PARIS: The salons de thé in Paris are a classic. Especially on Saturday afternoon we love to go there for a Sencha tea and a piece of cake. One of the best chefs de patisserie in France, Lionel Lallement, makes them at LE PLONGEOIR, the salon de thé at the Hermès Boutique 17, Rue de Sèvres in Paris. The latest Hermès boutique has been built in the former swimming pool of the Letitia Hotel and together with Arnaud Bachelin, expert de thé and former archaeologist, they are making your teatime a unique experience, especially when you order a matcha mousse de lait with your delicious piece of cake or an entire Sencha tea ceremony.
You will not only enjoy a gourmet experience but also learn a lot about teas and the entire world around it.
We looked at these cakes positioned on wooden columns as if they were shouting “I know we look stunning but enjoy looking at us first” and now we are back home and it’s Sunday, the best day of the week to enjoy a piece of well-made, home baked cake and Monsieur Lionel was kind enough to give us some tips and let us know how to go about it. You have to try it.
CAKE CITRON FRAMBOISE
ALL YOU NEED:
260g unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
260g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
220g eggs (about 4)
260g superfine sugar
1 lemon, lemon juice
2 small baskets of fresh raspberries
3 tsp of geleé de framboise
HOW TO DO IT:
Preheat an oven to 180° Celsius
Butter and flour 22cm Bundt pan, set aside.
Sift the flour and baking powder together, set aside.
Beat the butter with vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt until soft.
Add the flour mixture, beat on low speed until moisten, then increase the speed and beat until light in colour. The mixture will be fluffy and light in colour.
Beat the eggs and sugar together until smooth.
Pour the egg mixture into the butter bowl. Beat until smooth.
Add the lemon juice of one large lemon into the dough.
Pour into the prepared pan, mix in some fresh raspberries, smooth the top and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the bamboo stick inserted in the centre comes out with few crumbs.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
After the cake has cooled down spread the geleé de framboise on top and stick the fresh raspberries into the gel, that holds them all together on top. Decorate with some candied lemon slices and some fresh mint leaves