District Weddings

While Mardi Gras may not be for another seven months, southern cooking with Chef David Guas has never tasted so good. Putting his own style into original recipes, David’s cookbook DamGoodSweet, makes amazing southern recipes accessible to anyone! Not only is he a Beard-nominated cookbook author and expert chef consultant, but David also has a wealth of knowledge and advice for all brides regarding budget, DIY projects, and send-off gifts…

As your cookbook, DamGoodSweet, is inspired by all things from New Orleans, what are a handful of the most staple ingredients or flavors that really represent the region and culture?

There are just so many ingredients; it’s hard to list them all.  In no particular order, I would say rice, cane, bananas, coffee, Ponchatoula strawberries, citrus, and of course, alcohol.  From Bourbon to rum to different flavored liqueurs such as Pernod and Herbsaint, I love to use these rich flavors in a lot of my desserts and dishes.

How have you incorporated your personal culinary style into your recipes?

My a la carte background has allowed me to revisit classic desserts that I grew up around, and manipulate them to bring out more intensity, more flavor, and mainly, more balance.  I add a pinch more salt to this, and extract a bit more sugar from that, and I try to learn the science behind these dishes that have been made for centuries.

I love to take existing desserts and adjust them without losing what it is that makes them so special.  Also, one of the most common things I hear from folks when they try my desserts is they love how there’s a saltiness that really makes the dessert more enjoyable. I love how people always say, “It’s not overly sweet.”

What are a few DIY wedding cakes that you would recommend to brides? What can they do to put special touches into their cakes?

First, start with recipes that you love.  What do you love to eat?  Think outside the box, as your DIY wedding cake or dessert does not have to be a standard wedding cake.

For me, I absolutely love the Lemon and Chocolate Doberge Cake and the Brown Butter Shortcake with Ponchatoula Strawberries from my book.  These are not your average wedding cakes, yet I know anyone attending a wedding will love the flavors.  For me, a wedding cake is just a cake on your wedding day.

I’m a big advocate of simplicity, so fresh flowers and nice satin ribbon for the layers, border or just top, go a long way.  You should aim to be as stress-free as possible, so stick with things that are store-bought and avoid those complicated gum paste decorations and sponge sugars.

What advice do you have for brides who have a budget, but still want amazing flavor and presentation for their wedding cake?

My biggest piece of advice when it comes to budgeting?  Spend more time to prepare and coordinate your wedding cake and approach it the same as all your other pre-wedding plans.  Get two prices for everything, and leverage online sources that have great prices for decorations or ingredients for your cake.  Go into stores and explore.

The reason why I emphasize giving yourself time is because when you find yourself rushing and doing things at the last minute, you end up throwing in the towel and just paying whatever.

Flavor-wise, stick with fresh ingredients. Their costs are not nearly as high as extracts, gels, pastes, and the clean and simple tastes really shine through.  If you do not bake and are attempting this for the first time, definitely involve experienced baker friends or family.  It’ll be more fun, plus you can have someone on hand to help you with certain steps you are not familiar with.

As many brides are branching out from the traditional wedding cake, what other sweet and scrumptious ideas could they offer their guests at the wedding?

There are so many great send-off gifts that you can offer your guests either as a favor or as a parting gift after the reception.  I love anything DIY, so think about making your own hot chocolate mix and putting all the dry ingredients in a metal tin with the recipe and direction on a sticker.

Or say do a brownie mix and follow the same steps you would with the hot chocolate.  Depending on where you’re getting married or where you’re from, use those as points of direction and inspiration. The great thing about weddings today, especially during this recession, is that people are realizing you don’t have to follow tradition anymore.

Weddings are now smarter and more efficient, allowing you to get back to what’s more important.  You definitely want to uphold the ceremonial cutting or feeding as that is an important tradition to keep, however everyone is getting something sweet, it’s not just about the cake.  I’d love to see a giant beignet cake sooner or later.

Luckily for us, David is soon opening the Bayou Bakery in Northern Virginia. Don’t you worry- District Weddings will keep you posted! But, if you are already in the kitchen ready to bake, see one of David’s original recipes below for Ponchatoula Strawberry Shortcake…

DamGoodSweet by David Guas

Ponchatoula Strawberry Shortcake

2 pounds (6 cups) strawberries, hulled and quartered if large

Zest of 1 orange

1 1⁄4 cups sugar

1 1⁄2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 cup buttermilk

Chantilly cream for serving

Bring a large pot with 1 inch of water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir the strawberries, orange zest, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large stainless steel mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place on top of the pot (the bottom of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water). Reduce the heat to low and let the strawberries macerate over the simmering water for 20 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot (leave the pot and water on the stove but turn off the heat) and refrigerate until chilled (the strawberry sauce can be made up to 1 day in advance).

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place a 10-inch cake pan on parchment; trace and cut out a circle. Grease the pan’s bottom and sides with the tablespoon of butter, press the parchment into the pan, and flip the parchment over, buttered side up. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and tap to coat the bottom and sides; discard the excess.

Cut the remaining 11/2 sticks of butter into small pieces and melt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer, whisking often to incorporate any solids that sink to the bottom, until the butter is a golden-amber color and smells nutty, 4 to 6 minutes. If it sputters or spatters, reduce the heat. Set the butter aside to cool.

Bring the pot with water back to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk the eggs and remaining sugar together in a large heatproof bowl and place over the pot of water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Reduce the heat to low and whisk the mixture until it has tripled in volume, 4 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer (or into a large bowl if using a hand mixer) and whip on high speed until it is thick, and pale, 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the remaining 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt together. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and slowly drizzle in the warm butter (adding it too quickly will cause the batter to separate), using a rubber spatula to scrape the browned bits into the batter. Turn off the mixer. Using a whisk, gently fold in one-third of the dry ingredients, fold in half of the buttermilk, and then repeat, ending with the last third of the dry mixture, gently folding in until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, tilting the pan to make sure the batter spreads evenly. Bake until the cake sides pull away from the pan and the center resists light pressure, 22 to 26 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before running a paring knife around the edges of the pan to release the shortbread and inverting it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Transfer the cake to a plate and slice into wedges. Serve topped with strawberries, sauce, and a dollop of chantilly cream, or slice each wedge in half horizontally and sandwich the halves with strawberries and sauce, then top with cream.

Serves 8

Chantilly Cream

2 cups heavy cream

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar