Claude Bensimon displaying his prized Red Velvet Cake
Claude Bensimon displaying his prized Red Velvet Cake
Claude Bensimon displaying his prized Red Velvet Cake

Claude Bensimon, a confectioner and baker born and trained in France who today serves as the pastry chef at the award-winning Waldorf-Astoria Jerusalem, has revealed his unique twist on one of the world’s most famous cakes, the Red Velvet. Taking its name from the deep, rich color of the pastry, the Red Velvet has been a staple on menus of Waldorf-Astoria hotels around the world.

Adapting the cake for the kosher market served as a unique opportunity for Bensimon, who described it as an “ultimate cheesecake.” While he concedes that the cake can be prepared pareve, the cream-cheese filling is what makes it unique. In advance of the Shavuot holiday, Bensimon presented a workshop at the landmark Jerusalem hotel dedicated to the design of this bakery masterpiece.

A second-generation pastry chef, Bensimon was trained in the bakeshops and pastry kitchens of Paris, including at the Michelin-rated Taillevent restaurant as well as working under famed pastry designer Jacques Genin. In 2001, he fulfilled his longtime dream of moving to Israel, and in 2013, with the opening of the Waldorf-Astoria Jerusalem, he joined the hotel as head pastry chef.

“The Red Velvet is a cake that requires both patience and skill but is well worth the effort because it has the special quality of being both visually breathtaking and combining the tastes and sensations of the very best pastries,” Bensimon said. “Take the time to prepare this cake and invest in the necessary ingredients and you will be left with a Shavuot delicacy that will have made all the effort well worthwhile.”

Waldorf-Astoria
Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 5 eggs
  • 13.2 oz. raspberry syrup
  • 2½ cups sugar
  • 3â…“ cups flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1â…“ cups oil
  • rose water
  • red food coloring
  • Cream-Cheese Frosting:
  • 1.1 lb. pastry cream
  • 1 lb. Napoleon cream cheese 30%
  • 5.3 oz. powdered sugar
  • 5 oz. kosher gelatin mass
  • 2 vanilla beans
  • 18.5 oz. whipped cream

Directions:

Cake. Whip together the sugar and eggs. Fold in the raspberry syrup with a spatula, and add in the baking powder and oil. Transfer to 11-inch baking tray (or cupcake molds) greased and lined with parchment paper, and bake at 340°F for 30—40 minutes.

Frosting. Put two-thirds of the pastry cream in a mixer with the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Heat up one-third of the pastry cream and add the gelatin while hot. Slowly add the mixture to the mixer with the other ingredients. Mix and fold in the whipped cream.

Assembly. After the cake cools, slice in half (on the width) and frost with one-third of the frosting over half of the cake. On top of the frosting put the sliced cake, and then refrigerate for a half-hour. After cooling, frost the cake with the remaining frosting and put back in the fridge. Decorate with wild berries and strawberries or with a chocolate plaque or flower.

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