The final recipe of the second season of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen is one I have been excited to share with you as it was inspired by a delicious experience and meal I had the opportunity to enjoy this past summer at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in Berkeley.

While I can never replace the experience I will forever fondly remember at the restaurant, being able to recreate the dessert that punctuated a wonderful evening was been a curious pursuit of mine this past summer, and finally, I have figured out how to make it simply luxuriously.

With the help of Chez Panisse: Desserts Cookbook (1994) and more than a few tweaks and tries, the recipe I am sharing today is one that will utilize the fresh fruit from the summer season, provide a French twist on the classic cake (yeast is added!) and amplify the flavor with a mixture which includes a subtly delicious liqueur.

Savarin is a yeast cake that marries the delicious softness of a cake with the French expertise of flavors and finish. During today’s episode I will share the history behind the cake’s name which we now associate not only as the cake but the eponymously named pan it is baked in as well. Impress your guests and satiate your palette, and discover a new dessert that, if you are like me, will be part of your baking repertoire for years to come. Enjoy the episode below!

Thank you for watching this season’s episodes. Look for a new season to premiere next September (2020) with all new recipes inspired by not only my travels but my everyday life in Bend, Oregon. To view all of the episodes from both season 1 and season 2, click here.

I am always looking for viewers to share what they enjoy about the series as reviews are shared on The Simply Luxurious Kitchen homepage as well as much appreciated on iTunes if you listen to the vodcast on that medium as well. Until next season, be sure to visit the blog, tune into the podcast or pick up one of TSLL’s books (TSLL’s 2nd book, chapter 12 details how to step into your own kitchen and enjoy each experience as you improve your skills and know-how) as you cultivate your own unique simply luxurious life.

May you enjoy everyday in such a way that enables you to be yourself and share your talents, and may you enjoy your food and enjoy stepping into your kitchen. Bonne journée!

Links from the Episode:

• Dining at Chez Panisse
• Chez Panisse Desserts: A Cookbook by Lindsey R. Shere
• Savarin dishes of various sizes
• Classic Savarin 9 1/2″ pan, Sur la Table
• E. Dehillerin Savarin dishes (5 different sizes), where I purchased mine in Paris

~Cook & Share! I would love to share your Simply Luxurious Kitchen inspired experiences from your kitchen! Tag me on Instagram with @thesimplyluxuriouslife #tslkitchen and your post could appear on my Instagram feed. Many readers have already shared their meals inspired by recipes from TSLKitchen. Check out TSLL’s IG Story Highlights – titled, Viewers’ Recipes. And see the most recent shares since Season 1 wrapped up as viewers began to explore the recipes in their own kitchens.

Check out previous episode from Season 2 of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen

Episode #7, Season 2 — Sweet Potato, Chicken & Arugula Salad

Episode #6, Season 2 — French Croissants et Pain au Chocolat, Step by Step

Season 2, Episode #5 — One of My Favorite Weeknight Meals: Slow Baked Salmon, Champagne Vinaigrette Dressed Vegetables and Black Rice

Season 2 Premiere – Moules Marinière à la Crème

Season 2, Episode #2, My Friday Night Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta

Season 2, Episode #3, Apple Tart Tatin, plus How to Polish Copper Simply & Easily

Season 2, Episode #4, Herbed Trout with Citron Beurre Blanc

Savarin with Fresh Summer Fruit, Candied Pistachios and Chantilly Cream

Simply Luxurious

A French yeast cake dessert soaked in luxurious liqueur and topped with fresh fruit, chantilly cream and candied pistachios. Inspired by my first dinner at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse and the fresh summer berries found at the market.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 46 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

Dough

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoon yeast
• 8 eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup (minus a tablespoon) whole milk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 inch vanilla bean seeds and pod
• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter

Candied Pistachios

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pistachios, roasted

Fruit Spread

• 1/4 cup raspberrry preserves Choose your preferred fruit varietal preserves
• 1 tablespoon kirsch (a colorless German cherry/fruit liquor) any liqueur of your choose can be substituted

French Chantilly Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Soaking Liquid

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup kirsch (a colorless German cherry/fruit liquor) less or more depending on your flavor preference

Instructions

 

Dough

• Mix together the warm water and the yeast in a small bowl until it starts bubbling slightly. About one minute.
• Put eight eggs (uncracked) into a large bowl. Cover with hot water and set aside until they are warm.
• In a medium sauce pan, heat up the milk, salt, sugar and vanilla bean seeds and pod (after you have removed the seeds) over low to medium heat. Leave the mixture to melt and dissolve, about 5 minutes.
• Add 1/4 of a cup of flour into the yeast mixture. Add a little of the 1/4 cup of flour at a time. Just feed the yeast. Make a very soft, wet dough. Set aside or in a proofing oven until it doubles in size. About 10 minutes.
• Put the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour that is in the bowl.
• Crack the now warm eggs into the well of the flour that is in the mixing bowl. Then add the warm vanilla bean mixture into the flour well also. And finally, add the yeast that has doubled in size to the flour well. Place with a wire whisk into your stand mixer and mix until it is smooth on a medium speed.
• Once the dough is smooth, place the butter, cut into 1/2" slices, right on top of the dough. Place plastic wrap on top, then place into a proofing oven (or an oven at 80-90 degrees) and let it rise for 30-40 minutes or until it doubles in size.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, place back onto the stand mixer (removing the plastic wrap) and mix together the dough and butter using the paddle until the butter is full incorporated.
• Using savarin baking pans (circular and smooth), any size that you prefer (small, medium or large), place the dough into a pastry bag. Place just enough dough to fill up a third of the cake pan as it will rise.
• Proof the cake pans with the dough for 20 minutes until twice in size.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once at temperature, place the cake pans with the risen dough into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are lightly brown. The top that you can see will be less brown than the rest of the cake, so do not base the brown you see as the brown you want.
• Remove the cakes from the pans by simply flipping them over. Poke the bottoms (flat side) with a fork so that the liqueur mixture can absorb more easily into the cake.

Toppings

• Put the sugar (1/2 cup) into a sauce pan at medium heat. Cook for 6-7 minutes until it begins to caramelize, an amber color should be seen. Stir constantly.
• Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pistachios in one layer on the parchment. Pour the hot caramel over the top of the pistachios. Let cool for about 10 minutes until hard, and then break up into small pieces, placing into a food processor. Pulse the candied pistachios into small pieces, but not smooth, but rather chunky crumbs. These will be crumbled on top of your savarin cakes when they are completely baked.
• For the fruit spread, place the fruit spread and the liqueur into a small sauce pan over low to medium heat and heat until smooth and combined.

Chantilly Cream

• Combine the three ingredients (heavy cream, sugar and vanilla) into a mixing bowl and with a handwhisk or a handmixer or a stand mixer with a whisk, whisk until soft peaks form and do not fall out of the bowl when flipped over. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Fresh Berry Toppings

• Slice up your favorite fresh fruit into small diced pieces. I used strawberries. Feel free to use multiple fruit berries.

Soaking Liquid

• Mix together in a large sauce pan the water, sugar and kirsch. Set aside until read to soak the cakes.
• Once the cakes are in the oven, bring this mixture to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and remove from the heat. (The liqueur can be added after it boils or before with the rest of the liquids.)
• Once the cakes are removed from the oven and fully baked, as shared above, make sure you have poked the bottoms of each cake with a fork. Then place on a parchment lined baking sheet (with an edge), flat side down. Ladle the soaking liquid over each of the cakes. I usually fully ladle each cake twice with liquid.

Plating

• For each serving, place a teaspoon or two of the fruit spread on the plate (add a decorative swoop if you would like :)). Then place one savarin cake on top of the fruit spread. Place the chantilly cream in the middle or on top of the cake, then sprinkle the chopped strawberries and candied pistachios. Voila! Pair with a hot cup of coffee, espresso or tea and enjoy!