Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is a bright red raspberry mirror glaze, the kind of shiny coating that is poured over a frozen mousse cake so it sets into a smooth, glassy finish. It is built on a simple boiled syrup of water, raspberries, sugar and glucose, thickened with a little modified starch and set with gelatine, then sharpened with lemon juice and citric acid so the fruit flavour stays fresh rather than sweet.
Poured warm, it flows cleanly over a cold cake and sets to a soft, sliceable layer that cuts without cracking or dragging. A few of the raspberry seeds are stirred back in after sieving, which tells the eye straight away that the glaze is made from real fruit. Use it on mousse cakes, entremets and bavarois, or as a glossy top for a cheesecake.
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: 504
Number of Units: 3
Unit Size: 20 cm round mousse cake
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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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600 |
2.5 cups
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Water
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B
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200 |
7 ounces
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Frozen Raspberries
Frozen raspberries are whole ripe raspberries snap-frozen soon after picking. They break down easily when heated and give a strong colour and a sharp, fresh berry flavour, which makes them ideal for glazes, coulis and purées where fresh fruit would be costly or out of season.
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frozen |
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C
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400 |
14.1 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.
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D
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180 |
6.3 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.
43 baumé
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E
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15 |
1 tablespoon
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Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice is the juice squeezed from whole lemons and strained of seeds and pulp. It gives a natural sharpness and aroma that bottled juice cannot match, and roughly three medium lemons will yield the amount needed here.
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strained |
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F
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28 |
1 ounce
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Modified Starch
Modified starch is a corn or tapioca starch that has been treated so it thickens smoothly and stays stable when acid, sugar and freezing are involved. In a glaze it gives body and shine without becoming cloudy or watery; plain corn starch can be used instead, though the set will be a little softer.
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G
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30 |
1.1 ounce
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Pure Icing Sugar
Pure icing sugar is also made from pulverised granulated sugar but contains no cornflour. For everyday cooking, icing sugar mixture does the trick; the only place where pure icing sugar is a must is when making royal icing, modelling fondant and the like.
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sifted |
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H
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28 |
1 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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I
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30 |
1 fluid ounce
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Water
for the gelatine
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cold |
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J
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2 |
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Citric Acid
Citric acid is the natural acid found in lemons and other citrus fruit, sold as fine white crystals or powder. A small pinch sharpens the flavour of sugar syrups and helps stop them crystallising during storage.
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1513
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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.
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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 |
Sprinkle H (gelatine powder) over I (cold water) in a small bowl and leave it to swell. |
Gelatine fully hydrated, no dry powder left |
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2 |
Mix |
In a separate bowl, whisk F and G (modified starch and icing sugar) together so the starch is evenly coated with sugar. |
No lumps; the sugar stops the starch clumping later |
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3 |
Boil |
Put A, B, C, D and E (water, frozen raspberries, caster sugar, glucose syrup and lemon juice) in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have broken down. |
Boiling, berries collapsed, syrup clear at the edges |
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4 |
Thicken |
Whisk the starch and icing sugar mixture into the boiling syrup in a thin stream, whisking constantly, and let it boil for about 1 minute. |
Glossy and lightly thickened, coating the back of a spoon |
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5 |
Dissolve |
Take the pan off the heat, add the soaked H (gelatine) and J (citric acid) and stir until completely dissolved. |
No grains of gelatine visible |
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6 |
Blend |
Blend the glaze with a stick blender if it is not smooth, keeping the blade under the surface so you do not whip in air. |
Smooth and even, no froth on top |
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7 |
Sieve |
Pass the glaze through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and skins, then stir a small spoonful of the seeds back in. |
Smooth glaze with a light scatter of seeds through it |
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8 |
Cool |
Let the glaze cool, stirring now and then, until it is pourable but no longer hot. |
About 30-35°C (86-95°F); thick enough to coat, thin enough to flow |
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9 |
Glaze |
Stand the frozen mousse cake on a rack over a tray and pour the glaze over in one steady movement, letting the excess run off. Lift the cake onto its board before the glaze sets. |
Even, shiny coat with no bare patches |
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10 |
Set |
Refrigerate the glazed cake until the surface is firm to a light touch. |
Set, glossy and no longer tacky |
Important Notes
This batch makes about 1.5 kg of glaze, enough for roughly three 20 cm mousse cakes. The chef's note on the sheet is to blend the glaze if it needs it, sieve it, then stir some of the seeds back in so it still looks like real fruit.
The cake must be frozen solid and the glaze around 30-35°C (86-95°F) when you pour; too hot and it runs off thin, too cool and it sets in ridges. Pour in one movement rather than patching, and never stir hard once it is made or you will trap bubbles. Leftover glaze keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for a month; warm it gently in the microwave or over hot water, stirring slowly, and strain again before use. A few drops of red food colour can be added with the citric acid if you want a deeper red.
Tools & Arrangements
Digital scales, medium saucepan, whisk, stick blender, fine sieve, heatproof bowls, thermometer, cooling rack, flat tray to catch the excess glaze, palette knife.
