Prep 50minBake 35-40minMakes about 40

When the French profiteroles arrived in Brazil, a bakery in Sao Paulo created its own version – the Carolinas. Instead of filling the profiteroles with vanilla custard, they used pure dulce de leche then it became one of the staples in Sao Paulo bakeries.
This version, created by Make Me a Baker student Ana Moreno for her graduation, includes cream to make them less sweet than the ones you find in Sao Paulo, but still with plenty of dulce de leche to give the authentic taste.

Ingredients

1 quantity Basic Choux Pastry
150g good-quality dark chocolate (45-54% cocoa), chopped into small pieces
Edible gold leaf flakes, to decorate

Dulce de Leche Cream
250ml (1 cup) thickened cream
30g (¼ cup) icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
320g (1 cup) dulce de leche

Method

1. To make the profiteroles, preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line 2 large oven trays with non-stick baking paper.
2. Spoon the choux pastry into a large piping bag fitted with a 0.9cm (#9) round piping tip. Pipe 3cm rounds onto the lined trays, about 2cm apart. Use a damp fingertip to smooth any peaks on each of the rounds. Sprinkle the lined tray with a little water.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until well puffed and golden. Reduce the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp on the outside. Remove from the oven and use a 0.7cm (#7) star piping tip to make a hole in the base of each of the hot profiteroles for the steam to escape. Place hole side up on a wire rack and allow to cool completely
4. To make the Dulce de Leche Cream, combine the cream, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste in a mixing bowl and use a balloon whisk or hand held beaters with a whisk attachment to whisk on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
5. Spoon dulce de leche into a medium bowl. Add a third of the whipped cream mixture and use a large metal spoon or spatula to fold gently through the dulce de leche to retain as much air as possible until just combined evenly. Add the remaining cream in two more batches folding gently until just combined.
6. Place the Dulce de Leche Cream into a pastry bag fitted with a 0.7cm (#7) star or round piping tip. Insert the tip into the hole in the base of a profiterole and fill with the Dulce de Leche Cream.
7. To decorate the profiteroles, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl). Stir occasionally until the chocolate melts and is smooth.
8. Dip the tops of each of the filled profiteroles in the melted chocolate to coat and set aside on a wire rack to stand for 10 minutes. Carefully decorate each profiterole with a little edible gold leaf before the chocolate is fully set.

Prep 40minBake 8-10min (per batch)Makes 40

This recipe was created by Débora Bueno Leite, one of our Make Me a Baker students, as part of her graduation recipe – an impressive Romeo & Juliet Cake. The Macaron base is based on a recipe from a class she attended with MakMak Macarons, with the guava and cream cheese fillings her own creation to match the flavours of her cake which was inspired by a traditional pairing of guava and cheese known as ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in her native Brazil.

Ingredients

• 135g almond meal
• 135g pure icing sugar
• 2g red food colouring (water-based such as Queen Pillar Box Red)
• 145g egg whites (divided into 2 parts of 50g and 95g)
• 250g white sugar 60g water

Guava Filling

• 200g good-quality guava paste (available from good delicatessens and specialty food stores)
• 125ml (½ cup) water

Cream Cheese Filling

• 300g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 200ml cold thickened cream
• 160ml (2/3 cup) sweetened condensed milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Line 2-3 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
2. Combine almond meal and pure icing sugar in a bowl and mix well. Pass this mix through a fine sieve.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the red food colouring with 50g portion of egg whites. Add to the sifted almond meal and icing sugar and mix well until it becomes a homogenous paste (macaronage). Place the remaining 95g egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer.
4. In a small saucepan combine the white sugar and water. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely and then bring to the boil. As soon as the mixture reaches 114°C on a sugar thermometer, start whisking the 95g portion of egg whites with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
5. As soon as the sugar syrup reaches 118°C (soft ball stage), add to the egg whites in a steady steam, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the meringue cools so that the bowl is just warm to the touch.
6. Weigh 190g of the finished meringue (use the remaining meringue can be used for another purpose). Add one-third of the 190g meringue portion into the red paste and mix well until it is evenly combined. Add the remaining two-thirds of the meringue to the coloured meringue mixture and fold gently together, making sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl, until just evenly combined (see Baker’s Tips).
7. Transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe rounds of batter ( about 4cm in diameter) onto the trays, leaving 2cm between each round. Tap the tray quite firmly on the bench to remove the air bubbles and settle the batter.
8. Bake one tray of macarons at a time in the centre of the oven for 8-10 minutes. The macarons are ready when they no longer wobble when gently touched. Bake for another 1-2 minutes before testing again if necessary.
9. Remove from oven and allow the macaron shells to cool completely on the trays.
10. To make the Guava Filling, combine with guava paste and water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the paste is creamy. Set aside to cool completely. Transfer the Guava Filling to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Set aside.
11. To make the Cream Cheese Filling, use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the cream cheese for about 3 minutes or until soft and creamy; set aside. Whisk the cream with a balloon whisk or electric mixer with a whisk attachment in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Add the cream cheese with the condensed milk and whisk until just combined and smooth. Transfer the Guava Filling to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Set aside.
12. Carefully remove the shells from the trays and pair each with a like-sized shell. Pipe the guava paste onto the centre of a macaron shell and then pip the Cream Cheese Frosting around it. Sandwich with the paired macaron. Repeat with the remaining macarons and fillings.
13. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Photography by Amy Piddington.

Prep 2hrBake 40-45minMakes 12-15 serves

This impressive cake was created by Débora Bueno Leite, one of our Make Me a Baker students, for her graduation. It marries two gems from the state of Minas Gerais in her native Brazil, guava paste and cheese – when served together they are known as ‘Romeo & Juliet'.

Ingredients

• 250ml (1 cup) milk combined with 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• 11 guava macarons, to decorate

Cake layers

• Melted butter, to grease
• 375g (2½ cups) plain flour
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 250g butter, at room temperature
• 440g (2 cups) caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract or essence
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 250ml (1 cup) full-cream milk

Guava Filling

• 200g good-quality guava paste (available from good delicatessens and specialty food stores)
• 125ml (½ cup) water

Cream Cheese Filling

• 300g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 200ml cold thickened cream
• 160ml (2/3 cup) sweetened condensed milk

Cream Cheese Frosting 

• 680g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 240g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract or essence
• Queen red food colour gel, to tint

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease two deep 20cm round cake tins with melted butter and line the bases with non-stick baking paper.  
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Use an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla for about 8 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl when necessary, or until pale and creamy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the side of the bowl when necessary, until well combined.
5. Add the flour mixture in four equal portions, alternating with the milk in three portions, mixing on lowest possible speed until just incorporated before adding the next; do not overmix.
6. Divide the batter into the prepared tins and use the back of a metal spoon to smooth the surface. Bake in preheated oven, swapping the tins around halfway through baking, for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
7. Transfer the cake tins to a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool completely in the tins. Once cool, cover each tin tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
8. To make the Guava Filling, combine with guava paste and water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the paste is creamy. Set aside to cool completely.
9. To make the Cream Cheese Filling, use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the cream cheese for about 3 minutes or until soft and creamy; set aside. Whisk the cream with a balloon whisk or electric mixer with a whisk attachment in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Add the cream cheese with the condensed milk and whisk until just combined and smooth. Set aside.
10. To make the Cream Cheese Frosting, use an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the cream cheese for about 3 minutes or until smooth and creamy; transfer to another bowl and set aside. Beat the butter about 3 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla and beat until well combined and frosting is creamy.
11. Remove the cakes form the tins. Cut each cake layer in half horizontally and then brush with the milk and sweetened condensed milk mixture to moisten. Place one layer on a serving plate or cake stand and spread with some of the Cream Cheese Filling and then one third of the Guava Filling. Continue layering with the remaining cake layers, Cream Cheese Filling and Guava Filling, finishing with a cake layer, top side down.
12. Spread the side and top with Cream Cheese Frosting to cover, using a spatula or cake scraper to smooth evenly.
13. Add a little red gel colour to the remaining Cream Cheese Frosting and swirl so that it is marbled. Place in a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle (Débora used a Wilton #18 star) and pipe small rosettes around the side and top of the cake (as shown in the image). Place the macarons between the rosette on the top to decorate.

This recipe was created by Débora for her Make Me a Baker graduation using inspiration from a number of different recipes including those from www.howtocakeit.com, Gretchen’s Bakery YouTube channel, Karen Munhoz  YouTube channel and a class she took with MakMak Macarons.

Photography by Amy Piddington.