荔枝李子鲜奶油蛋糕Lychee Plum Chantilly Cake

Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease three 6 × 2 in pans, line the bottoms with parchment, grease again.

Whisk 85 g unsalted butter, 100 g neutral oil, 200 g granulated sugar and 1 tbsp vanilla extract until smooth, then whisk in 2 large eggs one at a time.

Sift 245 g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda and ½ tsp kosher salt together and fold in until just combined.

Whisk 120 g buttermilk with 100 g sour cream and fold in until smooth. It should pour like pancake batter. Don't beat it.

Weigh the batter evenly into the pans, about 315 g each. Smooth and rap each pan once.

Bake until the centers spring back and a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs (205 to 210°F inside). Start checking at 22 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes, turn out, peel the parchment, cool completely. Wrap and chill; cold layers level and stack far more easily.

Cook 300 g ripe plums, 50 g granulated sugar, 1 tsp fresh ginger and 1 tbsp yuzu juice over medium, stirring, until the plums collapse into loose jam.

Stir in 1½ tsp cornstarch and cook a minute more until glossy. Cool; it firms in the fridge.

Stir 120 g syrup from the lychee can, 2 tbsp water and 1 tbsp yuzu juice together. That's the soak.

Paddle 227 g mascarpone and 113 g full-fat block cream cheese on medium-low just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Overbeating mascarpone turns it grainy.

Add 180 g powdered sugar on low a few spoonfuls at a time, then ¾ tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp almond extract, ¼ tsp rose water and salt. Beat until fluffy and scrape into another bowl.

In a clean bowl, whip 240 ml heavy cream to stiff peaks. Stop the moment the tip stands straight.

Fold a third of the cream into the cheese to loosen it, then fold in the rest. Never put it back on the mixer.

Halve about 10 of the 1 can lychees in syrup and press between paper towels until dry. Slice half the 1 large Asian pear and toss with 2 tsp yuzu juice.

Level the layers. Set the first on the board cut side up and brush generously with syrup.

Spread about ⅓ cup compote, stopping 1 cm from the edge. Then ½ to ¾ cup chantilly, then one layer of lychee and pear, pressed in, leaving the rim clear.

Repeat with the second layer. Set the third on cut side down so the smooth bottom faces up, and brush it with syrup.

Chill the stacked cake uncovered so the filling firms.

Crumb coat. A thin skim all over, filling the gaps between layers so the sides are flush; you should see cake through it. Chill until firm and dry to the touch.

Final coat. Mound about ¾ cup on top and push it over the edge, coat the sides thickly, then hold the scraper still and spin the turntable 2 or 3 turns. Sweep the top ridge inward. Chill.

Simmer ¼ cup lychee syrup until reduced by half and sticky. Off the heat, stir in 1 tsp yuzu juice and let it cool to warm.

With the 1M tip, pipe a ring of rosettes around the top edge, each just touching the last. About 12 to 14 on a 6 in cake.

Slice 2 ripe but firm plums into thin wedges and fan them skin side up in a crescent over one half. Fill the other half with lychee halves and curled pear slices.

Dab the warm glaze over the fruit, keeping it off the cream. Chill until 20 minutes before serving and slice with a hot, wiped knife.