Pastry chef François Payard, known for the fine French desserts he once created for KarVer and his own eponymous patisserie, has baked up something he calls an “interpretation” on American fare.
Ebb & Flow, his new waterfront cafe near the One°15 Brooklyn Marina — where Payard also serves as culinary director — opened last week with grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, baked goods and by-the-slice cakes, including one eye-catching creation.
“I wanted to create a recipe that was familiar. . . and something families would enjoy,” Payard says of his eye-catching new creation — an almond sponge layer cake with white chocolate ganache, strawberry cream and topped with a blanket of Kellogg’s Froot Loops.
He assures this isn’t your definitively American from-a-box cake — aside from the cereal box, of course.
“There’s a lot of thought that goes into each layer,” says Payard.
While testing the recipe, he found that real fruit topping didn’t keep well, but stumbled on a solution over breakfast.
“[My friend’s] daughter was eating Froot Loops, which I never had, and thought it was so whimsical,” says Payard, “and the flavor and colors of the cereal was perfect for the new cake.”
The $7 slice certainly stands out among the rest, leaving some to wonder if this could be a new, playful direction for the refined patissier, but he’s not giving us any hints.
“I will have more cakes lined up for the future — you’ll have to stay tuned to see the new direction they take!”