The anatomy of a pastry: We break down this Sook Pastry Shop stunner – NorthJersey.com

Rutilio Olivera, Executive Pastry Chef and Co-Owner of Sook Pastry makes the Glen layer by luscious layer. Anne-Marie Caruso, NorthJersey

Part of pastry is spectacle: glistening tarts topped with a rainbow of sliced fruits, adorable mini cakes covered withfrills of icing, fluffy mousse with swirls of cloud-like cream.

And a shop that knows the importance of display-case pageantry is Sook Pastry Shop in Ridgewood. We looked at each layer of Sook's popular Glen Cake, named for a street in its hometown, to better understand the appeal. The Glen Cake is sliced and presented so that its six even layers are visible.

The layered Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

"People decide on what to get based on what they see in the display case," saysexecutive pastry chef/partner Rutilio Olivera, who devised the Glen Cake along with pastry chef/owner Keum-Sook Park. "Every part of the cake has to be perfect."

Here's a breakdown of each delicious level.

The chocolate sponge layer of the Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

A thin slice of chocolate sponge cake to give the pastry a soft yet solid base to pile mousse on top of. Think Betty Crocker cake mix, just home-made and much, much better. It's a sweet, light and yes spongy cake.

The feuilletine chocolate layer of the Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

Milk chocolate mixed with feuilletine: crispy, sugary flakes similar to a crushed waffle cone. This layer adds a satisfying crunch.

The raspberry, strawberry and black currant layer of the Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

Amousse made mostly of heavy cream and egg whitesturned bright pink by theaddition ofstrawberries, raspberries and red currant. Itadds a light, fruity sweetness acontrast tothe heady chocolate layers.

Another level of chocolate sponge cake that gives the next layer of mousse something to rest on.

The chocolate mousse layer of the Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

Silky, decadent chocolate mousse (more heavy cream and egg whites, just mixed with chocolate this time).

Rutilio Olivera, Executive Pastry Chef and Co-Owner of Sook Pastry in Ridgewood makes a Glen cake on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

A thin glaze of shiny dark chocolate produced mainly by sugar syrup, heavy cream, gelatin and cacao powder. Thislayer is so shiny, you can see yourself reflected in it. Though mainly decorative, this silky glazeadds a touch of bittersweet flavor from the dark chocolate.

Rutilio Olivera, Executive Pastry Chef and Co-Owner of Sook Pastry in Ridgewood makes a Glen cake on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

A milk chocolate twirl with white chocolate stripes running through it sits on top as a garnish.

This cake is available in a 3-by-1 1/2 inch slice and a 7-by-7 inch square. Sook Pastry Shop is located at24 S. Broad St., Ridgewood;201-493-2500,sookpastry.com.

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