HCB: White Gold Passion Genoise

Passion fruit!!! Where have you been all my life?

This cake, was almost re-named to "White Gold Orange/Lemon Genoise." I couldn't find passion fruit here in town and couldn't pay the exorbitant price that Amazon would charge. Until Monica came to my rescue, offering to send me passion fruit pulp. And she did! Via overnight mail. Packed safely and securely in 6 layers to assure safe arrival and prevent leakage.

And it did arrive safely. Completely thawed and slightly warm. Smelling so good and fruity.

The cake, amidst the 5 page instruction, was pretty easy to put together. Even for someone who is slowly and surely getting a nasty head cold. Spinning head or not, I wasn't going to let it get in the way of making this cake.

My spinning head is preventing me from writing a legible post though, so I'll keep this short.

The cake part is easy. Calls for making beurre noisette, which I've made countless times by now. I think I've made the cake portion several times too, so by now it's pretty standard.

The syrup is interesting. Usually syrup consists of boiling sugar and water, and added alcohol after it cooled. This time it's boiling sugar and passion fruit juice. No complaints there as it smells yummy.

Passion fruit curd is standard too, same methodology as lemon curd and orange curd, except 100x better. I want to lick the spatula, the bowl, the pot. And yes I did lick all of them (no shame from the sick), but only after I moved the curd safely into a container. Let's not get hubby sick as well.

After a quick nap on the couch. I proceed to make the buttercream.

I thought it would be hard and time consuming, but it was pretty quick too. Or maybe it just seems quick as I'm still delirious from the meds and vitamin combo...

First I made the white chocolate custard base, melt the white chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Then add the egg. This part is weird. I don't think I've done this before. Anyway, it seems like the white chocolate butter mixture was too warm because as soon as I add the egg it started to emulsify - or seemingly too. Became thick and somewhat slimy. I measured the temperature: 145 degrees. Ooopps! Too warm indeed. I took if off the heat and continue stirring. Then afraid that it would not be completely cook/sterile, raw egg and all, I put it back on the lowered heat. After a while, it started looking custard. I put it aside.

Then the easy part of the buttercream, whip the cream cheese and butter until soft and blended. Add the white chocolate custard. Instead of slowing adding it, as the recipe said, I dumped the whole thing. And of course it started curdling. Borrowing a cuss-word from a book I'm reading: "Damnation!" Not sure what to do and thinking "what the hell" at the same time, I increased the mixer speed to high and let it whip for several minutes. Then it came together. Phew!

Tasting impressions:
Forget about the cake, just go straight to the passion fruit curd. This stuff is top notch. And it makes the cake top notch. Sorry lemon curd, you've got competition now. You no longer hold the title as my No.1 favorite curd anymore.