Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is a very simple mirror glaze built on ready-made pouring custard rather than chocolate or fruit purée. Glucose gives it shine and stops it from setting hard, and a little gelatine holds it in a soft, wobbly film over the cake. The colour is a pale creamy gold and the flavour is gentle vanilla custard, so it sits happily over fruit, caramel, banana or chocolate cakes without fighting them.
Use it the way you would any mirror glaze: pour it over a well-chilled, smooth-topped mousse cake or entremet set on a rack, and let the excess run off. It is quick to make, keeps well in the fridge and only needs gentle re-warming before the next use, which makes it a handy glaze to have ready when you are finishing cakes at home.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 301
Number of Units: 2
Unit Size: 20 cm round mousse cake or entremet
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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500 |
2.1 cups
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Bottled Custard Sauce
Bottled custard sauce is the ready-made pouring custard sold in cartons or bottles in the chiller or long-life section of the supermarket. It is a thin, sweet vanilla custard made from milk, sugar, egg or starch, and is used here as the base and flavour of the glaze.
ready-made pouring custard
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B
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75 |
2.6 ounces
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Glucose Syrup
Glucose syrup, also known as confectioner's glucose, is a syrup made from the hydrolysis of starch. Glucose is a sugar. Maize (corn) is commonly used as the source of the starch in the US, in which case the syrup is called "corn syrup", but glucose syrup is also made from potatoes and wheat, and less often from barley, rice and cassava.
Glucose syrup containing over 90% glucose is used in industrial fermentation, but syrups used in confectionery contain varying amounts of glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade, and can typically contain 10% to 43% glucose. Glucose syrup is used in foods to sweeten, soften texture and add volume. By converting some of the glucose in corn syrup into fructose (using an enzymatic process), a sweeter product, high fructose corn syrup can be produced.
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C
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13 |
0.5 ounce
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Gelatin
Gelatin or gelatine (from Latin: gelatus meaning "stiff", "frozen") is a translucent, colourless, brittle (when dry), flavourless foodstuff, derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar way are called gelatinous. Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. It is found in most gummy candy as well as other products such as marshmallows, gelatin dessert, and some ice cream, dip and yogurt. Household gelatin comes in the form of sheets, granules, or powder. Instant types can be added to the food as they are; others need to be soaked in water beforehand.
powdered
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D
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13 |
2.6 teaspoons
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Water
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cold |
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601
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
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STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Bloom |
Sprinkle C (gelatine powder) over D (cold water) in a small bowl and stir once so all the powder is wet. |
Left to stand 5–10 minutes until spongy and firm |
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2 |
Warm |
Put A and B (custard sauce and glucose syrup) into a saucepan and warm gently over low heat, stirring, until the glucose has dissolved into the custard. |
Hot to the touch but not boiling, around 60°C (140°F) |
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3 |
Dissolve |
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatine. |
No grains or lumps of gelatine left; the mixture is smooth |
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4 |
Strain |
Pass the glaze through a fine sieve into a jug. Stir slowly with a spatula rather than a whisk so you do not beat in air bubbles. |
Smooth and glossy, free of bubbles |
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5 |
Cool |
Leave the glaze to cool, stirring now and then, until it is just warm and thickens slightly. |
About 30°C (86°F); it should coat the back of a spoon but still flow |
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6 |
Glaze |
Set the well-chilled cake on a rack over a clean tray and pour the glaze over in one steady movement, starting in the centre and working out to the edges. Let the excess drip off, then lift the cake onto its board. |
An even, shiny film with no bare patches |
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7 |
Set |
Return the glazed cake to the fridge to firm up before decorating or cutting. |
Glaze set to a soft, tacky film that does not run |
Important Notes
This half batch makes about 600 g of glaze, enough for two 20 cm round mousse cakes or entremets, allowing for the run-off. The cake must be frozen or very well chilled and perfectly smooth on top, or the glaze will not sit evenly. Catch the run-off in a clean tray, strain it and keep it: the glaze stores in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week and can be re-warmed gently over a water bath or in short bursts in the microwave, then cooled back to about 30°C before use. Do not boil it after the gelatine has gone in, and always stir rather than whisk to keep air bubbles out.
Tools & Arrangements
Small saucepan, small bowl for blooming the gelatine, spatula, fine sieve, pouring jug, digital thermometer, cooling rack and a clean tray to catch the run-off.
