A delicious and beautiful cake for times of celebration

Last year I took a patisserie course in Paris and, just before Christmas, I learned this wonderful cake recipe. I made it for my family’s Christmas party last year…and it took me one year to post the recipe online. Actually, I’ve made this cake already 3-4 times since then, including for my birthday, and it is one of my favourite recipes now! It is composed with several different layers, the best ones being combination of white and black chocolate mousses.  Go ahead and dare preparing a spectacular and challenging dessert this Christmas!

Yield: 15 portions

Ingredients:

1) Custard

• 140g cream
• 140g milk
• 75g egg yolks
• 40g sugar

2) Chocolate financier

• 70g ground almonds
• 50g icing sugar
• 90g egg whites
• 25g cream
• 5g cornstarch
• 30g black chocolate

3) Crunchy chocolate base

• 110g pailleté feuillantine (crispy crepe style cookies)
• 185g praliné paste
• 75g black chocolate

4) Black chocolate mousse

• 150g custard
• 175g black chocolate
• 225g whipped cream

5) White chocolate mousse

• 150g custard
• 250g white chocolate
• 225g whipped cream
• 4g gelatine leaves (usually, 4 leaves)

6) Glaze and some decorations

• 60g water
• 50g cream
• 110g sugar
• 40g  cacao
• 4g gelatin leaves
• Additional cacao, golden powder, etc. for decorating

Step by step

1) Custard

• Whisk the yolks and sugar together in a bowl until well blended.
• Combine milk and cream in a small saucepan and bring it to boil.
• Pour the hot milk and cream on the eggs and sugar while whisking all the time with a balloon whisk.
• Pour the mixture back in the saucepan, keep whisking, and cook it until 85 degrees C.
• Split the custard into two halves. To one of them, which will be used or the white chocolate mousse, add 4g gelatine leaves and mix them well in the custard.

2) Chocolate financier

• Mix together all the dry ingredients. Then add the egg whites, cream and melted chocolate. Mix it all well together until it’s smooth.

• Pour it into a round cake mold, and bake it in oven at 180 degrees C for 12 minutes. Let it cool down once ready.

3) Crunchy chocolate base

• Melt the chocolate slowly over low heat.

• Add the praliné paste and then pailleté feuillantine to the melted chocolate. Mix it well together with a spoon.

• Put the crunchy chocolate base on the top of financier inside the cake mold. Smoothen it with the help of a spoon.

• Place the mix in your refrigerator to let it cool down and get it harden.

4) Black chocolate mousse

• Beat cream until you get whipped cream – you can do it once as the same you will need as well for the white chocolate mousse.

• Melt black chocolate. Let it cool down a bit and then mix it with the custard.

• Incorporate gently part of the whipped cream in the chocolate-custard mixture.

• Incorporate the rest of the whipped cream into the mixture. You should get a nice chocolate mousse by now.

• Pour the chocolate mousse on top of the crunchy chocolate base and smoothen it well with the help of a spoon. Put it back in the fridge to cool down.

5) White chocolate mousse

• Melt the white chocolate. Mix it with the custard (the one with the gelatin).

• Incorporate gently the whipped cream in the chocolate-custard mixture in two times. You will get a white chocolate mousse but still quite liquid. It will get harder once it will cool down.

• Pour the white chocolate mousse on top of the black chocolate mousse. Let the cake to cool down in refrigerator for several hours. It is better if you leave it overnight in the fridge.

6) Glaze and decoration

• Once the cake has been in the fridge for at least 3-4h or better even overnight, take it out of the form by warming shortly the sides with the help of a cooking torch. Then take the sides away by holding the base with your hands. The best is if the sides or the mold can be removable.

• Cook water together with the cream and sugar till it boils.
• Take it away from the heat and mix it with the cacao powder and gelatin.
• Directly use it to glaze your cake. Start in the middle and then with the help of a spatula go to sides until you cover it all.

• Now you can decorate your cake. I’ve used white chocolate pieces and edible golden powder.

Enjoy your Christmas and New Year meals and the desserts, of course