Tort Valentin / Valentine’s Cake

Nu sunt o romantica incurabila. Mai degraba…o fiinta practica.
Sa ma explic. Eu nu am nevoie de o zi pentru a-mi manifesta sentimentele. Nici 14 februarie, nici 24 februarie, Valentine’s sau Dragobete. Poate e doar un prilej in plus.
Eu am sarbatorit timp de 6 ani cu mare fast 14 februarie. Studenta fiind, asociam aceasta zi cu sfarsitul sesiunii de iarna. Nu stiu de ce dar in sesiunea de iarna toate examenele imi pareau un chin, luam note un pic mai mici decat in cea de vara si mi se parea ca dureaza 6 luni.
Acum sarbatoresc amintirea acelor clipe minunate si sunt fericita ca e inca un motiv pentru care sa ne bucuram si sa ne daruim un pic de timp in plus unul altuia.
Eu i-am facut sotului cadoul in avans 🙂 – numai pentru a vi-l arata si voua si a va da o sugestie de cadou pentru cel/cea draga.
Ingrediente pentru blatul 1:
– 5 oua
– 5 linguri de zahar
– 6 linguri de faina
– 10 g praf de copt
– zahar vanilat
– nuci caramelizate

Ingrediente pentru blatul 2:
– 2 oua
– 2 linguri de zahar
– 3 linguri de faina
– 5 g praf de copt
– zahar vanilat
– nuci caramelizate

Nuci caramelizate:
– 4 linguri zahar
– 100 g nuci

Crema:
– 400 ml frisca
– 370 g gem de banane

Pasta de zahar:
– 675 g zahar pudra
– 45 ml apa
– 8 g gelatina granule
– 75 g miere

Decor:
– 2 linguri de miere
– lapte praf cat cuprinde
– colorant alimentar gel

I’m not a romantic person. I’m rather…a practical person.

Let me explain. I don’t need a special day to show my feelings. Not 14th of February or 24th of February, Valentine’s or Dragobete. Maybe it’s just one more reason to celebrate love.

I celebrated Valentine’s Day for 6 years. Being a student at University, I associated this day with winter exams session’s end. I don’t know why but winter session seemed to be the most difficult one because all the exams were awful for me, I took smaller grades than in the summer session and it was just like it took 6 months to pass.

Now I’m celebrating the memory of those great moments and I’m happy because it’s just another reason to be happy and to give to each other a little bit much more time to be together.

I gave my husband his present in advance 🙂 – Only to show it also to you and to give you a suggestion of a present for the dearest one.

Ingredients for the first sponge cake:

– 5 eggs

– 5 tablespoons of sugar

– 6 tablespoons of flour

– 10 g baking powder

– vanilla

– caramelized walnuts

Ingredients for the second sponge cake:

– 2 eggs

– 2 tablespoons of sugar

– 3 tablespoons of flour

– 5 g baking powder

– vanilla

– caramelized walnuts

Caramelized walnuts:

– 4 tablespoons of sugar

– 100 g walnuts

Cream:

– 400 ml whipped cream

– 370 g banana jam

Homemade sugarpaste:

– 675 g powdered sugar

– 45 ml water

– 8 g granules of gelatin

– 75 g honey

Decorations:

– 2 tablespoons of honey

– powdered milk – how much is needed

– alimentary gel colors

Se curata nucile si se taie.

Pregatim o farfurie intinsa pe care o udam. O vom folosi pentru a pune nucile caramelizate; deoarece este uda acestea nu se vor lipi de ea.

Intr-o craticioara se caramelizeaza zaharul dupa care se adauga nucile. Se pun pe farfurie si se lasa la racit.

Apoi se sfarama.

We shatter the walnuts. We take out the walnuts’ pits and we cut it.

We’ll prepare a plate that will be wet. We will use it to put the caramelized walnuts on it; because the plate is wet the walnuts will not stick on it.

In a small pan we caramelize the sugar and we’ll add the walnuts. They will be put on the plate and left to cool down. Then we’ll shatter them.

Se pregatesc blaturile. Eu le-am facut separat. Daca va este mai usor, amestecati ingredientele pentru cele doua blaturi. Veti face o singura compozitie.
Blaturile se fac destul de simplu.
Se bat albusurile spuma. Apoi se adauga zahar si se mixeaza. Adaugam galbenusurile, vanilia, praful de copt si nucile caramelizate si mixam. Apoi se adauga faina, se mixeaza si se pune in forma tapetata cu faina.
Fiecare forma se pune separat la copt in cuptorul preincalzit. Blatul se coace la temperatura medie. Stiti deja cum se verifica daca este copt-cu scobitoarea! 🙂
Apoi se lasa la racit.

We’ll prepare the sponge cakes. I made them separately. If it’s easier for you, mix the ingredients for the two sponge cakes. You will make only a composition for sponge cakes.

Sponge cakes are quite easy to bake.

We’ll mix the egg whites. After that we’ll add sugar and we mix. We put the egg yolks, vanilla, baking powder and caramelized walnuts and we mix. Then we’ll add flour, we mix and put the composition in the flour powdered baking form.

Each baking form will be put individually in the preheated oven. Sponge cake will be baked at medium temperature. You already know how to verify if your sponge cake is baked – with the toothpick! 🙂

Then you’ll let them cool off.

Intre timp pregatim crema. Se mixeaza frisca vegetala dupa care se adauga gemul de banane. Eu nu am mai adaugat zahar deoarece am considerat ca este suficient. Va rezulta o crema parfumata si fina.

Meanwhile we’ll prepare the cream for filling. We mix the vegetable whipping cream and we’ll add banana jam. I didn’t put sugar in addition because I considered that it has in off. It will result a perfumed and fine cream.

Blaturile se taie si se insiropeaza cu sirop caramel (facut din 2 linguri de zahar caramelizat si 250 ml de apa). Se pune crema atat in interior cat si pe exterior, pentru a pastra pasta de zahar moale.
Eu am preferat sa le fixez inainte de a fi imbracate in pasta de zahar. In mod normal se fixeaza dupa ce au fost imbracate individual.
Se face pasta de zahar. Eu am folosit atat reteta cat si modul de lucru de aici.
Decoratiile se realizeaza din pasta de lapte praf-care se comporta ca un aluat. Eu am taiat inimioarele cu o forma de fursecuri.

Sponge cakes are cut and wet with caramel syrup (made of 2 tabblespoons of caramelized sugar and 250 ml water). We’ll fill the cake with cream and we will cover it also in outside with a layer of cream.

, to keep the sugar paste soft.

I preferred to fix the sponge cakes before covering with sugar paste. Normally they are fixed after they are covered individually.

We’ll prepare homemade sugar paste. I used the recipe and the method of working with sugar paste from here.

Decoration are made of powdered milk paste – which is quite like a dough. I cut the hearts with cutters for biscuits.