Ginger Cardamom Lime Cake with Tarragon Mint Bavarian Cream

Boil water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved completely. 

Add ginger and let sit till you work on the cake and Bavarian cream. Strain to get the infused syrup that will be used to moisten the cake and add ginger flavor to the layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C), and grease a 10 inch round spring form baking pan and line with parchment paper. 

Sift all the dry ingredients except sugar. 

Cream butter, sugar, zest and vanilla extract until well incorporated and the mixture is creamy. This might take 2-3 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time while keep whisking. 

Add the sifted flour mix, milk and water mix in 3-4 batches. 

Add lime juice and ginger. 

Whisk until the batter is combined to a smooth consistency. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until done and the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, for about 30-35 minutes.

Wash the fresh herbs (mint and tarragon) and pick the leaves. Make sure there is no stem as it can give out bitterness. Crush the leaves using a mortar and pestle to release out its oils. Soak these crushed herbs in milk to infuse the flavor for at least 2 hours to overnight. 

Soak the dried herbs (mint, tarragon, and lavender) in the water to infuse the flavor for an hour. Strain the water and bloom gelatin in this herb infused water.

Strain the milk trough sieve. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half and with a small piercing knife, take out the seeds. Put the seeds in the milk along with the empty vanilla bean pod. In a heavy bottom sauce pan, boil milk with half of the sugar. 

Whisk yolk with rest of the sugar until creamy, smooth and pale yellow color.  

Temper the hot milk with the whipped yolk while whisking vigorously. Do the tempering in 2-3 batches, to avoid the yolks from scrambling.  

Put this tempered mix back into the sauce pan and cook on low heat to make Cream Anglaise. Keep stirring to avoid scrambled eggs and scorching. Cook till it reaches the Nappe consistency (Nappe Consistency is when the mixture thickens up to the stage when it coats the back of the spoon evenly and creates and clear clean line in the middle when you slide the finger through it). 

Take off the heat and take out the empty vanilla pod. Put the pan on ice bath to cool the mix and whisk occasionally to avoid any lumps. In-case the cream anglaise develop lumps, strain it through the sieve.  

Meanwhile whip the cream and powdered sugar to medium peak. 

Crush the lavender with a mortar and pestle and add to the whip cream along with the lime zest. Fold this gently and keep it aside in a cool place. 

Warm up the bloomed gelatin mix till the gelatin is dissolved and is clear (10-15 seconds in microwave). Do not over heat it. 

Add this gelatin water into the cream anglaise mix and stir/ whisk nicely. Let this cool to room temperature. 

Fold the whipped cream into the cream anglaise mix and keep aside. This will be the Bavarian Cream for the cake. 

Make Hibiscus tea by boiling 1.5 cups of water. Add about a teaspoon of hibiscus tea leaves and let it steep for 5-7 minutes. Take about 1-1.5 cups of hibiscus tea and add freshly grated ginger. 

Add 1/4 of the simple syrup to sweeten. Adjust for sweetness according to your taste.  

Bloom the gelatin powder. Warm the liquid to dissolve the gelatin. Let cool down to room temperature. Pour this over the frozen cake so it sets immediately. 

Slice a thin top layer of the cake (about 1 inch) to make the surface flat. Cut the cake horizontally in half. Now you will have 2 layers of cake. Each cake layer should not be more than 2- 2 1/4 inches of height.  

Put 1 layer back into the cake pan. Make sure the sides of the cake mold is clean, so when you pour the Bavarian cream on the cake, the sides come out clean and smooth. 

Moisten the 1st cake layer (the cake that is in the cake pan), with half of the simple syrup. 

Now leave 1 inch from the edge of the moistened cake and evenly place the sliced strawberries on top, just to cover the circular cake. 

Pour half of the Bavarian cream on the strawberry covered cake. 

Cut 1 inch edges (vertically) along the sides of 2nd cake layer. Gently place this circular cake on top of the 1st cake, that is covered with strawberries and Bavarian cream. 

Moisten this layer with the simple syrup, leaving 1/4 of the syrup aside. Be careful while moistening the cake edges, as you do not want the syrup to drop on the Bavarian cream. 

Pour rest of the Bavarian cream on the cake. Place this uncovered in the freezer for at least 5 hours to overnight. This can remain in freezer until the day you want to serve. 

Take it out of the freezer and pour the hibiscus ginger glaze on top of the frozen bavarian cream cake. Make sure the top is evenly covered with glaze. Let it sit in refrigerator for 30-40 minutes or until it sets.  

To release the finished frozen cake from the mold, place the cake pan on any cylindrical shaped cup or glass. Using the blow torch, warm up the sides of the cake pan/mold, just enough, so the side ring get loose. Slide the mold down leaving the cake on the cylindrical glass.

Thaw the cake in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours before serving.