CHOCOLATE MOUSSE ENTREMET CAKE

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Ready for a true labor of love? Full disclosure, it was a case of self-love, because I made it to celebrate my own Birthday! I spread the preparation over three days, you can definitely make it in two, but sometimes it is best not to rush. Since it’s been many years since I made this type of cake, I decided to take my time and enjoy the ride.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE ENTREMET CAKE
(from Sugar Geek Show)

for the cake component:
3 large eggs
1 cup white sugar (220 g)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup mayonnaise (180 g)
1 + 1/2 cup all purpose flour (180 g)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (45 g)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup water (185 g)

for the ganache center:
1 Tbsp (15 g) white sugar
1 tsp glucose or Corn Syrup
1/2 cup (120 g) whipping cream
50 g dark chocolate
40 g milk chocolate
2 tsps of unsalted butter

for the chocolate mousse:
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp whipping cream (200 g)
200 g dark chocolate
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp heavy cream (200 g)
3 egg yolks
60 g white sugar
1/4 cup (60 g) water

for the chocolate mirror glaze:
1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp water (100 g)
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (220 g)
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp corn syrup or glucose (120 g)
1 + 1/2 cups cocoa powder (130 g)
6 gelatin sheets (16 g) – I used Platinum

Make the cake: Line a 1/4 inch sheet pan with parchment paper and heat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, mayonnaise, and water. With an electric mixer, set on low speed, gradually add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients until combined. Then increase the speed to medium and continue to mix for one more minute until the batter is fully combined and smooth. Spread the batter onto the pan and bake for about 15 minutes or until the center of the cake is set.

Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cover in plastic wrap and freeze until you are ready to start assembling the cake.

Make the ganache: Break up the dark chocolate and milk chocolate into small pieces and place into a heat-proof bowl; set aside. In a medium-sized sauce pan, bring the cream, glucose or corn syrup, and sugar to a boil. Pour 1/3 of the hot cream mixture over the chocolate pieces, whisking vigorously until the chocolate starts to melt. Pour another 1/3 of the hot cream over the chocolate while whisking, continuing until the cream is all used up. Place the butter in a tall container or pitcher and pour the ganache over it. Using an immersion blender, mix the ganache and butter together until smooth and shiny. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic touching the surface and let set for 5-6 hours at room temperature. You can also do that the day before.

After the ganache has set, remove the chocolate cake from the freezer and use a 3-inch cake cutter to cut six small cake rounds (each cake round should be about 1/4 the height of your cake ring). Place the chocolate ganache into a piping bag and pipe about 2 teaspoons of ganache in the center of each cake round). Place in the freezer for at least one hour.

Make the chocolate mousse: the mousse is made up of three components: the whipped cream, the chocolate ganache, and the egg yolks whipped with hot syrup (pâte à bombe). First, whip the 200 g cream until soft peaks form and set aside. For the chocolate ganache, break up the dark chocolate into smaller pieces and place in a heat-proof bowl. Bring the 200g heavy cream to a boil and then pour 1/3 of the hot cream onto the chocolate, whisking vigorously. Working in thirds, continue to pour the hot cream onto the chocolate until all of the cream has been used, whisking in-between each addition. Set aside.

For the pâte à bombe, place your egg yolks into a heat-proof bowl. In a large saucepan, heat the sugar and water together until the temperature reaches 244 F. Slowly pour the hot mixture onto the bowl holding the egg yolks, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens and turns a pale yellow.

Combine all three components: first fold the whip cream into the ganache, then pour the egg yolk mixture into the bowl of the mixed chocolate ganache, then fold all ingredients until smooth. Transfer mousse to a piping bag and coat inside of each metal cake ring with cooking spray. Line inside of each cake mold with acetate. Pipe the mousse into each cake ring, filling 3/4 of the way to the top. Gently press each frozen cake ring (topped with the ganache) into the ring with the ganache facing downward. The mousse should gradually move up toward the top of the ring. Flatten out the mousse and scrape off any excess mousse. Freeze each cake overnight.

Make the chocolate mirror glaze: first, place your gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to soften. Heat the water, sugar, and a few drops of red food gel on the stovetop until the mixture reaches 222 F. In a separate bowl, mix the glucose (or corn syrup) and cream together then microwave for one minute until warm. Now pour this into the pan holding the sugar/water mixture, whisking continuously, then bring to a boil. Add the cocoa powder, remove from the heat and continue to mix.

Squeeze out the excess moisture from the gelatin leaves, then place in a pitcher or large measuring cup. Pour the sugar/cocoa mixture on top of the gelatin and mix with an immersion blender until all bubbles are gone. Let temperature reduce to 104 F (40 C) while preparing your cake molds.

To unmold the frozen entremet cakes, use a hair dryer to heat up the sides of the cake ring for a few seconds, then gently push the cake out of the mold onto a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet. Remove the acetate sheet from the cake. Before applying the glaze to the cake, make sure the glaze temperature is 104 F (40 C). Gradually pour the glaze onto the cake starting from the center outwards, fully covering the top and sides. (The excess glaze that has accumulated in the pan can be scraped up and re-used).

After the glaze settle a few minutes, transfer the cake to a serving dish; decorate with some gold leaf and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The link associated with the recipe will take you straight to a video showing every single step of the preparation, so even if you have no previous experience with entremet cakes, you’ll be able to tackle it. Here is my way to approach this adventure:

Day one: baked the chocolate cake, wrapped it and froze it

Day two: made the ganache early in the morning, cut cake slices and topped with ganache around noon. Made the mousse and assembled the cake rings around 5pm. Froze everything overnight.

Day three: Made the chocolate mirror glaze, while it cooled to the pouring temperature (I used 110F instead of 104F), I removed the frozen cakes from the rings, took the acetate out, and placed them back in the freezer until the glaze was ready to pour.

The only problem I had – and that was a big problem that led into severe hyperventilation – was right after glazing the cakes. The video gave a super cool tip to hold the cake with a stick to roll the base over sprinkles, but it is VERY important that you do not stick that too deep, or you won’t be able to remove it without destroying the little cake. I almost lost my Zen. So, if you make them, insert the skewer just a little bit, it will be a bit wobbly but then you will remove it without issues, and the gold leaf or another decoration of your choice will hide the small hole left on the glaze.

I was totally thrilled with the outcome! Especially because I had not worked with mirror glaze in such a long time. Consider investing in a Bamix handheld mixer, it is the best tool to remove bubbles from this type of glaze, although for extra safety I always pass it through a fine sieve (they did not use it in the video, but I advise you to incorporate this extra step). I’ve had the Bamix for many years, found a great deal on eBay at the time, probably around 2018.

This is a real rich dessert, we shared one and then Phil had a couple of bites from the second one, leftover was his breakfast next day. If you don’t have gold leaf to decorate the top, a small fondant decoration or even sprinkles will do.

I truly enjoyed making these cakes, and now I wonder if I really need a super special occasion to justify bringing it to our table… Life is short, not a bad idea to indulge every once in a while, right?

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7Jan2026

MONT BLANC, A TRUE SHOWSTOPPER

Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Desserts by sallybr

Early December, 2025. The husband sends me a text with a link and the words: we should make this. I agreed we definitely should. And so “we” did. Let me just add that this was quite likely one of the best desserts “we” ever made. I don’t say this lightly.

MONT BLANC
(from The New York Times)

for the meringue discs:
4 large egg whites (122 grams)
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 + ⅓ cups (240 grams) granulated sugar

For the mocha cremeux:
4½ ounces milk chocolate, chopped into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 egg yolks (63 grams)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons instant coffee
¾ cup whole milk

for the chestnut topping:
⅓ cup (60 grams) brown sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
1⅓ cups (200 grams) chopped canned or vacuum-packed chestnuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

for the whipped cream:
1 cup (233 grams) heavy cream
½ cup (112 grams) mascarpone cheese, softened
¼ cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Make the meringues: Heat the oven to 225 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. On one sheet of parchment, trace a 7-inch-wide circle and a 6-inch-wide circle. On the other sheet of parchment, trace a 4-inch-wide circle and a 2½-inch-wide circle. Flip the parchment papers upside down so the marks are underneath.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the cream of tartar, then, with the mixer on medium-high, gradually add the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until glossy and stiff peaks form, scraping down the bowl once or twice, 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon about 1 ½ cups (175 grams) of meringue into the 7-inch circle and, using circular movements with the back of a large spoon, shape a 1-inch-deep divot in the middle. Use the remaining meringue to fill the smaller circles, spreading about ½ cup (70 grams) into the 6-inch circle, ¼ cup (30 grams) into the 4-inch circle, and about 2 tablespoons (10 to 15 grams) into the 2½-inch circle. These three remaining meringues should be about ½ inch thick and fairly flat for neat stacking once baked.

Bake meringues for 1½ hours, until crisp and dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside with the door slightly ajar until completely cool, at least 2 to 3 hours but overnight if possible.

Meanwhile, make the mocha crémeux: Combine the milk chocolate and salt in a small bowl and set alongside the stove, along with an empty medium heatproof bowl. Whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch and instant coffee in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk. Take care to make sure it’s well combined, giving extra attention to the edges of the pan as you whisk.

Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil and thickens to a pudding-like consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and whisk rapidly as the mixture gently simmers for 30 seconds longer. Immediately turn off the heat and whisk in the milk chocolate and salt until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is glossy. Immediately pour the crémeux into the heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper directly against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Once cool to the touch, transfer to the fridge to chill completely and set, about 2 hours minimum.

Make the chestnut topping: Combine the brown sugar, salt and ½ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
When the sugar syrup has cooled, blitz the cooked chestnuts in the food processor for about 30 seconds, until finely ground, then slowly pour in the cooled sugar syrup while the motor is running. Blend until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl as necessary. Add the butter and blend until incorporated. The purée needs to be smooth and soft enough to pipe easily without breaking. If the chestnut mixture doesn’t seem smooth, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside until ready to use.

When you are ready to assemble, make the whipped cream: In a large bowl, whip the cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar and vanilla until very stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. To build the dessert, place the 7-inch meringue onto a serving plate. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of whipped cream (½ cup) across the base, pushing it up and over the sides of the meringue so it slightly overhangs the sides. Give the mocha crémeux a quick stir, then dollop it into the hollow (it should fill it completely), smoothing it level with the cream.

Place the 6-inch meringue disk on top, pressing gently. Spread a thick layer of whipped cream over the meringue and top with the 4-inch disk. Repeat with another generous layer of whipped cream, then add the smallest disk. Finish with a final helping of the remaining whipped cream, shaping it into a conical peak with an offset spatula. Chill the Mont Blanc in the fridge for about 1 hour, until the cream has firmed up enough to support the chestnut strands you’ll add on top (be sure to give it a wide berth in the fridge).

When the Mont Blanc has finished chilling, transfer chestnut cream to a piping bag fitted with a 2-millimeter-wide round tip. Starting from just above the overhang of cream at the base of the Mont Blanc, pipe the chestnut strands horizontally around the Mont Blanc, gradually working your way upward to cover the “mountain” completely with several layers of chestnut strands to create the look of a craggy mountain.

Store the Mont Blanc in the fridge until ready to serve: 2 to 4 hours is best, but up to 24 hours.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was a complete, total labor of love, but I am so glad Phil suggested this recipe for our Christmas meal. I must tell you that the recipe is perfectly written, instructions were flawless and everything worked exactly as it should have. The baker was in Nirvana.

The photo above makes the dessert look huge, in fact it is 7 inches in diameter at the bottom, largest dimension. We had it on Christmas and also next day and loved each bite. Truly spectacular, the layers of meringue turn into one entity with the whipped cream, the chestnut cream is absolutely perfect and matches well with the chocolate coffee cremeaux at the bottom. Super rich, I won’t lie. But for a special occasion, you cannot ask for a better option.

I would love to re-visit this dessert turning it into a small, individual portion, make maybe 4 for a dinner party. That would be perfect. Speaking of perfection….

Final thoughts: Make the meringue discs the day before. Make the chocolate cremeux the day before. Then on the day of serving this beauty, just whip the cream and make the chestnut topping. I tried to use the special grass piping tip to make the ribbons, but it worked much better with a simple round open tip, about 2mm wide. Having my little turntable was a huge help. You can see it in action in this post from my past.

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13Dec2019

THE GREAT AMERICAN BAKING SHOW

Posted in great american baking show by sallybr

BEWARE, LONG POST AHEAD!
(SPOILERS INSIDE)

So let’s start this big party, shall we? The Great American Baking Show premiered yesterday and I am so excited to finally share with you a little bit about my experience in “the tent.” If you have not watched the show yet and do not want spoilers, save this post to read later.

Like many people who love to bake, I’ve watched all the Great British Bake Off shows available to us in the US, and all the American Baking Shows more than once. Some seasons that are dear to my heart (Chetna, Val, Nancy, Tina, Kim Joy, Amanda, Nadyia, Selasi, I am talking to you!) I’ve watched twice or more, and never got tired of them. When I first applied to the show in 2018, I was a bit disappointed about my performance in the final audition, so I wanted to try it again. Much to my amazement, not only I got all the way to the final audition phase, but they selected me to be in the show! I remember very well where I was when I got THE phone call. First the adrenaline rush, and later that nagging question inside me “am I really tent-worthy?”

From the phone call to finally going to London, life gets turned upside down, as you get assignments for each episode and the tension keeps building up and up. It is a very unique experience, and pushes your baking skills to the limit. We all have things we are good at, and things we are not, as far as baking is concerned. Come to think of it, as far as ANYTHING is concerned… Getting ready for the show means designing recipes to potentially impress Paul Hollywood and Sherry Yard, even if you feel insecure about laminating dough, or if baking macarons sounds like the last thing you’d like to face in front of the cameras. By the time you step on the plane, you’ve already been through countless hours of baking, a roller coaster of emotions, from self-doubt to bliss, from fear and panic to BRING IT! And then you get to meet your fellow bakers, and realize you can finally interact with people who have been through the exact same roller coaster you did. It is a bonding experience that starts from the minute you gather in the hotel lobby. It is one aspect of this adventure I will cherish forever.

But nothing quite prepares you for that first look into the tent. I was in a complete daze, and remember someone telling us… “Did you know more people went into space than baked in this tent?”. Not sure what was their intention with that casual remark, but it made my stomach a tad colder, and the butterflies inside it a lot more noticeable. It was a beautiful sunny day, I felt happy and grateful for being there although it felt so unreal. I was also anxious to get that first bake done. Cake. Yours truly, a former self-professed cake-o-phobe about to step in a famous tent, with dozens of cameras around, two demanding judges and two adorable hosts to bake for. Mind blowing, my friends. Mind blowing.

SIGNATURE BAKE

YUZU-GINGER OLIVE OIL CAKE

I adore yuzu. I could not bake with the real fruit, maybe they could find it in London but there was no way I could practice with it at home, so I opted for the bottled juice. More consistent, anyway. Once you get a certain brand, you know what to expect. I paired the cake with a caramel scented with sobacha tea, taking my assignment into a clear Japanese territory. Japanese patisserie fascinates me because they tend to make things that are not overly sweet, and often bringing unusual ingredients together. A little decoration with caramel and that was my plan for the very first bake under the spotlight. I practiced this cake three times at home and felt reasonably confident about it, my only fear was unmolding it. Bundt pans can be very unforgiving. I can tell you my heart was beating at 120bpm when I flipped that baby out of the pan, and I could feel the adrenaline rushing out of my system once it was all smooth sitting in front of me. Of course, they had the cameras right there as each baker unmolded their cakes. Would you like some stress with your cake?

My main take home lesson from this bake is that all flavors must come through. The ginger was not prominent enough, so I should have either tried to work a bit more into the cake and glaze or simply left the yuzu alone. I will tweak the recipe again and once I’m absolutely happy with it, I will share with you.

Technical Challenge

ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH PASSION FRUIT CURD

My very first technical challenge! I was cautiously optimistic when they announced it, because I’ve made Angel Food in the past and I knew the main details that matter in its preparation. I was a bit more worried about the curd, as it needs to have a smooth texture and proper consistency. The process of making a channel in the cake was a bit nerve-wracking, to be honest with you. I felt I was butchering the poor cake and not quite sure I had enough curd to cover the crime scene. As I placed the cake behind my picture, I remember feeling good about it, but never expected to be first in the first technical. It was absolutely thrilling! I will never forget the feeling…

Plus, it made going into the showstopper challenge next day a lot less stressful. Speaking of it…

SHOWSTOPPER CHALLENGE

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CELEBRATION GATEAU

My first showstopper challenge! I baked this cake three times during practice, changing little details in the preparation. Chocolate sponge with mascarpone-chantilly-raspberry filling, and chocolate buttercream icing. The thing I was most excited about was the brigadeiro topping, because I wanted to add something Brazilian to my concoction. Much to my surprise, Tanya – who was baking just behind me in the tent – had planned brigadeiros for her decorations too! Can you imagine? We immediately called ourselves Brigadeiro Babes, because… how could we not? Knowing she was making a Brazilian delicacy right behind made the whole experience even more special and fun for me. Her little pine cone decorations over the top of the cake were in fact little almond-covered brigadeiros. Super clever and cute.

I was also a bit worried about tempering the chocolate in the tent for the decorations. It was the last thing I had to do, and kept me a bit anxious throughout the 3 and a half hours of the assignment. Which go by like 30 regular minutes, I kid you not. It turns out tempering was ok, but not the piping. I did not have the exact piping bag I had at home, and the opening was a bit too big even when I cut it as small as possible. My trees, that were so cute at home, looked a bit like odd fish creatures, as Sherry Yard brought to my attention. She was 100% right, I am sad to admit. But at least the brigadeiro component was good. With that bake we completed the first round of the Great American Baking Show, and one of us had to say goodbye to the tent.

The baker leaving on that first day was Helen. I should tell you that sitting in those stools waiting for the knife to hit the chopping block is beyond stressful. I knew I was safe that day, but the idea of ANY of the others being eliminated was too hard to face. Watching the shows on TV over the years, I often wondered if the emotion they show is real. The cynic in me would sometimes feel that it was not possible to show so much affection for someone you just met. Well, it is not fake. When you meet those people, you spend A LOT of time together. You talk, you share a lot, often in moments in which you are most vulnerable. When they said Helen’s name, I know the sharp pain I felt inside was the exact same pain felt by the other 9 bakers, and of course even more sharply by Helen herself. No one wants to be eliminated first, and the fact that she was, has ZERO impact on her quality as a baker. She took it with a smile, very gracefully. With the unique sense of humor she has, and that you can get a taste of by visiting her blog. Her writing is fun, to the point, and charming. Several of us made her brownies. Absolute winner. Give her recipe a try, and thank me later.

We were crushed by Helen leaving the tent, and if I could change one thing in the show, it would be this: no one gets eliminated on the first episode. You get that as a warm-up round. Producers, are you reading me? Anyone? Anyone?

That wraps up Cake Episode. I will be back in a couple of days with the round up of BREAD, which hopefully you already watched. It was a nail-biter for yours truly…

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