Tomato leaf Swiss meringue buttercream
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Tomato leaves hold the garden’s greenest perfume — the scent that clings to your hands after brushing through the vines. They smell like summer caught on your hands. Their vivid green oil slips into this satin-smooth buttercream, turning a familiar frosting fragrant, grassy and just strange enough to make you lean in for another taste.
L.A. bakers and pastry chefs are reenvisioning what cakes can look like, turning fresh fruit, flowers, herbs and interpretive piping into avant-garde cake art.
Make the tomato leaf oil: Cut fresh branches from a healthy, unsprayed tomato plant. Pull the leaves from the branches as you would parsley, discarding all stems. Wash well. If the leaves are new and tender, dry them thoroughly and proceed directly to blending.
For sturdier leaves, blanch in boiling water for 15 seconds, then shock in ice water for 30 seconds. Drain and squeeze very dry.
Pack the leaves into a blender. Add the oil and blend on high until completely smooth, vivid green and warm from the friction of the blades.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if you want only the brilliant color and a cleaner finish. Leave unstrained for a speckled, full-flavor experience. (Makes about 2 cups.) Use in the buttercream below, or spoon into vinaigrettes, curds or ricotta piled on toast. Refrigerate immediately in a clean airtight container and use within 3 days, or freeze promptly in small portions for up to 3 months. Never store fresh tomato leaf oil at room temperature.
Make the buttercream: Set the metal bowl of a stand mixer over a small pot of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Add the egg whites and sugar and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches 161 degrees on a candy or instant-read thermometer; it should look glossy and feel completely smooth between two fingers.
Fit the stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip the egg whites on medium-high until the meringue is thick, glossy and holding stiff peaks, and the bowl feels barely warm.
Add the butter a little at a time, letting each addition disappear before adding more. If the mixture loosens or looks curdled, keep mixing: it will come back together. When smooth and thick, add the salt.
With the mixer on low, slowly stream in 2 tablespoons (30 grams) tomato leaf oil. Add more to taste, up to just short of 1/4 cup (50 grams), stopping when the buttercream is vividly fragrant and green but still holds its shape. For an ultra-silky finish, switch to the paddle attachment and beat on low until smooth as still water. Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 6 months. Bring to cool room temperature and re-whip before using.
