The Portlander: Marionberries & Hazelnuts

There has to be a Cake Zero: the cake that started it all. I wanted to create a cake that is unique to Portland, Oregon and embodies the local flavors of the city. The state of Oregon is the most beautiful state I have resided in. Portland is the most quirky, diverse and unique city I’ve ever worked in. I wanted all this wrapped into a cake that I’ll be proud to show around the world.

I believe that the American style high-ratio cake is too rich, requiring chlorinated flour. On the other hand, the British style sponge cakes are too dry requiring emulsifiers and fat to moisten it up. I had this concept of steamed cakes for a while, and after eating steamed Tokyo Bananas brought back from Japan, I decided I should create my own line of steam cakes. I will call them my Esteam cake line.

What goes into a Pacific Northwest Cake?

When I shared my idea with my friend Jennifer Maynard, an excellent chef, we started brainstorming.

“There needs to be marionberries! There needs to be hazelnuts! It should look like the Pricesssorta cake, and taste fabulous!”

So with that in mind, I formulated a marzipan with hazelnuts. I don’t like store bought marzipan because it has this bitter and artificial almond taste, but I love the thought of covering the cake with something similar. So I made homemade marzipan. However, I used hazelnuts instead of almond. This is what I call our Hazeldant.

For a first cake, this one turned out delicious! The marionberry-hazelnut combo made it packed with flavor, while the steamed texture was just right.  And I feel confident it would make any Portlander proud.

The Portlander Esteam Cake

Batter

• 200g Eggs (separate whites and yolks)
• 185g Sugar
• 200g Cake Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 110g Water

Filling

• 100g  Marionberry Jam

Directions

1. Grease the 9” ring baking pan. Get the steamer ready.
2. Beat egg whites and sugar until firm peaks. Set aside
3. In another bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Add in the egg yolks, water and oil and mix well. Scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Fold in the egg whites.
5. Pour into the ring baking pan.
6. Place half of the batter into steamer and steam for 10 mins.
7. Pipe the jam on top of the cake, and pour in the remaining batter.
8. Steam for 20 mins.
9. Remove the cake from the steamer and drop it onto the counter (5” fall)
10. Cool the cake for 30 mins before removing it from the pan.

Marionberry Cream

• 150g Powdered Sugar
• 600g Whipping Cream
• 2pk Gelatin
• 1/2 cups Cold Water
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 50g Marionberry Jam
• 150g Crushed Hazelnuts

Directions

1. Dissolve the gelatin in the cold water.
2. Heat it in the microwave till it dissolves (about 1.5-2min). Set aside.
3. Place the powdered sugar into the mixing bowl with the whipping cream.
4. Add the vanilla and kirsch
5. Whip until firm peaks are obtained.
6. Pour in the cooled gelatin mixture.

Hazeldant

• 160g Hazelnut Flour
• 50g Corn Syrup
• 150g  Powdered Sugar
• 15g Water
• Purple color

Directions

1. Mix everything in the mixer with a paddle until you get a homogenous mixture. Roll it into a ball.
2. Flour the surface of the table with icing sugar.
3. Start rolling the Hazeldant into a circle.

Building the Esteam Cake

1. Place the ring of cake on a plate or cake board.
2. Pipe a layer of cream in the center
3. Place in the marionberries
4. Pipe the cream on top of the marionberries
5. Repeat this step until all the marionberries are used up.
6. Cover the entire cake with the cream.
7. Cool the entire cake for 2 hrs.
8. Place the Hazeldant on top to cover the entire cake
9. Decorate with the remaining marion berry cream.
10. Cool and set in the fridge.

Enjoy!