One always hopes for nice weather on one's birthday – that's natural, don't you think? I imagine for those born in the months of winter, perhaps a picturesque fall of snow might be more appropriate, but since my birthday is in May, I always thought that sunny skies on my birthday wasn't too unreasonable a wish.
However, I'm not sure since my birthday falls right at the beginning of May, that sunshine always seem to be a 50/50 proposition. Perhaps it's all those April showers still carrying over – I recall a equal number of beautifully blue-skied birthdays as well as overcast, drizzly ones.
Mother Nature has decided to make it suspenseful for me this year by sending a spate of rainy, windy weather through the weekend. By the time most of you read this, I'm sure it will be Monday morning and I'll be peeking outside the window to see whether I'll be wearing birthday galoshes or not.
Regardless of weather, I've already been treated to a very nice pre-birthday dinner – I might review this place in a later post because I enjoyed it so much, and I got to enjoy the company of dear friends, which is always the most precious of birthday presents to me.
And, I have to admit that gloomy weather has made it easier to stay indoors and work on kitchen projects – my own little birthday cake to myself has been an experiment I've been working on since my last trip to Hong Kong. It's not quite perfect but it's in a pretty tasty stage right now – a little more tweaking and hopefully I'll reach what I'm envisioning in my dreams.
This cake is inspired by one of my favorite teas, jasmine, infusing a base of milk and whipped cream. It's meant to be airy, delicate, floral, and sweet – just like spring. For taste and texture contrast I made a layer of chocolate cake – almost genoise like in texture, and spread with a layer of melted chocolate and feuilletine.
For those of you who haven't used feuilletine, it's made of thin cookie-like sheets of butter, sugar, and flour, crushed into tiny flakes that resemble corn flakes. Feuilletine adds an intriguing, delightful crunchiness to desserts – it's usually mixed with ganache or sprinkled as a layer in cakes, to provide a surprising contrast. It's especially effective in mousse cakes like this jasmine cake, because the cream is so smooth and creamy, that the crunch of the feuilletine provides a fabulous extra dimension to an otherwise homegenously-textured dessert.
You can find feuilletine online, or you can also substitute Rice Krispies – that was what Pierre Herme used in his home recipe for his famous Plaisir Sucre in his Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme
The chocolate cake is rich, earthy, and grounds the ethereally-light jasmine cream without overpowering it. The feuilletine adds a nice crisp touch. The first few times I made the jasmine cream, the flavor came out too light, so be sure to taste the infused milk before you use it – if it seems too subtle, let it steep a little longer. When I can taste the jasmine against the chocolate, it's tastebud-tingling happiness.
Well, whether it's sunny, rainy, or cloudy, I'm looking forward to another sweet year. Thanks to all of you for keeping me company on this journey – you're the best!
Jasmine Chocolate Cake
makes (6) 2 1/2 cakes
Chocolate Cake
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
Sift cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine thoroughly.
Add in vanilla and mix to combine.
Combine buttermilk and vanilla together in a small cup.
Add in flour mixture and buttermilk to batter in 5 alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix after each addition just to combine. The batter should be very liquidy.
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread out evenly.
Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool on wire rack.
Feuilletine Layer
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup feuilletine or Rice Krispies
Combine chocolate and butter in a metal bowl and place over a pot of simmering water to melt. Let chocolate butter and melt together, stirring to combine.
Remove bowl from heat and stir in feuilletine until combined.
Spread the mixture in a thin layer over the top of the cooled chocolate cake layer. Let set for about 30 minutes.
Place six 2 1/2 diameter cake rings on a baking sheet. Line the rings with acetate strips on the inside for easier removal of the cakes.
Cut out circles from the chocolate cake layer and place into the cake rings, fitting them snugly into the bottom. (Prepare the rings with the cake layers before you make the jasmine cream).
Jasmine Cream
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup jasmine tea
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
Combine milk and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Remove from heat and add in vanilla and jasmine tea. Cover saucepan and let steep for 15 to 20 minutes.
Combine gelatin with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water in another small bowl.
Strain out jasmine tea from milk. Bring milk back to a boil.
Add in gelatin and stir until it is fully melted and combined.
Remove from stove and let mixture cool to room temperature (do not let it completely cool and start setting up).
In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip cream until it holds soft peaks.
Add in jasmine milk mixture a little at a time, folding it into the whipped cream carefully until it becomes a liquidy mixture.
Divide the jasmine cream among the prepared cake rings, filling them to the top. Smooth out the tops and chill cakes in refrigerator overnight to let the cream set. Remove cakes from rings before serving.
Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and dog Max. 
Happy birthday, and hope you get that beam of sunlight on your day (I’ve taken some of the rain, and it seems we’ll be keeping it for quite some time…)!
What a lovely cake, sounds delicious. Nice touch making it small enough to eat with chopsticks too! (I spent the whole fall in Hong Kong, and have happy thoughts whenever anything reminds me of dim sum)
Happy Birthday Anita!! I hope the weather is great today and that you’ll enjoy your special day with the one you love…
I’m sure you’ll enjoy the birthday cake anyway, it looks delicious. I love the feuilletine in a mousse, it makes such a difference!
beautiful cake, happy birthday!
This look delicious! I’m going to try your recipe out.Thank you so much
wow! such a beautiful dessert, so light and the colours reminds me of oreos ^_^ I love the use of feuilletine as well, it adds that beautiful dimension doesnt it? Happy birthday and a prosperous year ahead to you 😉
happy birthday anita!! the cakes look beautiful and sound delicious, too. hope you have a fantastic celebration and i can’t wait to hear about your dinner.
Happy birthday !
Happy Birthday! 🙂
So creative! I love floral flavors in typically rich desserts. I just made lavender cheesecake – perfect spring combination.
First and fore most, i wish you many many happy returns of the day! Have a blast!
And my God, about the cake, its just gorgeous! Great Flavours indeed.. And loved your presentation as always.
Enjoy and have fun 🙂
Belated Happy birthday to you. Well atleast you had a delicious cake to enjoy even if the weather let you down.
This looks completely and utterly decadent. I must make this.
wooooow
amazing
Happy Birthday Anita!
Love the flavors of this cake! Perfectly light and refreshing for the season!
Your last twit made me think it had to be a bday related dinner 🙂
WOW!!!
Che golosità
Happy Birthday Anita! Your cake looks wonderful!
another fabulous recipe!
Happy Birthday Anita! I hope the weather cleared up for you, and your cake looks beautiful!
Happy happy happy happy birthday, Anita!!! All the best!
Dear Anita, Happy Birthday! this cake looks absolutely divine!
Happy Birthday, Anita! The mini birthday cakes look great, with the delicate floral notes contrasting the richness of the chocolate, plus the extra crunch and crisp from the feuilletine :D. Are these some of your favorite flavor combos?
May all your wishes come true and the sun shine for you everyday.
These look just beautiful! Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! What a lovely cake.
Happy Birthday! Those little cakes are works of art, and they sound delicious!
Hope you had a fabulous Bday!
Happy Birthday!
Absolutely gorgeous. And a most informative post. Joyeux Anniversaire.
Hope you had a wonderful birthday! The dessert looks divine! I too am a BIG Jasmine tea fan!
Happy Birthday! These cake looks yummy!
oh wow! i hope i can make this someday 🙂
Happy Birthday!!! Your little cakes are amazing and I’m very interesting in jasmine flavour…Thanks!
Happy birthday to you Anita!! I love how you developed the jasmine cream recipe and kept the ingredients for that simple and straightforward. That way, you are not compromising the subtle jasmine flavours. This is definitely something I’d love to try!
Lovely, and what a nice touch with the jasmine! Happy birthday.
What an exquisite cake. Wish you a belated hAPPY birthday Anita 🙂
Hope you had a great birthday ! These cakes just look so delicious…
Happy Birthday Anita!
Hope you had a good one. This beautiful cake sounds right up my alley with the jasmine. =)
Happy happy birthday! It’s almost always raining/sleeting/snowing on my birthday, but my brother, whose birthday is 2 weeks before mine, is almost always sunny.
Happy belated Birthday. You’re teasing us with these beautiful cakes. That’s a real treat.
I’m following you on Twitter:
@lacuisinehelene
Happy Birthday! What beautiful, elegant cakes!
Happy birthday!!!! Those cakes look so beautiful & yummy, but u shouldnt be making your own bday cake!!! You should sit back and get spoiled!!!
My birthday is also at the beginning of May, and you should totally check out what my best friend made for me for my bday cake!!! OMG!
http://bakingatmidnight.blogspot.com
Hope you had a nice birthday. The cake is lovely!
This looks so amazing!Happy Birthday!
You’re so creative. Looks yummy, good jobs and hope your year is great!
Sending a little blog adoration your way! Check out my blog to find out more. I really enjoy your blog!
Happy birthday! And what a fantastic, gorgeous cake — I love the jasmine pearls on top!
I just discovered your blog! Happy birthday (really late actually).
This blog is just great, great pictures so tasty. An amazing work! Thank to share
See you
I’m in love with this concept…looks delicious 🙂
Amazing. Beautiful cake!!!
these are beautiful cakes and I was thinking of trying out your recipe for my mothers birthday, I don’t have a way of getting feuilletine and I was curious as to what it actually tastes like, Im assuming its a very sweet buttery flavor, but I haven’t read anything that actually says. Do you think if I had a recipe for a very thin butter cookie it would be essentially the same effect?
I want to make this one so bad but I have a tough time finding the cake rings. Where can I find it? I live in San Jose
Tammy, I got most of my cake/tart rings at Sur la Table. There are also two specialty baking stores I go to, Sugar and Spice in Daly City and Spun Sugar in Berkeley. You can also find these rings pretty easily online. Good luck!
Thank you very much for the fast reply Anita. I will give one of the stores a try. I can’t wait to make this cake for my birthday
What a sweet delicious cake. Thanks for sharing the recipe, hope I can make it also. I really want to try to bake a cake especially for the birthdays of my family. Hopefully, I will make one soon. 🙂
Anyway, very advance happy birthday. 🙂