Gateau Helene
The Harold Tribune
Thanks to Jeanette
Yield: 9 1/2-inch cake

Cake
2 eggs
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. rum flavoring
½ cup milk
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Whipped cream
Apricot preserves

Beat eggs until thick and light. Beat in salt, sugar and flavoring. Heat milk and butter to boiling point; stir into egg mixture. Sift flour and baking powder; blend into mixture. Turn into greased and floured 9 x 1 1/2-inch round pan. Bake at 350o 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Spoon Coffee-Rum syrup slowly over surface of warm cake. Let cool. Split carefully into 2 layers; fill with Rum-Cream Filling. Garnish top with whipped cream and apricot preserves.

Coffee-Rum Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup strong coffee
¼ cup rum

Combine sugar and coffee; stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Boil 3 minutes. Cool. Stir in rum.


Rum-Cream Filling
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 egg yolks or 1 slightly beaten egg
1 tsp. rum

Combine sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Add milk and stir over low heat until thickened. Cook over hot water, covered, 10 minutes. Add a little of the hot mixture to egg yolks; combine with remaining hot mixture. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Chill. Stir in rum.

I made this cake for years for Don's birthday. It almost takes two people, and at least three spatulas, to move the top layer once it has been separated from the bottom, but it is possible. And well worth the effort.
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