Frangipane, most commonly used as a filling for tarts, is rich with almonds, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. It is an essential component in many delicious cakes and desserts and has been a staple in the pastry kitchens of the European world for centuries.
It really is very versatile. A thin layer of frangipane on individual biscuit bases topped with poached seasonal fruit and lightly caramelised in a hot oven takes morning tea to another level. With a little lemon juice and zest added, frangipane becomes a filling for crepes, which are then baked in the oven until the edges are crispy and served with whipped cream.
However, my absolute favourite, a later incarnation, which we now simply call the Frangipani, is a cake. And there is a lovely story behind it.
In the 16th Century an Italian nobleman, Marquis Muzio Frangipani, who lived in Paris, invented a perfume based on the scent of bitter almonds which was used for scenting gloves. Parisian society went mad for the gloves and this inspired French pastry chefs, capitalising on their popularity, to create an almond cream which they called Frangipane. Today frangipane is made with real almonds rather than just the scent.
My Frangipani cake was on the menu when I opened my café and it stayed there for the duration. There would have been a riot had we stopped making it. My front of house manager was a swarthy Italian with a very heavy accent and we all adopted his wonderfully sonorous change from the French word to his Italian Fraangipaaaani. Frangipani it remains.
We also liked to think that the spirit of the old Marquis lived on in the café in more than just his name. If I turned the cake out of its tin while it was still a little warm, my hand would leave an indentation on the top of the cake, which when iced, created the subtle impression of a smooth white glove.
Rosie
THE FRANGIPANI CAKE
Serves 12-15
420 gm ground almonds
425 gm caster sugar
8 whole eggs (400gm approximately)
4 egg whites
300 gm unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 tablespoons corn flour, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 160°C. Line a 30cm round cake tin with baking paper.
Place almonds and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined. (Alternatively place in a large bowl and combine well using a large whisk.)
In the food processor, with the motor running, add the whole eggs and egg whites all at once. Process for 30 seconds then transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. (If not using a food processor, whisk the eggs and whites together, add to the almond and sugar mix and beat vigorously by hand to combine.)
Gently fold in the cooled melted butter until completely combined. Sift the corn flour and fold into the mix then fold in the vanilla extract.
Transfer to the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until the cake is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin.
ICING GLAZE
270 gm pure icing sugar
3 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon pure vanilla essence
Sift icing sugar into a small bowl and stir in the water and vanilla. Place over a bowl of hot water until the icing is tepid. It should coat the back of a spoon. Pour icing over the cake and spread it quickly over the sides and top.
If you want to recreate the icing in our photo, allow the icing glaze to dry on the cake then mix up half the above quantity of icing glaze, using a little less water. Place in a small piping bag and pipe lines in both directions across the cake.