So this cake was my take on a wedding cake(might be jinxing myself here, but whatever, forever young, forever single). I just wanted to try making a multi-tiered cake, since the last one I made was a little lopsided, admittedly. Rather than tackling a 7 layer cake this time, I went with 6, 3 layers on each tier. For the flavors, I wanted to use apple butter that my parents brought back from Japan, and pair it with raspberries and elderflower, to make it classy. I decided to bring in buttermilk to the mix as a way to make sure that the cake was more balanced, and I love how it works in making a lighter cake even lighter, hence the “soft light” aspect of the cake. Oh, how I love puns.

Makes 1 six-layer cake, about 12-15 servings:
Buttermilk chiffon cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup brown butter
6 egg whites
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Whip egg whites with 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla, salt, and baking powder until stiff peaks. Whip your egg yolks with sugar, and slowly emulsify in the brown butter, until the mixture reaches ribbon stage. Sift your flour. Fold ingredients together and pour onto two sheet trays. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Using a 4 inch ring mold and a 6 inch, cut out two perfect circles of each, following by one fabricated layer using scraps of the cake.

Raspberry-elderflower coulis:
1 cup raspberries
1 tablespoon elderflower liquor
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup water

Simmer together until the raspberries have broken down and reduced by about half in mass. Pass through a sieve, pressing to release as much pectin from the fruit as possible. Allow that mixture to cool down.

Apple butter bavarois:
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup apple butter
1/4 cup soy milk
1 cup heavy cream, whipped stiff
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin powder + 1 tablespoon cold water
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the soy milk with gelatin powder and salt. Whip sugar with egg yolks and apple butter. Temper the two together. Fold heavy cream into the mixture, and once incorporated, swirl in the raspberry coulis.

For the elderflower soak:
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon elderflower liquor
a pinch of salt

Combine together.

For assembly:
Line the 6 and 4-inch ring molds with acetate. Place the fabricated layers down first, followed by a couple tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Pour in some of your Bavarian cream, then add on the next layer of your cake. Repeat the soaking liquid, Bavarian, then cake again, finishing the tops of each layer with more Bavarian. Refrigerate until solid, in 4-5 hours.

Yuzu-macerated apple slices:
1 pink lady apple
3 tablespoons yuzu juice
a pinch of salt

Shave the apple on a mandolin and toss in the yuzu and salt. Roll up into flowers.