Passion Fruit Baba Cake, Shiso, White Chocolate, and Beeswax Baba Chips

METHOD:

For the Baba Cake:
Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a large bowl, combine flour with sugar, salt, and dry yeast. Add water and eggs to incorporate, and then mix in the butter. Mix for 5 minutes until completely incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and rest 1 hour. Brush cake pan with melted butter. Knock down dough, shape into a smooth loaf, and place in buttered mold. Proof 1 hour. Bake for 25 minutes to 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.

For the White Chocolate Spread
Over medium heat in a medium saucepan, heat milk and cream to a simmer. Temper into egg yolks and pour egg mixture back into the saucepan, stirring until thickened. Pour mixture over white chocolate and stir until chocolate is incorporated. Pour white chocolate custard into a blender, and with the motor running, shear in Ultra-Tex to emulsify. Cool completely.

For the Baba Syrup:
In a saucepan, bring water, sugar, glucose syrup, and passionfruit juice to a boil. Remove from heat and cool.

For the Shiso Sauce:
In a saucepan, bring Baba Syrup, water, and dextrose to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. In a blender, combine shiso leaves, ice cubes, and syrup until thin. Pass through chinois and weigh. Blend with a few drops of olive oil and 0.5% xanthan gum by weight. Season with salt.

For Passionfruit Sauce:
Pour passionfruit juice into a blender, and with the motor running, shear in xanthan gum. Season with salt.

For the Beeswax Baba Chips:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Freeze a loaf of unsoaked Baba Cake. Place on slicer and shave off thin slices of cake. Bake slices until golden brown. While the slices are still hot, grate bees wax on top and return the slices to the oven to melt the wax.

To Assemble and Serve:
Trim the edges off the Baba Cake, and slice lengthwise into rectangular slabs. Set on a wire rack and brush liberally with Passionfruit Syrup, allowing excess liquid to drain off. Spread a layer of White Chocolate Spread on top, then cut soaked slabs into approximately 2.5” cubes. Spoon a puddle of Shiso Sauce into a shallow bowl, and place one piece of soaked cake in the middle. Garnish with a Beeswax Baba Chip.