Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is a light, gelatine-set chocolate cream that sits somewhere between a mousse and a ganache. Dark couverture is melted with water rather than cream, set with a little gelatine, then lightened first with thickened cream and then with a meringue, so it stays soft on the tongue but firm enough to slice cleanly.
The flavour is properly dark and cocoa-forward because there is no extra fat masking it, while the texture is airy and smooth. Use it as a filling between sponge layers, as a set layer inside a cake ring under a mirror glaze, or piped into glasses and chilled as a simple dessert.
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.
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Weight Per Unit: 2140
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: 24 cm round cake ring, about 5 cm deep
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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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200 |
7 ounces
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Dark Chocolate (Couverture)
Couverture chocolate is a very high-quality chocolate that contains extra cocoa butter (32–39%). The higher percentage of cocoa butter, combined with proper tempering, gives the chocolate more sheen, firmer "snap" when broken, and a creamy mellow flavor.
bittersweet
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chopped small |
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B
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150 |
0.6 cup
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Water
for the chocolate
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C
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150 |
0.6 cup
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Water
for the gelatine
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D
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40 |
1.4 ounces
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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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E
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1300 |
5.5 cups
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Thickened Cream
Cream is used as an ingredient in many foods, including ice cream, many sauces, soups, stews, puddings, and some custard bases, and is also used for cakes. Perfect for pouring, baking, whipping or adding the indulgent touch to your favourite recipes.
35% fat
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cold |
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F
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125 |
4.2 Egg Whites
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Egg White
Egg white is the common name for the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms around fertilized or unfertilized egg yolks. The primary natural purpose of egg white is to protect the yolk and provide additional nutrition for the growth of the embryo (when fertilized). Egg white consists primarily of about 90% water into which is dissolved 10% proteins (including albumins, mucoproteins, and globulins). Unlike the yolk, which is high in lipids (fats), egg white contains almost no fat, and carbohydrate content is less than 1%. Egg whites contain just over 50% of the protein in the egg. Egg white has many uses in food (e.g. mousse) and also many other uses (e.g. in the preparation of vaccines such as those for influenza).
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room temperature |
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G
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175 |
6.2 ounces
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Sugar
Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
caster
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2140
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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
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
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 |
Prepare |
Place A and B (dark couverture chocolate and water) together in a large bowl. |
Chocolate chopped small so it melts quickly |
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2 |
Boil |
Bring C (water) to the boil in a small pot, take it off the heat and stir in D (gelatine powder) until it is completely dissolved. |
Clear, with no grains left on the bottom |
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3 |
Mix |
Pour the hot gelatine liquid straight over A and B (the chocolate and water) and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. |
Smooth and even, no unmelted pieces |
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4 |
Cool |
Leave the chocolate base to cool, stirring now and then. |
Body temperature, about 35°C (95°F) — warm but not hot, and not yet setting |
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5 |
Whip |
Whip E (thickened cream) in a cold bowl. |
Soft peaks only, still floppy — do not overwhip |
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6 |
Whip |
Warm F and G (egg white and caster sugar) together in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch, then whip to a meringue. |
Glossy and holding a semi-stiff peak |
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7 |
Fold |
Stir about a third of the whipped cream into the chocolate base to loosen it, then fold in the rest of the cream, and finally fold the meringue through in two additions. |
Evenly coloured and airy, with no streaks |
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8 |
Fill |
Use straight away — pour into a lined cake ring over a sponge base, spread between cake layers, or pipe into glasses. |
Still pourable; it begins to set quickly |
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9 |
Chill |
Refrigerate until firm. |
At least 4 hours, or overnight; the surface should feel set and springy |
Important Notes
The halved recipe makes about 2.1 kg of cream, enough to fill one 24 cm ring about 5 cm deep, or to fill and top a home-sized layer cake. Work quickly once everything is folded together, as the gelatine starts to set as soon as the mixture cools. If the chocolate base is too hot when you fold it in the cream will thin out; if it is too cold it will set into lumps, so keep it at about body temperature. Keep the finished cake covered in the refrigerator and use within three days. The cream sets firm enough to cut clean slices with a hot, dry knife, and firm enough to hold a mirror glaze poured over the top.
Tools & Arrangements
Electric mixer with whisk attachment, large mixing bowls, small saucepan, heatproof bowl for the warm meringue, spatula, whisk, cake ring or glasses, plastic wrap.
