
RISING STAR PASTRY
AWARD SPONSORED BY 
Alex Stupak
ALINEA | Chicago
Alex Stupak has always been drawn to the kitchen. As a precocious
eleven year old, he began his career as a pastry chef selling his
homemade confections to fellow classmates. While enrolled at the
Culinary Institute of America, Stupak completed his externship at
Clio Restaurant in Boston under acclaimed Chef Ken Oringer. After
graduating from the CIA in 2000, Stupak joined the kitchen of Tru
in Chicago, honing his talents in a variety of roles. He returned
to Boston to work at the Federalist, where he became Pastry Chef
after just one month. The next year he returned to Clio as Pastry
Chef. Striving for creativity while maintaining balance, Chef Stupak's
pastries have been recognized as some of the most provocative in
the country. Earlier this year Chef Grant Achatz invited Alex to
be on the opening team at Alinea, where his innovative desserts
complement and elevate Achatz' extraordinary creations.
Sponge Cake with Sour Cherry, Tonka Bean
and Vanilla
Pastry Chef Alex Stupak of Alinea – Chicago, IL
Adapted by StarChefs.com
Yield: 12 Servings
Ingredients:
Sponge Cake with Vanilla:
- 7 whole eggs
- 143 grams vegetable oil
- 255 grams sugar
- 15 grams liquid sorbitol
- 3 grams salt
- 228 grams cake flour
- 6 grams baking powder
- 120 milliliters milk
- 255 grams Isomalt, for boiling
- 30 whole vanilla beans
Neutral Caramel Sheets:
- 200 grams fondant
- 200 grams glucose
- 100 grams Isomalt
Tonka Bean Cream:
- 250 grams milk
- 250 grams cream
- 10 tonka beans
- 150 grams sugar
- Salt to taste
- 3 grams gelatin sheets (previously rehydrated)
Vanilla Foam:
- 450 grams milk
- 50 grams marrasquino
- 100 grams sugar
- Salt to taste
- 4 vanilla beans, split and scraped
- 2 grams lecithin
Garnishes:
- Freeze-dried cherry powder
- Grated tonka beans
Method:
For Sponge Cake and Vanilla:
Preheat oven to 300° F. Combine the eggs, oil, sugar, sorbitol
and salt and whip in an electric mixer at high speed. Sift in the
cake flour and baking powder and fold to incorporate. Fold in the
milk and bake on a half sheet tray for 25 minutes. Allow the cake
to cool.
Cut the sponge cake into ½-inch by 2 ½-inch batons.
Boil some Isomalt and simultaneously dip the end of a sponge cake
baton and the tip of a vanilla bean in the Isomalt. Quickly insert
the vanilla bean ½-inch deep into the cake. Allow to cool
and repeat the process with the remaining cake batons.
For Neutral Caramel Sheets:
Combine the ingredients in a copper pot and gently cook to 163°
C. Immediately pour mixture onto a non-stick baking mat and allow
to cool for 1 hour.
Heat oven to 300° F. Transfer pieces of the caramel to a spice
grinder and grind to a fine powder. Evenly sift the powder onto
a sheet tray lined with a non-stick baking mat and a template with
2-inch by 5-inch rectangular cutouts. Remove the template and place
the sheet tray in oven until the powder becomes clear again. Remove
from oven and cool completely before removing the caramel rectangles.
Place one of the caramel rectangles over the sponge cake batons
and melt using a heat gun. Flip the baton over and coat the other
side with another rectangle. Repeat this process until all the batons
are enveloped in caramel.
For Tonka Bean Cream:
Combine the milk, cream, tonka beans, sugar, salt and gelatin, and
bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.
Strain and refrigerate the mixture. Once chilled, transfer the mixture
a whipped cream siphon and charge with nitrous oxide. Reserve under
refrigeration.
For Vanilla Foam:
Combine the milk, marrasquino, sugar, salt, vanilla and lecithin
and bring to a simmer. Allow to infuse for 10 minutes and strain.
Reserve under refrigeration.
To Assemble and Serve:
Fill the bottom of rocks glasses with the tonka bean cream. Place
a sponge cake in each with the vanilla bean leaning out the top.
Using a hand blender froth up the vanilla foam and place some in
the glass. Garnish with freeze-dried cherry powder and grated tonka
beans.
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