CandyVegetable oil
1 cup pure maple syrup
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
CakeNonstick vegetable oil spray
2½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
Buttercream
½ cup pure maple syrup
4 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch-thick slices, room temperature
CANDY: Line rimmed baking sheet with foil; brush foil with oil. Stir maple syrup, sugar, and vinegar in heavy medium saucepan until sugar is moistened. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Without stirring, bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat and boil until thermometer registers 300°F, occasionally brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat; mix in baking soda, then nuts (mixture will bubble vigorously).
Immediately pour maple mixture onto prepared baking sheet and spread to even ½-inch thickness (candy begins to firm quickly). Let stand until candy cools and hardens, at least 30 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and store candy at room temperature.
CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper; spray parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend.
Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar. Gradually beat in maple syrup (batter may look curdled). Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks, peel off parchment paper, and cool completely.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly; store at room temperature.
BUTTERCREAM: Bring maple syrup to boil in small saucepan.
Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Without letting hot maple syrup touch beaters, pour ¼ cup syrup down side of bowl into egg whites and beat to blend. Gradually beat in remaining hot maple syrup, avoiding beaters. Continue to beat until whites are stiff and cool, about 15 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 slice at a time. Beat until smooth. (If buttercream looks broken or curdled, place bowl with buttercream over medium heat on stovetop burner and whisk 5 to 10 seconds to warm mixture slightly, then remove from heat and beat mixture again at medium speed. Repeat warming and beating as many times as needed until buttercream is smooth.)
Chop enough maple candy into ¼-inch pieces to measure 1 cup; wrap remaining maple candy tightly in plastic. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 cup buttercream over. Sprinkle 1 cup maple candy pieces over and press lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining buttercream smoothly over top and sides of cake.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.
Chop enough of remaining maple candy into ¼-inch pieces to measure 2 cups. Mince enough maple candy to measure 2 tablespoons. Press ¼-inch pieces of maple candy onto sides of cake. Sprinkle minced maple candy around top edge of cake. Serve cake within 2 hours.Ingredient Tip: Secret WeaponsWhy baking soda and vinegar? Baking soda makes the caramellike maple syrup foam up, giving the candy that crisp and porous brittle texture. The vinegar eliminates any trace of an unpleasant soapy flavor that baking soda can sometimes leave behind.
Also called fraisier (French for “strawberry plant”) and usually made with almonds, this delicate pistachio cake is layered with fresh whole strawberries and a fluffy white chocolate buttercream, then topped with green-tinted marzipan. Scrolling the name of the cake on top is a French custom, but feel free to write whatever message you like. Cake decorating stores and cookware stores carry the little leaf-shape cookie cutters that are used to make the strawberry leaves on this cake. If you can’t find them, use a small sharp knife to cut out the leaves by hand. Or, if you have a strawberry plant, use fresh leaves instead. 10 servings
Cake
2 large eggs, room temperature
⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup ground unsalted natural pistachios
½ cup unbleached all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
4 large egg whites, room temperature
Buttercream
6 large egg yolks
⅓ cup sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1½ cups half and half
8 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 tablespoons fraise eau-de-vie or framboise (clear strawberry or raspberry brandies) or other brandy, divided
Assembly
6 tablespoons strawberry jam
3 1-pint containers strawberries, hulled
7 ounces marzipanGreen food coloringPowdered sugar
2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
4 strawberries, cut in half through stem end
CAKE: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch square metal pan with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter and flour parchment.
Using electric mixer, beat eggs and ⅓ cup sugar at high speed in large bowl until slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes Mix nuts, flour, and baking powder in medium bowl. Fold nut mixture into egg mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg white mixture into batter in 2 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 5 minutes. Using small sharp knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack. Peel off parchment; cool cake completely.
BUTTERCREAM: Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and flour in medium bowl until well blended. Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Slowly pour hot half and half into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return egg mixture to same saucepan and cook until mixture is very thick and boils, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add white chocolate and vanilla; stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream to prevent skin from forming; cool.