I like to think that one of the most wonderful things about blogging is the fabulous people you meet via this medium. Like minded people . . . good people . . . invisible friends. One of my favorite fabulous blogger invisible like minded friends is Monique from La Table De Nana. I think we have belonged to a mutual admiration society for at least five or six years now. You know how it goes . . . you follow a link, to a link, to a link . . . and before you know it you have discovered something very special and hearts and souls touch and it is as if you have always known these people. You become kindred spirit friends and you share things like e-mails, and snail mails, and . . . little pretties . . . and sometimes cakes.
As soon as I saw this cake on Monique's page the other day I knew I HAD to make it. Not only was it a really simple cake to make, but it was filled with Quebecoise sucre à la crème. Unless you have experienced this delight, you won't know what I am talking about. It's like a thick brown sugar caramel sauce that they love to eat in the Province of Quebec, and I am thinking it is even more prevalent in the Northern part of the province . . . but I could be wrong.
My father . . . mon pere, is from the Saguenay region of Quebec and I have very fond memories of visits to his home and sitting around my grandmaman's kitchen table eating flaky pastries dolloped with sucre à la crème and a thick thick spooning cream. The combination is the most delicious one on earth . . . trust me on this. Not so good for the heart or the waistline, but oh so good for the soul.
As soon as I saw Moniques Cake (and her's is much, MUCH prettier than mine) . . . I knew I had to have it and so within just a couple of days I had one made. In my eagerness I did managed to crack the cake a bit, but it still tasted heavenly. I am sure she will forgive me for showing and sharing with you. This is one of those things you can't help sharing. Do pop on over and tell her I sent you and thank her for this latest indulgence . . . because you know you are going to make it. It would be tres impossible to resist! C'est vraie!
*Moniques Cake*Makes one cake rollPrintable Recipe
This is a recipe I got on my friend Monique's page (http:latabledenana.blogspot.com) Converting it into British measurements for you all. It's a delicious sponge roll cake filled with Quebecoise sucre à la crème. Fabulous!
For the cake roll:4 large free range eggs200g plus 2 TBS sugar (1 cup, plus 2 TBS)140g of plain flour (1 cup)1 tsp baking powdericing sugar
For the filling:210g of soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)115g of butter (1/2 cup)60ml of milk (1/4 cup)
Butter a 15 by 17 inch jelly roll pan. Line the bottom with baking paper. Butter the paper. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Beat the eggs and 200g (1 cup) sugar together in a bowl until the mixture is thick and pale. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Blend this into the beaten egg/sugar mixture to combine well. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. (It took mine more like 12 or so minutes.) You want the cake to be set and golden brown.
Have ready a large clean tea towel that you have sprinkled with the 2TBS of sugar. Unmold the warm cake onto this dishtowel. Pull off any paper. Roll up, along with the towel. Allow to cool completely.
Bring the ingredients for the filling to the boil in a heavy based saucepan. Boil for exactly one minute without stirring. Remove from the heat and beat with an electric whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Unroll the cake. Trim off the edges and then spread with the warm Sucre a la creme. Reroll to enclose the filling (without the tea towel.) Place onto a serving plate and sift icing sugar over top. Cut into slices to serve.