Strawberry Layer Cake, The Barbuto Cookbook: California-Italian Cooking from the Beloved West Village Restaurant by Jonathan Waxman. Photography by © 2020 Ken Goodman.
There are very few New York City restaurants that have maintained their currency, quality, and charm for as long as Jonathan Waxman’s Barbuto.
For the first time ever, The Barbuto Cookbook invites home cooks into the history, culture, and cuisine of the Greenwich Village dining spot that became both a neighbourhood favourite and a New York culinary destination.
Jonathan and his team provide the necessary tools for re-creating Barbuto classics, including the famous JW roast chicken, the otherworldly kale salad, specialty pizzas, gnocchi, spectacular desserts, and much more.
Every recipe is a flavorful restaurant showstopper adapted for straightforward preparation at home.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jonathan Waxman has held the position of chef and owner at Barbuto in Manhattan’s West Village and Jams in 1 Hotel Central Park. He has appeared on two seasons of Top Chef Masters. Waxman is the author of two previous cookbooks and lives in Manhattan with his wife and three children.
The Barbuto Cookbook: California-Italian Cooking from the Beloved West Village Restaurant is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.
Strawberry Layer Cake
I am a total sucker for any layer cake. At my restaurant Adele’s in Nashville, I have a coconut cake that is light and ethereal and thoroughly addictive. At Barbuto, we generally like simpler desserts, and this cake exemplifies that philosophy. Try strawberries from the local farmer’s market. The season is short, so be on the lookout. Of course, one can use blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries, or a nice combo thereof.
Makes 7 Cakes
FOR THE PLAIN GENOISE CAKE:
3 eggs
2 yolks
½ cup (100 g) plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup (85 g) cake flour
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (60 ml) clarified butter, cooled (see Note)
FOR THE MASCARPONE CREAM:
½ cup (120 ml) mascarpone (1 small tub)
1½ tablespoons sugar, plus more to taste
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
FOR THE VANILLA SYRUP:
½ cup (100 g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
TO ASSEMBLE:
Sliced strawberries
Note: To make clarified butter, microwave it for 2 minutes on high and skim off the foam.
- Make the plain genoise cake: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a half sheet pan and line it with parchment paper. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
- Put the whole eggs, yolks, and ½ cup (200 g) of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and use a handheld eclectic mixer to whip with a whisk over the boiling water until warm to the touch.
- Put the bowl on the mixer and using the whip attachment, whip on medium-high speed until very thick and pale. Add the vanilla.
- Remove from the mixer, transfer to a big mixing bowl, and sift in the flour, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and the salt, gently folding in the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, combine about 1 cup (240 ml) of the batter with the clarified butter, combine gently but thoroughly, and then combine with the rest of the batter. Pour into the prepared half sheet pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched.
- Let the cake cool completely, then turn it out of the pan.
- Make the mascarpone cream: Put the mascarpone and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whip attachment.
- Add about ½ cup (120 ml) of the cream and whip on medium-low speed until no lumps of mascarpone remain.
- Add the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) cream, the vanilla, and salt and whip until just thick and spreadable. Do not overwhip, or your cream will become grainy and greasy tasting.
- Make the vanilla syrup: Bring ½ cup (120 ml) water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat, cool to room temp and add the vanilla.
- Assemble the cake: Cut the cake into as many 3-inch (7.5 cm) circles as you can using a round cookie cutter.
- Sprinkle each circle with a little vanilla syrup, then spread a dollop of mascarpone cream over half of them. Top each cake with one of the remaining circles.
- Spoon a dollop of mascarpone cream on top and then some sliced strawberries or fruit of your choice. Serve.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Abrams Books.