Fall is for apple cider and pumpkins and warm spices. So when I set out to make my own interpretation of the classic Gateau St Honore, I decided to go with a seasonal approach and turn it into a celebration of apples.
This is another project post, just as much to document for my own reference what I did to bring together this cake as it is to guide others to make their own. I love to mix and match components and flavors and this cake is a prime example of a long list of ingredients and a palette of flavors harmonizing into a truly satisfying and delightful treat.
First up is the puff pastry base. You can simply use store bough pastry for guaranteed flakey and crisp results, of course. I reached out for my trusty copy of Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz and made her rough puff, check out this video for a detailed instructional from her on how to do it.
Next prep item, pastry cream. Again, I used the recipe from the fundamentals section of Dessert person, which I infused with cloves and cinnamon whole spices, sweetened in part with maple syrup, and flavored with a splash of rum. If you don't have the book (why not? I ask), this is a great recipe I've often used as well. After the cream cools (with a cover touching the surface so it doesn't form a film), split it in two and lighten up one half with Italian or Swiss meringue to obtain what is called creme chiboust. Set both in the fridge until ready to use.
I made a batch of salted caramel and let it cool - a flakey salt and deep amber color do wonders in cutting the sweetness and giving more dimension to the caramel. Head over to Sally's blog for an excellent recipe.
Final make-ahead component is the creme chantily that I've fallen in love with recently - a fluffy and not-to-sweet mix of butter, cream cheese and mascarpone cream, this works on just about any cake but is lovely with fresh fruit and spiked desserts. Head over to Sugar Geek's awesome blog for the recipe.
When it's time to bake and bring it all together, roll out the rough puff to a thin sheet, and cut out a circle that will be the base of the St Honore. Then, make the choux - that's the cream puffs around the edges, and a ring around the base. I made a craquelin as well for the puffs (my main reference recipe for craquelin is this one), in which I added some cinnamon to tie in with the fall flavors of the dessert as a whole. In addition to the puffs themselves, pipe a ring of choux dough directly on the rough puff circle as well. Bake together until golden, raised and set then poke the choux to let out steam as it cools.
Fill the puffs with caramel and creme chiboust, and set aside for final assembly. Claire's croquembouche instructional covers a lot of the steps for these puffs from dough, to filling and assembly with caramel.
Time for a quick product plug (no, they're definitely not paying me) - the apple cider spread from Trader Joe's. They're always at the peak of their game for seasonal products, and this is no exception. Tastes like apple pie met apple cider and partied their way into a jam jar. It packs a fantastic amount of flavor, and the apple pieces are small enough to provide texture but work as a spread.
To prep the fresh apples (I got fresh harvest gala apples, they were aromatic and crisp, perfect to enjoy fresh). I sliced them thinly on a handheld mandolin, then softened them slightly in lemon juice, warm water and maple syrup with a dash of calvados. This also prevents oxidation.
Final assembly goes as follows:
- inject caramel in the choux on the base, as well as the puffs turned upside down ready for filling.
- pipe reserved pastry cream over the base, smooth into a thin layer
- add apple cider spread across the base in a thin layer, then smooth as well
- dip filled puffs in hot caramel (carefully!) and attach using the caramel along the base in a ring (I followed Prue's directions for caramel here)
- fill space between the puffs halfway up with creme chantilly
- arrange apple slices in a swirl pattern, leaving room for another puff in the center if desired
That's it, you've got yourself a beautiful and delicious Gateaux St Honore!
Notes
- Make this your own! I recommend picking a dominant flavor/theme (in my case, apple), think of a couple of spices that complement it well (maple, cinnamon, cloves here) and consider what forms that component can take to provide some textural variation (fresh apples and cider spread)
- Be very careful with the hot caramel! I got a couple of burns from unexpected drips, the temperature is quite high when the sugar is liquid. Consider you may have to gently rewarm the sugar while you work on assembly if it thickens too much.
