Step-by-step guide to making tarte tropézienne

Ingredients

The brioche:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.4 oz sugar
• 0.35 oz fresh yeast
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 egg for brushing
• pearl sugar

The diplomat cream:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 oz cornstarch
• 2 gelatin sheets
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (30% fat)

Materials

• Stand mixer or dough mixer
• electric mixer
• 24 cm cake ring or springform pan
• piping bag (optional)
• ov en

Preparation

• In the bowl of the mixer, put the sifted flour, salt, and sugar, and form a well. Place the crumbled yeast in the center of the well. Be careful, the salt must not touch the yeast, as it will kill it instantly.
  Add the eggs and start kneading at speed 2 for about 8 minutes.
• Then, while continuing to knead, gradually add the softened butter. Once all the butter is added, continue kneading for about 10 minutes, until the dough comes away from the sides.
  
• Let rise for 1 hour at room temperature, near a heat source if possible. Then, degas the dough by pressing down to release all the air. Next, let it rise in the fridge for 2 hours.
  Take the dough out and roll it out to form a circle about 22 cm in diameter. Be careful not to knead the dough, just roll it out.
• Grease your ring or springform pan, and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place the brioche shaped into a circle in the center of the ring. Let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. Brush it with beaten egg, taking care that it doesn't drip onto the pan. Then, generously sprinkle with sugar pearls.
  
• Bake for 30 minutes at 320°F (160°C).
• For the diplomat cream:
  Bring the milk to a boil with the split vanilla bean. Meanwhile, mix the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture turns pale and becomes creamy. Then add the cornstarch and mix well. Gradually pour the boiling milk over the mixture while stirring well.
  Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water.
  
• Return the cream to medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens well.
• Pour the thickened cream into a bowl, add the softened gelatin sheets, and mix well until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap directly against the cream. Let it cool down without refrigerating.
  
• Once the cream reaches room temperature, whisk it to loosen it. Then, whip the cold cream at full speed.
• Once it is firm, gently fold it into the pastry cream without crushing it.
  
• Cut the brioche in half lengthwise, and spread the diplomat cream on the bottom half. You can also use a piping bag. Then, place the top of the brioche back on the cream.
• And there you have it, your Tarte Tropézienne is ready!
  

Observations

My dough doesn't come away from the bowl: Brioche dough can be tricky. If after 10 minutes of kneading with the butter incorporated, it doesn't come away, place the bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes, then resume kneading. The dough can easily get warm, and kneading too long tends to heat it up.

The flour: It should be type T45.

The yeast: If using dry yeast for this type of recipe, it will be riskier. Your dough may have more difficulty rising.

The temperatures: During rising, they should not exceed 35°C. The butter in the dough would start to melt, compromising the consistency of your cake.

The diplomat cream: Be careful not to cool the pastry cream too much, or the gelatin may set too quickly.

A little history of the Tropézienne: In Saint-Tropez, Alexandre Micka (who arrived in Provence with the Americans in 1945) opened a bakery where he sold bread, pastries, pizzas, and... a cream cake whose recipe came from his native Poland. Just steps from his shop, a crew was filming "And God Created Woman" with actors who were still unknown at the time, including Brigitte Bardot (the lead actress). In charge of daily meals for the filming crew, Alexandre Micka noticed that his famous cake was requested every day. As its first fan, Brigitte Bardot advised him one day to name it "Tarte Tropézienne." Thus, the brand and patent were registered, and Tarte Tropézienne won over the palates of many food lovers :-)

Questions

Photos of members who cooked this recipe