Posted on Tuesday, 22nd June 2010 by Grace Massa Langlois
I’m so happy I made these mini cakes - Chocolate Genoise filled with White Chocolate Mousse. My son, Matt, definitely needed a pick me up. Chocolate is a good pick me up, don’t you agree? And double the chocolate is even better! We’ve spent the better part of two days at the hospital. Matt, suffered a scaphoid fracture playing Football. Friday was the last day for Football Camp in preparation for the fall season and now he may not play at all. They casted him on Saturday and we had an appointment this morning with the Plastics Specialist where he received the bad news. Apparently it is one of the worst fractures and can take quite a long time to heal. That means no working for the summer, no swimming, no sports, plus a slew of other no no’s. They replaced the plaster cast with a fibreglass cast this morning and now he no longer has use of his thumb. To say the least he is terribly disappointed, it could take the better part of 3 months to heal.
He does have his birthday to look forward to, it falls on the 4th of July, not to mention he’s pretty much free of any chores for the next 3 months.
I can’t believe that Canada Day and 4th of July celebrations are just around the corner. I am looking forward to all the special treats that will grace the pages of many food blogs. I love this time of year, the pool parties, the barbecues and especially the fireworks.
When I first starting reading food blogs I came across Aran’s site, cannelle et vanille, her food photography and all the wonderful desserts and pastries she makes has so inspired me and I find myself drawn to her blog day after day. I’ve wanted to attempt a mousse cake and have tried for months to find ring molds in our area and have been unsuccessful, it seems I will have to give in and order some online.
Aran’s cakes are always decorated so beautifully that it’s inspired me to enrol in a pastry decorating class. It begins in July and I am hoping to one day create a stunning dessert that Aran seems to achieve so effortlessly.
With a little fancy footwork yesterday I was able to make my first mousse cakes using my baba molds. I thought I would be able to achieve a similar look hollowing out the cakes and I am happy to say it worked out quite well.
I used a basic chocolate genoise and I decided to fill the cakes with white chocolate mousse. The genoise can be a little dry so I soaked the cakes with Grand Marnier simple syrup. The white chocolate mousse was very light and creamy and it was a nice contrast to the dark chocolate genoise.
I am looking forward to finally getting ring molds and I am hoping to improve on my pastry decorating skills. With a little instruction and a little practise who knows what I’ll be baking in the months to come.
Chocolate Genoise and White Chocolate Mousse Cakes
- Chocolate Genoise Cakes
- White Chocolate Mousse
- Grand Marnier Simple Syrup
Chocolate Genoise Cakes
(recipe from Martha Stewart)
Makes one 10 1/2-by-15 1/2-inch cake
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1/3 cup sifted cocoa powder
- Pinch of baking soda
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Heat oven to 350° F. Butter 8 2 1/4-by-2 1/4-inch baba molds.
- Sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda together twice into a medium bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Skim off white foam, and pour clear yellow butter into a bowl, discarding white liquid at the bottom. Set aside in a warm place.
- In a medium-size heat-proof bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, stir until mixture is warm to the touch (110° F) and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, and beat on high speed until mixture is thick and pale and has tripled in bulk. Reduce speed to medium, add vanilla, and beat 2 to 3 minutes more.
- In three additions, sift flour mixture over egg mixture, folding in gently with a spatula. While folding in last addition, dribble melted butter over batter and fold in.
- Spoon batter into prepared baba molds, filling about 3/4 full. Tap molds on counter to remove air bubbles. Place on a sheet pan and bake until cakes spring back when touched in centre, about 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t over-bake or cakes will crack. Let sit in molds on a wire rack until cool enough to handle. Remove cakes from molds and cool completely on a wire rack.
White Chocolate Mousse
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
Makes 5 1/2 cups
- 1 envelope (7 grams) powdered gelatin
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 12 ounces best quality white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- Dissolve gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water, and set aside for 5 minutes. Place chocolate in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until very finely chopped.
- Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Place 3/4 cup cream in a small saucepan, and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat. Add gelatin, and stir for 30 seconds to dissolve completely. Pour into food processor with the motor running, and process until chocolate mixture is smooth.
- Transfer to a medium bowl and place over ice water bath. Chill until mixture is thick enough to fall from a spoon in ribbons.
- Whip remaining 1 3/4 cups heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture.
- Place in an airtight container and chill until set, about 1 hour.
Grand Marnier Simple Syrup
- 115 grams water
- 115 grams sugar
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or suit to taste
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir to ensure all the sugar is moistened. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Cool completely.
- Add Grand Marnier and stir to combine.
To Assemble Chocolate Genoise & White Chocolate Mousse Cakes
- milk chocolate curls, to decorate (optional)
- grated milk chocolate, to decorate (optional)
- With a large serrated knife, cutting slowly, level each cake. Using a small paring knife, cutting in a circular motion, hollow out cakes, leaving 1/2-inch around the sides and the bottom of each cake. Cut 1/4-inch off the top of the hollowed piece and reserve round.
- Using a pastry brush, soak cakes and rounds with simple syrup.
- Using a pastry bag, pipe mousse into each cake until 3/4 full. Top each cake with the reserved round.
- Using the pastry big fitted with a tip of your choice, decorate the top of each cake with the white chocolate mousse.
- Decorate with the chocolate curls and dust with grated chocolate, if desired.
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Tags: afternoon tea, cake, cakes, chocolate, chocolate dessert, dessert, desserts, food, food photography, food photos, genoise, individual dessert, individual desserts, Italian Cake, Italian Cakes, Italian dessert, Italian desserts, mini cakes, mousse, white chocolate, white chocolate mousse
Posted in Baking & Pastry, Baking Mise en Place, Custards, Creams & Mousses, Pastry Doughs & Batter, Recipes
Comments (25)
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June 22nd, 2010 at 5:09 pm
These are beautiful!!! Love the combination of chocolate cake and milk chocolate..Amazing clicks too!
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:06 am
These look delicious. I don’t know where you come up with these recipes…but I’m glad you do!
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:56 am
These are gorgeous! Have you tried looking at Jill’s Table on King Street? If anyone would have the molds I would think she would.
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:26 am
Found you on tastespotting. These look wonderful and the photos are absolutely beautiful! What kind of camera/lens do you use? Also, is that natural light or artificial?
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:55 am
I forgot to say – I hope your son heals quickly!
June 23rd, 2010 at 10:11 am
Thanks Marly!
June 23rd, 2010 at 10:12 am
Hi Alexis, thank you, they were on of the first spots I tried, I visited every restaurant supply as well, can you believe it? I am a bit surprised considering the large culinary program offered at Fanshawe that no one stocks them.
June 23rd, 2010 at 10:15 am
Hi Sarah, thank you so much. These were taken in a photo light box and my daughter shoots with a Canon EOS Rebel XSI. It’s been a bit of a learning curve and we seem to learn something new each day.
June 23rd, 2010 at 10:17 am
You’re going to kill me with these pictures and recipes! How can one resist? O well, as Mae West said: “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”
June 23rd, 2010 at 10:27 am
I so agree!
June 23rd, 2010 at 1:06 pm
These look amazingly appetising in fact I may have to make them myself, got the fire brigade on standby hehe.
June 23rd, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Thanks Grace! Did you build your lightbox yourself or did you buy one? I’m looking into getting one and trying to decide if I should build it myself or purchase one. Any advice?
June 23rd, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Hey Sarah, I decided to buy one only because I am not handy enough to build one. This one that I’ve purchased is a larger box, 28X28X28 and it also has a chroma key back drop-we haven’t figured out how to use that just yet and it comes with low heat lamps (2 with stands). A new friend, Marly (NamelyMarly), that I’ve met since blogging made her own, if you’d like I can ask if she could send you the instructions. I’ll email you with the particulars of the one I purchased and the pricing.
June 23rd, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Thank you Andrew, you must come back and let me know how it works out for you!
July 9th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
These look so elegant and delicious!
July 9th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Thank you Stacey, they taste even better.
July 26th, 2010 at 11:51 am
[...] cocoa solids. I have tried it in two recipes in the past (White Chocolate Pots de Creme and White Chocolate Mousse) and was pleasantly surprised with the taste of the desserts, both quickly became family [...]
October 12th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
[...] Compote ParfaitMakes 6 dessertsWhite Chocolate MousseBlueberry CompoteWhite Chocolate Mousse White Chocolate Mousse RecipeBlueberry Compote515 g (3¼ cups) fresh blueberries5 tablespoons water2 tablespoons caster [...]
March 9th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
[...] Italian Cakes-Italian Desserts-Recipes for Sponge Cake-Sponge Cake | La Mia Vita Dolce Makes 5 1/2 cups 1 envelope (7 grams) powdered gelatin (adapted from Martha Stewart) 1/4 cup cold water Spoon batter into prepared baba molds, filling about 3/4 full. Tap molds on counter to remove air bubbles. [...]
June 3rd, 2012 at 1:59 pm
How do you get EVERYTHING you make to look SO perfect??
Even your cheesecakes are never cracked and they’re PERFECT , I’m so jealous how do you do it???
June 4th, 2012 at 11:54 am
Kelly you are so sweet! The cheesecake is easy, after much trial and error, the trick to not making them not crack, do not beat too much air into the batter (great for cakes but not cheesecakes), use a water bath to bake them in and make sure to let cheesecake cool away from drafts (I place mine of the top of the stove).
January 9th, 2013 at 11:12 am
The mousse is awesome. I like the consistency – it’s perfect! Delicious! Have you tried adding anything like pureed strawberries or other flavors? Thanks for sharing your talent and time and effort!
January 9th, 2013 at 11:29 am
Hi Carrie, I haven’t with these cakes but with others, yes. I like to make the berry mousses during strawberry season here in Ontario because the berries are so delicious, I rarely make out of season, although the berries we get in the local market are good they just don’t compare. Very happy you enjoyed the mousse.
February 5th, 2013 at 3:55 am
Hi Grace
For the mousse – can you substitute the white chocolate for milk or dark chocolate? Also as the mousse has no raw eggs will it be fine to keep at room temperature for a couple of hours or longer?
p.s I’ve been following you on google plus – you’re site is great!!
February 5th, 2013 at 8:36 am
Thank you so much Haamna! If you’re going to substitute the white chocolate I would recommend not using the gelatine. If you’re going to use the same yield, 12 ounces of chocolate, melt chocolate over water bath, set aside and let it cool for a few minutes, meanwhile whip 12 ounces of heavy cream to soft peak, and then whisk in one-quarter of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in the remainder with a large rubber spatula. I recommend using a 1 to 1 ratio when preparing this type of mousse but if you want it a tad lighter you can add slightly more whipped cream. I haven’t made these little cakes in so long, will have to make them soon.