LULU’s bakery - rasberry cake

We have already shown you that Herbert Syrups can create many different combinations of tasty drinks. However, what about the idea of a syrup being an ingredient in a delicious cake? In this blog we are giving you a new perspective and showing you how to use Herbert Syrups in food.

We are very pleased that the first person we are featuring in this blog series is not only our long-time friend but also an incredibly smart woman who has built her business on her love of little cakes. Lucia Gažová is a confectioner and the owner of Lulus Bakery. She has confessed to us what her secret ingredient is which makes her cakes so irresistible and she has prepared a recipe for a great raspberry cake made just for this cold December.

How did Lulus Bakery come into being?

About 4-5 years ago I was interested in macaroons because they were very nice and because I could not find them anywhere, so I decided to simply make them at home. And basically, I fell in love with them and I've been making them ever since.

Where do you get ideas for such great cakes?

I don't even know. The ideas come on their own, but the inspiration comes from mainly the people around me, like family, friends or even you, the guys from Herbert, whom I adore for what you do. Recently, I have also been inspired by Aďo from Jedlekvety (Edible Flowers) who still brings me new specialties from his farm which I then experiment with.

So what is the magic of your cakes?

Although it should remain the secret of the chef, it is because of the love that I secretly add to it, but also because of your syrups. When Mario talked about them long ago, I fell in love with the idea of adding them to my cakes. Especially the Raspberry & Rose syrup whic has become my favorite and most used since no one would expect it in a cake.

When did the idea come to write a book?

I can say that right from the start, when I decided to run Lulus, I was playing with the idea of writing my own book. One day people from a publishing house stopped me and so it all started to happen. But it took me longer than I thought (hahaha) because I could only do it after work.

What do you plan for the future?

I want to focus on my blog and videos now, but I also want to bake a lot and enjoy creating our customers' cakes.

You have prepared one of your favorite cakes for us, will you tell us the recipe?

Of course. This is one of the most popular cakes not only for me and my loved ones, but also for my customers.
A delicate cake, a fluffy and not-too-sweet frosting, a touch of refreshing dessert fruit, the taste of which gently enhances the rose flavour, thanks to the amazing Raspberry & Rose syrup. It is ideal for cold days or just for sitting in a close circle of loved ones. It can be decorated for any celebration and occasion; I have baked hundreds of them. This cake is always a hit and more than anything makes everyone happy.

Recipe: preparation time 40 minutes, baking time 40 minutes, serves 12

cakes pan 24 cm

Body:
6 eggs
220 g soft/cake  flour
120 g of crystal sugar
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
pinch of salt
1/2 packet of baking powder

Frosting:
400 g mascarpone
200 g of fine cheese curd
100 ml whipped cream
100 g of powdered sugar
1 vanilla pod
400 g of raspberries
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp Herbert syrup Raspberry & Rose

Procedure: Wipe the sides of a 24 cm cake pan with butter and sprinkle with flour. Line it with baking paper to prevent the cake from sticking. Preheat the oven to 155 degrees C.
In a food processor, whisk 6 egg whites together with crystal sugar until they form peaks. In another bowl, mix the egg yolks, salt and coconut oil until smooth.

Move the egg white peaks into the largest bowl, add the yolk mixture to it and whisk the two mixtures together using a slow circular motion in one direction. Finally, slowly add sieved flour with baking powder to the batter and slowly, gently and in one direction, work it into the eggs. The batter should become fluffy and not feel very liquid-like. Pour it into the prepared cake pan and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. The cake is done baking when it has a golden, solid surface. Each cake is tested with a skewer before it is removed from the oven. If the skewer comes out clean after sticking it into the center of the cake, it is done baking.

Frosting: Making the frosting is extremely simple – mascarpone, cheese curd, cream, sugar and vanilla are put in a food processor and whisked together until fluffy. When the frosting is ready, put it in the refrigerator – the harder it will be, the better it will be to work with it.
Put aside 300 g of fruit. It will be used to top the cake after the frosting is spread. Mix the remaining 100 g of fruit with an immersion blender, adding 2 tablespoons of water and the Raspberry & Rose syrup. This will be poured over the cake to make it beautifully moist.

Remove the cake from the cake pan once it has cooled and cut it twice across with a cake cutting blade. Gently pour the fruit juice over the bottom of the plate the cake is sitting on and spread 1/3 of the prepared vanilla frosting on the bottom layer of the cake. We put forest fruits on the frosting, the more the better! Cover the fruit with the second layer of the cake and repeat the procedure. Lastly, we put the top layer of the cake on and spread the remaining frosting around the edges of the cake to make it exactly as we intended.

Decorate the cake with fruit, flowers, macaroons or candies.

You can follow Lulus Bakery on instagram as @lulusbakery.sk and enjoy their creations :)