Chocolate Mousse Entremet
Such an extravagant treat needs a touch of gold. It’s only appropriate. Chocolate mousse entremet is my favourite of all my favourite chocolate desserts. This is a deceptively light but incredibly rich dessert. A single serve will guarantee to keep chocolate craving at bay for a while. It’s not something that I indulge often, which makes it special when I do.
Author: Сakeletsanddoilies.blogspot/Photo credit to cakeletsanddoilies.blogspot.com
Ingredients
- Chocolate Mousse Entremet
- (Adapted from Desserts by Pierre Herme)
- Makes 6 numbers of 70mm diameter semi-sphere cakes
- Chocolate Sponge
- 20 grams Dutch-processed Cocoa
- 20 gram all-purpose flour
- 16 grams cornstarch
- 3 large egg whites
- 100 grams caster sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 40 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- Chocolate Syrup
- 50 grams caster sugar
- 10 grams Dutch-processed cocoa
- 110 ml water
- Chocolate Mousse
- 500ml heavy cream
- 300 grams 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 125 grams caster sugar
- 45 ml (3 tablespoons) water
- ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted, and finely chopped
- Chocolate Sauce
- 60 grams 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 125 ml water
- 60 ml heavy cream
- 25 grams sugar
- Chocolate Glaze
- 80 ml heavy cream
- 100 grams 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 20 grams unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, softened at room temperature
- 105ml (7 tablespoons) of chocolate sauce, warm or at room temperature
Instructions
- To make chocolate sponge:
- Preheat oven to 180C conventional (or 160C fan-forced). Line 30cm x 20cm cake pan with baking paper.
- Sift and combine cocoa, flour and cornstarch. Set aside.
- In a clean bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites until foamy. Add 50 grams sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form and egg whites are glossy. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks and the remaining 50 grams sugar until pale and creamy.
- Add one-third of whipped egg whites into egg yolk mixture and fold in lightly using a spatula. Fold in the flour mixture, followed by cooled melted butter. Add remainder of the whipped egg whites and fold to incorporate completely.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cake has risen slightly and feels springy to the touch. Remove from oven. Turn sponge straight from oven onto a sheet of baking paper. Peel off baking paper from the bottom of the sponge. Cover with baking paper, then a tea towel. Set aside to cool completely.
- To make chocolate syrup:
- Combine sugar, cocoa and water in a saucepan, stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, bring the mixture to the boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
- To make chocolate mousse:
- Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk cream to medium peaks. Set whipped cream aside in the fridge while we work on the rest of the chocolate mousse.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl over, not touching, simmering water. Stir occasionally to assist the melting. When the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat and set aside until it cools to 45C.
- Meanwhile, place yolks and eggs in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to the boil, swirling pan occasionally to dissolve sugar. Continue to boil until the temperature reaches 115C. Remove pan from heat. Whisk eggs on high speed, and start pouring the syrup in a thin stream into the egg, take care to avoid the spinning whisk. Continue to whisk until the eggs triple in volume and cool to room temperature.
- Fold a third of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate using a hand whisk. (Note: You can be quite rough with folding the cream into the chocolate at this stage. The melted chocolate might start to clump together. Just keep mixing until the mixture comes together and is well combine.) Using a spatula, work as delicately as you can, fold in the rest of the whipped cream until combined, followed by the egg mixture. Finally, fold in the toasted almonds.
- It is best the use the mousse now while it is still soft and spreadable.
- To make chocolate sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring constantly over medium-high heat, and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and set aside while you work on the chocolate glaze.
- To make chocolate glaze:
- Note: Make the glaze only after you have assemble and freeze the chocolate mousse cake.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from heat and pour hot cream over the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Allow to sit for 1 minute to let the chocolate melt slightly, then stir slowly in a small circle starting at the centre of the bowl, stirring gently in a circular fashion, gradually increasing the size of the circle. Continue to stir until all the chocolate has melted. Measure the temperature of the mixture, which should be at 60C. If it's too cool, place bowl over simmering water, and remove from heat once the temperature reaches 60C. If it's too hot, allow to cool to 60C.
- Stirring gently, blend in butter and the chocolate sauce. Once again, check the temperature of the glaze, which should be between 35C to 40C at which the glaze attains prime pourability. Use glaze immediately.
