Chocolate Mousse Cake with Marshmallow Brûlée

This cupcake is the right choice to gift someone dear. In addition to being a delicate dessert, it is not very difficult to prepare (although it looks like it); you just need to have a little patience to finish each step. The result is rewarding, you can be sure. After all, is there anyone who doesn’t like  cake, ganache and meringue brûlée ?

Food Styling: Danielle Noce

Photography: Paulo Cuenca

INGREDIENTS: ULTRA FLUFFY CHOCOLATE CAKE

• 6 CLEAR
• 90 grams of REFINED SUGAR
• 3 GEMS
• A bit of salt
• 1 tablespoon VANILLA EXTRACT*
• 4 tablespoons WHEAT FLOUR
• 4 tablespoons of COCOA POWDER
• 1/2 teaspoon of BICARBONATE OF SODIUM
• 90 grams of VEGETABLE OIL

*Click here to learn how to make homemade vanilla extract

INGREDIENTS: MOUSSE DE GANACHE WITH A TIP OF COGNAC

• 400 grams (2 boxes) of CARTON MILK CREAM
• 250 grams of BITTER CHOCOLATE 50%
• 3 tablespoons of COGNAC

INGREDIENTS: MARSHMALLOW BRÛLÉE

• 1 cup CLEAR
• 1 and 1/3 cup of REFINED SUGAR
• 1 sheet of GELATIN

* cup size: 240 ml

PREPARATION METHOD: ULTRA FLUFFY CHOCOLATE CAKE

1. Beat the egg whites until they start to foam. Add 1/3 of the sugar and continue beating.
2. When the meringue is white, add another 1/3 of the sugar. Once the meringue starts to form waves, add the rest of the sugar and beat until the meringue is glossy.
3. Add the egg yolks, one by one, beating well after each addition.
4. Add salt, vanilla extract, sifted flour and cocoa. Mix everything with the fouet delicately – from the bottom to the top, from the center outwards.
5. Add the oil and baking soda and mix well.
6. Pour the dough into a 30 x 40 mold lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 180˚C for approximately 8 minutes.

PREPARATION METHOD: GANACHE MOUSSE WITH A TOUCH OF COGNAC

1. Melt all ingredients in bain-marie and set aside.

ASSEMBLY PART 1

1. Cut all the dough with a round cutter of 6 to 7 cm in diameter.
2. Cut a piece of acetate so that it forms a cylinder around each slice of cake. Stick with sticky tape.
3. TIP: Secure the acetate tightly around the edges of the cake so the ganache doesn’t leak.
4. Cover the cakes with about two fingers high of ganache. Tap the tin lightly to smooth the surface and place the cakes in the freezer while you make the meringue.

DIRECTIONS: SWISS MERENGUE

1. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a bowl over a bain-marie. Mix everything and keep in heat until the sugar dissolves completely.
2. Remove from the double boiler and transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
3. Beat with an electric mixer until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
4. Hydrate the gelatin sheet in ice water and then dissolve it in a bain-marie until it becomes completely liquid.
5. Add the gelatine to the meringue, beating constantly. Then transfer to a pastry bag.

ASSEMBLY PART 2

1. Remove the cookies from the freezer. Moisten a paper towel with vegetable oil and grease the inside of the acetates so that the meringue does not stick.
2. Squeeze the pastry bag with the meringue so that a good amount comes out to fill the entire surface of the ganache, like a meringue ball.
3. Repeat the process on all the cookies.
4. Place in the freezer to firm up.
5. Gently unmold the dumplings and smooth the sides with a mini spatula.
6. Take the dumplings to the fridge to thaw and then prepare for serving time.
7. When ready to serve, burn the meringues with a blowtorch and enjoy!
8. TIP: If you don’t have a blowtorch at home, place the frozen dumplings in a very hot oven with the grill on for a few minutes.