hi gh speed unti l soft peaks form then sl owl y add pure i ci ng sugar,
checki ng i t has di ssol ved i n between addi ti ons unti l you have sti ff gl ossy peaks.
Sti r through TPT wi th vani l l a seeds. Spoon mi xture i nto a pi pi ng bag fi tted wi th
a 5mm nozzl e. Pi pe i nto the penci l l ed frame usi ng a conti nuous snaki ng moti on
to fi l l the enti re square. Let a ski n form and then bake for 10 mi nutes at 160C
unti l gol den. Remove from oven, sl i de baki ng paper off tray and pl ace on ki tchen
bench. Increase oven temperature to 180C.
11.To make the vanilla dacquoise, draw an 18cm square on a pi ece of baki ng
paper pl aced on a baki ng tray. In an el ectri c mi xer fi tted wi th whi sk attachment,
whi sk egg whi tes on hi gh speed unti l soft peaks form then sl owl y add caster sugar,
beati ng unti l you have sti ff gl ossy peaks. Mi x al mond meal wi th i ci ng sugar,
vani l l a seeds and extract, gentl y fol d through egg whi tes. Spoon i nto a pi pi ng
bag fi tted wi th a 5mm nozzl e. Pi pe i nto the penci l l ed frame usi ng a conti nuous
snaki ng moti on to fi l l the enti re square. Dust wi th i ci ng sugar, l et si t 2 mi nutes
then dust agai n. Bake at 180C 10-12 mi nutes or unti l gol den. Remove from
oven, sl i de baki ng paper off tray and pl ace on ki tchen bench. Reduce oven
temperature to 160C.
12.To make the vanilla chiffon cake, draw an 18cm square on a pi ece of
baki ng paper pl aced on a baki ng tray. Mi x fl our, roasted vani l l a bean powder,
egg yol ks, brown sugar, water and oi l i n a bowl unti l combi ned. Whi sk egg whi tes
i n an el ectri c mi xer on hi gh speed unti l soft peaks form then sl owl y add the sugar
and ri ce fl our, beati ng unti l you have sti ff, gl ossy peaks. Fol d the meri ngue
through the batter gentl y. Spoon i nto a pi pi ng bag fi tted wi th a 5mm nozzl e.
Pi pe i nto the penci l l ed frame usi ng a conti nuous snaki ng moti on to fi l l the enti re
square. Bake i n the oven set at 160C unti l gol den, about 15 mi nutes.





















































Method
















































































Vani l l a al mond crunch
45g mi l k couverture chocol ate
90g al mond pral i ne paste
90g pure al mond paste
18g unsal ted butter
45g brown sugar crumbl e
45g pai l ette feui l l i ti ne (crunchy wheat
fl akes)
18g toasted di ced al monds
1 roasted and fi nel y ground vani l l a bean
2g sea sal t
scraped vani l l a bean

Vani l l a syrup
125g caster sugar
250g water
vani l l a bean, spl i t
1 tsp vani l l a extract

Whi te chocol ate fl ower and ti l es

500g whi te couverture chocol ate, grated
or fi nel y chopped
5g ti tani um di oxi de











































































13.To make the vanilla almond crunch, mel t mi l k chocol ate, add al mond
pral i ne and the pure al mond paste and mi x wel l . Mel t butter and take to nut
brown (noi ssette) stage. Add crumbl e and fuei l l eti ne fl akes and mi x through
pral i ne mi xture, then fol d through burnt butter, fol l owed by toasted al monds,
crushed vani l l a beans, sea sal t and scraped vani l l a seeds. Smooth a 5mm l ayer
over vani l l a dacquoi se and set asi de.
14.To make the vanilla syrup, bri ng al l i ngredi ents to the boi l , then al l ow to
cool .
15.To make the white chocolate tiles and flower, bri ng 5cm of water i n a
medi um saucepan to the boi l , turn off the heat and si t a metal bowl wi th 300g of
the chocol ate over the water. Sti r unti l j ust mel ted then remove bowl to the
bench and add about 100g more chocol ate to bri ng the temperature down. Sti r
vi gorousl y unti l the chocol ate has mel ted, i f the chocol ate does not feel col d to
the touch, add the remai ni ng 100g chocol ate to bri ng down the temperature.
Add ti tani um di oxi de and mi x wel l . Keep sti rri ng wel l to remove al l l umps. If the
chocol ate mi xture feel s col d to the touch, spread a smal l , thi n l ayer onto a smal l
pi ece of baki ng paper. Set asi de for about 3-4 mi nutes, i t wi l l start to harden i f i t
i s tempered correctl y. If the chocol ate becomes too thi ck and the temperature i s
too l ow, gentl y reheat the mi xture i n the bowl set over the saucepan of steami ng
water, but i t sti l l needs to be col d.
16.When the chocol ate i s tempered, to make the fl ower, spread a thi n l ayer,
about 2-3mm thi ck on 2 pi eces of acetate (30 x 40cm) usi ng a l arge pal ette kni fe.
Once the chocol ate has al most set, on one sheet of acetate careful l y mark 3
stri ps l engthways on the stri ps, about 7-9cm-wi de. Mark thi n tri angl es i n each
stri p. These form the fl ower petal s. Pl ace a pi ece of baki ng paper over the top,
and wrap around a rol l i ng pi n or si mi l ar cyl i nder and al l ow to compl etel y harden.
17.On the other sheet use a rul er to mark out 4 cm squares. Pl ace a pi ece of
baki ng paper over the top and i nvert onto a board or cl ean work surface to
compl etel y harden.
18.To assembl e the cake, i n a 20cm acetate-l i ned strai ght-si ded cake ti n spread
a 5-10mm l ayer of Chanti l l y crme around base and si des of ti n. Chi l l i n freezer
unti l fi rm. Lay vani l l a gel at the base of the ti n and smear wi th a ti ny amount of
brul ee so that macaron l ayer wi l l sti ck to the gel . Lay macaron l ayer over brul ee
smear. Cover macaron l ayer wi th an even 5mm of brul ee. Pl ace chi ffon cake
over brul ee l ayer. Brush chi ffon cake wi th a l i ttl e vani l l a syrup. Spread a 5mm
l ayer of ganache over chi ffon cake. Invert the dacquoi se/crunch l ayers so the
vani l l a al mond crunch l ayer i s sandwi ched next to the ganache and the
dacquoi se i s faci ng up. The dacquoi se wi l l become the base of the cake.
19.Fi l l i n any gaps wi th Chanti l l y cream, then pl ace i n the freezer for 30-60
mi nutes unti l fi rm. Pl ace a l arge pi ece of cl i ng wrap on the bench and pl ace a
cool i ng rack on top. Remove the cake from the chi l l er and i nvert onto the cool i ng
rack. Heat si des of cake ti n gentl y wi th a bl ow torch to hel p rel ease the moul d
from the cake. Remove any acetate. Smooth top and si des i f necessary wi th a
pal ette kni fe. Pouri ng generousl y and usi ng a pal ette kni fe, spread the vani l l a
gl aze evenl y over the top and si des, compl etel y coveri ng the surface. Usi ng a
l arge pal ette kni fe transfer the cake to a cake stand and pl ace the chocol ate ti l es
around the cake.
20.To assembl e the fl ower spread a smal l amount of mel ted tempered
chocol ate onto a smal l pi ece of baki ng paper and use thi s as a base to sti ck the
petal s, starti ng i n the centre, worki ng outwards to create a fl ower. Usi ng choco-
cool wi l l hel p fi x the petal s i n pl ace and fi rm up the chocol ate base.
Pl ace chocol ate fl ower on top of the cake and decorate the top of the cake wi th a
few sugar spheres.