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BAKED IN HEAVEN MAINE BLUEBERRY ALMOND CAKE WITH
BLUEBERRY SORBET AND LEMON VERBENA CRÈME ANGLAISE
This cake is an all-out elegant dessert so serve it on your nicest plates and garnish with a sprig of fresh lemon verbena leaves. Makes one 8 inch cake making 8 portions. ![[Made in Heaven Maine Blueberry Almond Cake with Blueberry Sorbet and Lemon Verbena Crème Anglaise.]](rusticator_blueberry_almond_cake.jpg)
Blueberry Almond Cake
Ingredients
¾ cup blanched almonds
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Sugar, separated
½ cup all purpose flour
4 large egg whites
¼ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. pure almond extract
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup fresh Maine blueberries, or (3/4 cup of larger high bush blueberries)
Confectionary sugar for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease or spray an 8" round cake or spring form pan. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the pan, spray lightly with Pam or other spray and fit into the bottom of the pan.
Grind the almonds, 2/3 cup sugar and flour in a food processor until it reaches
a mealy consistency. Remove from the processor and put in medium size bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer start to whip egg whites. When frothy add the 2 tbsps. sugar and salt. Continue beating, adding vanilla and almond extracts until shiny stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg white mixture gently into the almond flour mixture.
Fold in the melted butter and when incorporated gently stir in the blueberries.
Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until top is lightly golden in color and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes. Then free the sides of the cake with a knife and remove from the pan.
When cool dust the top of the cake with confectionary sugar and a fine sieve.
Cut into 8 equal pieces, garnish the plate with a swirl of Lemon Verbena crème anglaise (recipe follows), Maine blueberry sorbet (recipe follows) and a lemon verbena sprig.
Lemon Verbena Crème Anglaise
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks, lightly whipped
½ cup fresh lemon verbena leaves
Directions
Over medium high heat in a medium saucepan scald the milk removing the "skin" that forms on the top. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon verbena leaves. Allow to steep for one hour.
Re-scald the milk and remove the "skin" that forms. Lower the heat to low.
Add the sugar and salt to the egg yolk mixture and combine.
Add 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to the whipped egg yolk mixture and stir to combine and warm up the eggs.
Return the warmed, yolk mixture back into the pot and combine, stirring constantly, cooking on low heat until it thickens and coats a spoon or reaches a temperature of 180 degrees on a thermometer.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and chill on an ice bath.
Maine Blueberry Sorbet
Ingredients
3 cups fresh Maine blueberries
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
juice of one lemon
Directions
Cook all the ingredients together in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
Cook the blueberries until they have broken down and the sugar has melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Add the cooked blueberry mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, taking care to cover the top of the blender with a towel to prevent splashing from the hot mixture.
Chill this mixture for at least 8 hours. Freeze in ice cream machine based on manufacturer’s direction.
Scoop one perfectly round ball of sorbet onto the side of the cake and atop the crème anglaise. Garnish with a lemon verbena sprig and/or fresh Maine blueberries.
This is one of a series of recipes from Oakland House Seaside Resort's Rusticator Restaurant kitchen. This was first served in 2006. It was created by pastry chef Rebecca Stevens. She called it Maine Blueberry Financiers. The general ingredients are those of a classic French "financier." In France these delicate cakes are made in small "gold brick" shaped tins, hence the name "financier." We've made a single cake for simplicity's sake. It is delicate and delicious. We tested the recipe a few more times at home this winter. That's why the blueberries in the photo are the fat imported ones not the tiny Maine blueberries we'd prefer.
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![[Rusticator Restaurant dinner entree.]](../images/dinner_6953.jpg)
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