Came across this recipe by French pasty chef Pierre Hermé months and months ago and been dying to try it out. This cake is named Carrément Chocolat in French which simply means Downright Chocolate, but there is no way to simplify the description of this cake. You get 5 textures of chocolate in one single bite. Starting with the base of a lightly set chocolate brownie, a layer of chocolate cream, a layer of chocolate mousse, a layer of chocolate glaze to cover the cake and topped with a thin brittle sheet of dark chocolate. The whole process of making the cake can take up to 2 days and it involve many but easy to do steps. Rest be asure that you will definitely be rewarded for your hard work!!
Recipes
Chocolate Cake
125g 72% Chocolate chopped
125g Unsalted butter, cut into cubes
110g Castor sugar
2 Large Egg
35g Plain flour, sifted
- Preheat oven to 170 degree C, butter a 8 inch square or round mold, Sprinkle with flour
- Melt chocolate over a bain marie or microwave
- Place cut butter into chocolate, mix to incorporate
- Add sugar, mix to incorporate
- Add egg, mix to incorporate
- Add flour, mix to incorporate
- Pour batter into mold and bake for 20 mins.
- The cake should look underdone. Unmold and cool on a rack
- Place the cake into the bottom of a cake ring of the same size as the cake.
Smooth Chocolate Cream
70g 72% Chocolate, chopped
100g Whole milk
100g Heavy cream
50g (2 1/2) Egg yolk
50g Castor Sugar
- In a saucepan, bring milk and cream to a boil
- In a bowl, beat egg yolk and sugar till pale yellow
- Once the milk/cream boil, slowly pour a little of the boiled milk into the beaten egg yolk, whisking at the same time. until all the milk have been added to the egg yolk.
- Return to the saucepan and stir over gentle heat until the mixture reach 85 degree C.
- Place 1/3 of mixture over the chocolate and stir well. Repeat till fully incorporated
- Process the mixture with a handheld immersion blender.
- Pour cream over the cooled cake.
- Refrigerate for an hour (minimum) then into the freeze for an hour before adding the mousse.
Chocolate Mousse
170g 72% Chocolate, chopped
80g Whole milk
1 egg yolk
4 egg white
20g Castor sugar
- Melt the chocolate over a bain marie or microwave
- Boil the milk and pour the milk over the chocolate beating until smooth
- Add egg yolk and incorporate well.
- In a stand mixer with wire whisk, beat egg white until foamy, add sugar slowly and beat until stiff peak form.
- Incorporate 1/3 of the egg white into chocolate mixture.
- Fold the remaining beaten egg white into the chocolate
- Pour the chocolate mousse over the chocolate cream in the mold.
- Place in fridge for 2 hours (minimum), freeze for 2 hours before next step.
Thin Chocolate Sheet
100g 72% chocolate, chopped
- Melt chocolate over bain marie or microwave
- Cool at room temperature until thickens
- Reheat slightly until reach 88 to 90 degree F
- Pour chocolate over a sheet of acetate and spread it out
- Before it set, cut out the shape the same size as the cake.
- Place another acetate sheet on top and add a weight to prevent chocolate from warping as it dries.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours
Chocolate sauce
50g 70% Dark chocolate chopped
95g Plain water
35g Castor Sugar
50g Heavy Cream
- Combine all ingredients into a heavy bottom sauce pan.
- Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.
- Lower heat and continue heating till mixture is able to coat the back of your spoon.
Chocolate Glaze
100g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
80g Heavy cream
20g French butter (room temperture)
100g Chocolate Sauce
- Heat the cream in the microwave for 30 sec on high
- Pour cream into chocolate and stir to melt the chocolate
- Add in butter in 4 equal parts
- Add in the chocolate sauce
Final Assembly
- Remove the cake from the mold
- Pour the warm chocolate glaze onto the cake and spread evenly using a spatula
- Leave to set for a few minutes and then transfer to a cake plate.
- Remove the chocolate sheet from the acetate and place it on top of the cake
- Set the cake in the fridge to defrost for 2 hours before eating.
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