Belgian Les Miserable Cake- Belgium #111

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Belgian Les Miserable Cake- Belgium #111

A traditional Belgium cake, named after Victor Hugo's book, Les Miserable.  It's an almond sponge cake with a delicious buttercream filling. This cake is everything but not miserable!

Cake:


  • 10 egg whites (save 5 egg yolks for Buttercream)
  • 370 g. sugar (divided)
  • 400 g. ground almonds
  • 80 g. all-purpose flour

Buttercream filling:

  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 150 ml. water
  • 125 g. sugar
  • 5 egg yolks- room temperature
  • 300 g. softened butter- room temperature

Topping: 

  • Confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder
  1. Cake: Preheat oven 355F.  Line a 11x8" baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Lightly whisk egg whites and add 70g. sugar. Whisk until stiff or use electric mixer.
  3. Mix 300g. sugar with 400g. ground almonds and all-purpose flour.
  4. Carefully, but quickly,  fold flour mixture into the egg whites.
  5. Pour evenly over baking sheet.
  6. Bake 30 mins. or until firm in center.
  7. Cool completely.
  8. Buttercream: Slit vanilla pod lengthwise and bring to a boil with water and sugar.
  9. Whisk egg yolks. 
  10. Remove pod from syrup.  Slowly pour syrup onto egg yolks whisking until cooled down.
  11. Add softened butter, beat until smooth.
  12. Cut edges from slab of cake.
  13. Slice cake in 1/2 from long side to long side.
  14. Spread buttercream on bottom 1/2 and place other on top.
  15. Topping: Dust with confectioners' sugar and powdered cocoa.
  16. Refrigerate to firm up buttercream.

  Results:  Delicious!! and easy!!  Everyone loved it. As difficult as it was to give up 10 eggs, it was well worth it. I had some almond flour, but not enough. (Try buying that during a pandemic). I added ground almonds, which gave the cake a nice texture. Make sure you whisk rapidly the sugar syrup as it is poured into the egg yolks, otherwise you'll have cooked egg yolks. The buttercream filling looks very runny for awhile. keep beating. I thought--- this is never going to work. Then voila, it thickens. The cake is much better chilled. 

Bottom Line: Keeper!!

Please share this blog with friends and family.  They're probably sitting around wishing they had a good recipe to read.  Thanks.

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