Orange and chocolate-coffee torte

 

     This is a torte recipe that I consider my own creation . And that just for the combination of different recipes from various sources (so don't worry about cake texture and etc). Since I had a specific request for a chocolate cake, I thought that orange would compliment perfectly chocolate, and chocolate would go pretty well with coffee. For another time I searched through my most reliable pastry guide ''On Baking'' and decided to tackle something more challenging by trying a cake with patterned joconde. But since I wanted other flavor combination, I used orange cream from ''Swedish cakes and cookies'', cocoa genoise from a greek pastry book and chocolate-coffee mousse from a blog with astonishing desserts ''Tartelette''. The result was great (maybe the quite thin mousse layer is not enough for the chocoholics...) and fortunately gave me the opportunity to use spongcake leftovers in a truffle recipe (so nothing is thrown away).

             Genoise

             see recipe ''Chocolate black forest''

             Orange cream

             2                                                       gelatin sheets (11,5x7cm),softened

             1                                                       egg

             3Tbsp                                                sugar

             2/3 cup (167ml)                                  heavy cream

             2/3 cup                                             orange juice

             1/2                                                   orange (zest)
             2Tbsp (optional)                                 Grand Marnier
                                             

             Chocolate-coffee mousse

             170gr                                                chocolate

             62ml                                                 milk

             1tsp                                                  espresso powder

             55gr                                                  butter

             1                                                      egg yolk

             250ml                                                heavy cream

             Cocoa paste for pattern

             33gr                                                  butter

             33gr                                                  sugar

             30gr (1)                                             egg whites

             18gr                                                  flour, sifted

             12gr                                                  cocoa powder, sifted

            Joconde

            71gr                                                   almond flour

            86gr                                                   sugar

            22gr                                                   flour

            100gr (2)                                            eggs

            50gr (2 small)                                      egg whites

            21gr                                                   melted butter
            as preferred                                       vanilla powder

           Syrup

           200gr                                                  orange juice

           150gr                                                  sugar

           3Tbs                                                   Grand Marnier

          Cocoa gelee for coating

          43gr                                                    water

          27gr                                                    cocoa powder

          87gr                                                    sugar

          57ml                                                   heavy cream

          4gr                                                     gelatin sheets

I suggest that you start with the cocoa gelee which has to be refrigerated for a minimum of 12h before use. First soften the gelatin in cold water. In a saucepan bring sugar, water and cream to a boil. Whisk in the cocoa powder and when completely disolved ( you can pass it through a strainer if needed ), bring the mixture back to boil and cook for about 4min whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and let it cool to 82C. Then stir in the softened gelatin, combine well, cover the saucepan with plastic film, let cool and keep refrigerated. You can then continue with the orange cream. Beat the egg with a fork until yolk and egg white are completely combined and pour it with cream, sugar and zest in a saucepan over heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens, reaching 80C (do not let it boil and curdle). At this point remove from the heat, stir in the gelatin until completely dissolved , let cool and add orange juice and Grand Marnier. At last refrigerate, stiring a couple of times, until the cream sets. Meanwhile prepare the genoise in 20cm-diametre ring and let cool. For the cocoa paste (which could easily be omitted), cream butter and sugar until fluffy (I suggest that don't use a stand mixer for such a small quantity). Beat in the egg white and then fold in flour and cocoa. Supposing that your pans and silicone mat are as small as mine, spread a very thin layer of paste (about 1mm) on a 33x16,4cm surface of your mat and with the rest of the mixture cover evenly a 24x25cm peice of parchment paper (for the cake you will just use 31,4x10cm of joconde  but the least quantity that can be successfully prepared is almost the double). Patern the paste as desired and freeze untill hard(the paste on parchment paper that won't be used can be just refrigerated). 

  
For the joconde whip one egg with almond flour, 36gr of sugar, vanilla and flour for 4min scraping down the bowl. Then add the other egg and whip for 5 more minutes. In the bowl of your stand mixer beat the egg whites with the rest of the sugar to medium peaks and combine the flour mixture with the butter. Fold one-third of the meringue in the mixture to lighten the batter and continue folding the rest (do not deflate the batter). Remove the frozen paste from the freezer and transfer the silicone mat on a room-temperature sheet pan. Spread 175gr of joconde batter on a 35x18,4cm surface over the chilled paste on the  mat and make a thin layer with the rest of the batter on the covered parchment paper without too much care. Bake at a preheated oven to 230C for 6-8min. Let cool ,cut two 31,4x5cm strips of patterned joconde from your baking mat and save the leftovers. Proceed with the syrup boiling juice with sugar for 2min. Then remove from the heat and when cool, add the Grand Marnier.

Cut the genoise in 4 layers and keep the one for later use. Cover the sides of your 20cm-diametre ring with the joconde strips and the bottom with a genoise layer. Moisten with syrup, spread a layer of orange cream and do the same for the second spongcake piece. Let the third, moistened genpise layer uncovered and refrigerate. For the mousse, melt chocolate with butter and milk (in which you have dissolved espresso powder) in a bain marie and let cool at room temperature. Stir in the yolk, whip cfream to soft peaks and fold the chantilly in the chocolate mixture. spread the mousse over the moistened genoise and freeze. Warm the chilled gelee over the hot water you used to melt chocolate and set aside. When the the mousse is cold and set, remove from the freezer and cover with cocoa gelee. Finally pipe the remaining mousse on the cake's surface and decorate with chocolate shavings and candied orange peel. The torte is best eaten not really fresh.

To avoid throwing away about 240gr of spongcake from both joconde and genoise, I suggest that you make rich chocolate truffles. For this quantity you will need:

60gr                          heavy cream
60gr                          chocolate
40gr (or less)              liquor of your choise
4gr                            cocoa(plus extra for coating)
First warm the cream and melt with it the chopped chocolate making a ganache. Cut joconde and genoise in small pieces in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until a sticky batter is formed and chill for 1h. Then simply shape small balls and cover with cocoa or chocolate flakes.

Banana and Chocolate Baked Alaska

Baked Alaska is a dessert I've always wanted to try but postponed due to my previous failed attempts in ice cream making without a machine. To be honest, the texture of my banana ice cream was not far better this time, but the flavor turned out great. My meringue was (once again) quite spongy and overwhipped, but overall, everything came together wonderfully in enjoyable (to eat and make) dessert.

           Browned butter cake
         275gr (200gr work fine)       butter
         172gr                                   flour
         28gr                                     cocoa powder (or additional flour)
         5gr                                      baking powder
         3gr                                      salt
         110gr                                   brown sugar
         75gr (or 60gr)                       granulated sugar
         4                                          eggs
         55gr (optional)                     chopped walnuts
         35gr (optional)                     candied orange peel
         4Tbsp (optional)                 Grand Marnier (or some vanilla extract)


         Banana ice cream
         600ml                                  whole milk
         420ml                                  heavy cream
         120gr (6)                             egg yolks
         210gr                                  granulated sugar
         30gr                                    corn syrup
         240-300gr                            banana
         1/2                                     vanilla pod


         Chocolate granita
         150gr                                   chopped chocolate 70%
         535gr                                   water
         140gr                                   granulated sugar
         26gr                                     cocoa powder
         5gr                                       rum


         Banana sauce
         80gr                                     granulated sugar
         80gr                                     water
         40gr                                     brown sugar

         3Tbsp                                   lemon juice

         1/2                                      vanilla pod

         1 1/2                                    fine chopped bananas

         20gr                                      rum

         Meringue

         146gr                                    granulated sugar

         22gr                                     glucose or corn syrup

         34gr                                     water

         90gr (3)                                egg whites

The ''personallity'' of this chocolate cake is based on the browning of butter. However, if you prefer a healthier version don't hesitate to use the redused amount of butter without browning, or even to substitute it with margarine. In case you take the other way, place the butter in a 25cm skillet over medium heat and brown it until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns). Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes. Shift together flour, salt baking powder and cocoa, and in a food processor blend Grand Marnier with candied peel (if using) untill fine chopped. Beat butter with brown and granulated sugar in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until flaffy, and gradually add the eggs one at time, beating after each addition. Then fold in the walnuts with peel or vanilla and stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Spread the batter in buttered 24x27cm pan and bake in a preheated oven to 160C for 25min or less. Let cool and cut one 17cm-diametre and two 9cm-diametre circles.

     For the chocolate granita bring water, sugar and cocoa to a boil and pour the hot mixture over the chocolate, stiring until homogenous. You can add some fine chopped cocoa nibs if you like. Let the mixture cool completely and put in fridge until cold. Then add the rum and follow the instructions of your ice cream maker. Meanwhile, prepare the banana sauce by boiling all ingredients except rum for 4min. When ready, add the liquer and let cool. Prepare your pans by covering one charlotte form (or deep saucepan) and two big cups (or high 9cm-diametre rings) with plastic wrap. When granita is done, sread one layer of it in the bottom of each covered utensil and freeze.

 For the banana ice cream, warm milk, vanilla and cream in a saucepan and whip the egg yolks with sugar and glucose until slightly thickened. When milk has come to a boil, stir one-third of it in the yolk mixture and return to the heat. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches 82-85C and strain into a clean bowl over ice, to speed up the cooling. Refrigerate until completely cold and add 4Tbsp of banana sauce or more(optional). Pulp the fresh bananas and stir them too in the mixture. Thus, the ice cream is ready for your machine. When done, spread it on top of the chocolate layer and freeze until hard. Meanwhile, moisten the cake bases with the remaining banana sauce and assemble the baked Alaska by covering them with the prepared ice cream, after it has been frozen and unmolded. Keep the cakes in the freezer while making the meringue (according to the recipe ''Kirsch mousse torte'') and then spread it with a spatula or piping bag over the cold cakes. After each cake is done with covering, freeze it again to prevent melting. When it is completely cold, bring it out and burn the meringue on its surface with a torch. Garnish with sauce, if left, and it is ready to serve.

Raspberry and lime torte

Since I enjoy making tortes more than any other dessert, I could not skip making my birthday cake, in which I omitted chocolate and combined two of my favorite ingredients : raspberry and lime. However, lime curd can easily be substituted by chocolate ganache from previous recipe ''Mascarpone torte''.

         Almond genoise
       70gr                                     almond paste
       142gr                                   granulated sugar
       16gr (1)                                yolk
       308gr (6)                              eggs
       190gr                                   flour, shifted
       60gr                                     butter, melted
       as preferred                         vanilla powder                          


      Lime curd
      65gr                                      lime juice
      106gr                                    granulated sugar
      1 tsp                                     lime zest
      65gr                                      eggs
      98gr                                      butter, room temperature


      Raspberry mousse
      400gr                                    raspberry puree
      25ml                                     raspberry liquer
      160gr                                    granulated sugar
      15gr                                      glucose or corn syrup
      50ml                                     water
      85gr                                      egg whites
      8gr                                        softened gelatin
      270ml                                    heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks and refrigerated

      Glaze and syrup

      172gr                                   water

      172gr                                   sugar

      275ml                                  raspberry puree

      4gr                                      softened gelatin

For the genoise, beat with the paddle attachment almond paste and sugar, rubbing with your fingers if necessary to achieve a homogenous mixture. Add the egg yolk and when it's fully incorporated, change the paddle with the whip attachment and whip the mixture with the rest of the eggs and vanilla. Keep whipping until fluffy for about 15min at medium speed ( do not whip further if the eggs have reached their maximum volume ). Then fold in the flour carefully and transfer one-eighth of the batter in a separate bowl. Mix the small batter quantity with the melted butter and gently combine it with the rest of the mixture. Bake the cake in a buttered 24x15cm pan, with the oven preheated to 180-190C for 26-28min. If you prefer another pan size, simply multiply the quotient ''pan's bottom surface in sq cm''/360 with each ingredient quantity, not only for the genoise.

   

 Continue with lime curd. Combine 50gr of the sugar with the juice and zest in a saucepan and bring to boil. In a metal bowl whisk the eggs with the rest of the sugar to homogenize and temper the mixture with one-quarter of the hot juice. Return to the heat and boil 1min whisking vigorously. If your egg whites are cooked and curdled (like mine) pass the cream through a strainer for a smoother result. Let the curd come to room temperature and gradually add the butter, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated.

For the syrup, boil sugar and water for 1min. Transfer 100ml in separate metal pot and while it is still hot, stir in the gelatin to disolve. Add 50ml of the puree to make the glaze and set aside to cool. Combine the rest of the puree with the remaining syrup. With a flat knife cut three layers of the genoise and place one in a bottomless 24x15cm cake form. When the syrup has cooled, use it to moisten the genoise layer and spread half of the curd on top. Cover with the second layer, brush with syrup and spread the remaining curd. Finish with the last, moistened layer and refrigerate. 

 To make the mousse warm one-fifth of the puree until hot , stir in the liquer and gelatin to disolve and combine with the rest of puree. Then prepare a meringue with egg whites, sugar and glucose as described in the ''Kirsch torte'' recipe, fold in it one-quarter of the puree and at last the whole quantity. Add the whipped cream gently, cover the last genoise layer with the mousse and freeze until hard. Finally, pour (or spread if refrigerated ) the glaze over the mousse , chill untill set and garnish with white chocolate decorations.