Description
Luxurious French patisserie meets modern elegance in this Ispahan-inspired macaron cake, blending delicate rose-infused layers with luscious lychees and tart raspberries. Classic Parisian flavors dance together, creating a dessert that invites you to savor each sublime bite of culinary artistry.
Ingredients
Scale
Fresh Ingredients:
- 50 grams aged egg whites
- 18 lychees, fresh
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Dry Ingredients:
- 65 grams almond flour
- 65 grams icing sugar
- 45 grams granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Coloring and Flavor:
- 1 few drops dark pink gel color (Americolor Super Red)
Instructions
- Prepare the workspace by printing a large macaron template and allowing aged egg whites to reach room temperature.
- Create a fine powder by pulsing almond flour and icing sugar in a food processor, then sift through a fine mesh, discarding any coarse particles.
- Whip egg whites in a stand mixer, starting at low-medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, then gradually incorporate sugar while increasing speed.
- Continue whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form. If desired, gently fold in gel food coloring.
- Carefully fold dry ingredients into the meringue, achieving a smooth, lava-like consistency.
- Transfer batter to a piping bag with a #6 round tip. Pipe macaron shapes onto parchment or silicone mats.
- Eliminate air bubbles by tapping trays firmly and using a toothpick to pop remaining bubbles.
- Allow shells to air-dry completely before baking, which prevents cracking.
- Bake at 325F (165C) for 25-35 minutes, checking doneness by testing shell stability and foot formation.
- Prepare lychee cream by softening butter and pureeing canned lychees, reserving some whole fruits.
- Create a cornstarch slurry with lychee juice, then heat remaining juice with sugar until dissolved.
- Combine the hot mixture with cornstarch, cooking until thickened. Pour over white chocolate and let sit.
- Stir until smooth, incorporate butter, and blend thoroughly. Chill until set.
- Prepare rose buttercream by creating a meringue with egg whites and sugar, heating to 160F (70C).
- Whip meringue until cool and stiff, then gradually add butter until smooth and fluffy.
- Infuse buttercream with rose water and extract, reserving some for later use.
- Gently wash and dry fresh raspberries.
- Assemble the macaron cake by creating a buttercream dam on one shell, filling with lychee cream.
- Place lychee halves inside the dam, add more cream, and arrange raspberries around the filling.
- Cover with additional rose buttercream and top with a second macaron shell.
- Optionally decorate with edible rose petals and gold leaf.
- Allow the cake to mature for 6-12 hours before serving, consuming within 24 hours for optimal taste and texture.
Notes
- Use aged egg whites at room temperature for a more stable meringue that creates smoother, more consistent macaron shells.
- Sift dry ingredients multiple times to ensure a fine, lump-free mixture that contributes to the delicate texture of the macarons.
- Allow macaron shells to form a dry skin before baking, which helps create the signature smooth top and perfect “feet” during baking.
- For a gluten-free version, the recipe is already naturally gluten-free using almond flour and powdered sugar.
- Chill the lychee cream thoroughly to achieve a stable, spreadable consistency that won’t leak when assembling the cake.
- Work with room temperature butter when making buttercream to prevent curdling and ensure a smooth, silky texture.
- Use fresh, ripe raspberries for the most intense flavor and vibrant color in the final presentation.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 108 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg