Passionfruit-chocolate Entremet

Creating entremets is one of my 2014 resolutions. And you know what? It’s actually not too hard once you get the hang of the basics like gelée, italian meringue, mousse, bavarian cream, and glaze. Once you find your favourite formula for the basic components, it’s simply just a matter of incorporating different flavours to these components.

The thing about entremets is that it can’t be rush. Each layer needs to be set or frozen completely before the next. This passionfruit-chocolate entremet took me 3 days. I made the chocolate mousse on the first, then the syrup, sponge and passionfruit bavarian on the second, and the passionfruit glaze on the last.

Another thing about entremets, I believe is important, is the gelatin. Powder gelatin never worked for me, and I find that it has a strange “chemical” smell that I’m not sure how to describe. And ever since I started using gelatin sheets, I never look back. I use titanium grade leaf gelatin (3g per sheet).

This entremet comprises a passionfruit bavarian cream with a chocolate mousse center. I like the combination of chocolate and passionfruit- the richness of the chocolate mousse is balance out with the tartness of the passionfruit. I have made this chocolate mousse before, my favourite, this time I have half the quantity and it worked.




Passionfruit-chocolate Entremet

Makes 8 numbers of 7.5cm diameter cakes

Chocolate Mousse
250ml heavy cream
150 grams 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
60 grams caster sugar
2 tablespoons water

To make chocolate mousse:
Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk cream to medium peaks. Set whipped cream aside in the fridge while we work on the rest of the chocolate mousse.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over, not touching, simmering water. Stir occasionally to assist the melting. When the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat and set aside until it cools to 45C.

Meanwhile, place yolks and eggs in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to the boil, swirling pan occasionally to dissolve sugar. Continue to boil until the temperature reaches 115C. Remove pan from heat. Whisk eggs on high speed, and start pouring the syrup in a thin stream into the egg, take care to avoid the spinning whisk. Continue to whisk until the eggs triple in volume and cool to room temperature.

Fold a third of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate using a hand whisk. (Note: You can be quite rough with folding the cream into the chocolate at this stage. The melted chocolate might start to clump together. Just keep mixing until the mixture comes together and is well combine.) Using a spatula, work as delicately as you can, fold in the rest of the whipped cream until combined, followed by the egg mixture.

Line a cookie tray (or any rectangular baking tray) with baking paper, place 6cm diameter cake rings on top, pour/spoon the chocolate mousse to about 2cm high in the cake rings. Freeze until completely frozen. You will need 8 cake rings. Alternatively, you can spread chocolate mousse in a rectangular baking tray lined with baking paper, to about 2cm high, and when the mousse is completely frozen, cut out rounds of chocolate mousse with a 6cm diameter cookie cutter.

Sugar Syrup
150ml water
100 grams caster sugar
2 tablespoons of orange liqueur (cointreau)

To make sugar syrup:
Combine water and sugar in saucepan, stir, over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Allow to boil for 5 seconds. Cool completely before adding orange liqueur.

Sponge
90 grams egg whites
80 grams caster sugar
80 grams egg yolks
40 grams cake flour
20 grams corn flour
35 grams unsalted butter, melted

To make sponge:
Preheat the oven to 200C (or 180C fan-forced). Line 30x20cm cake pan with baking paper.

Whisk egg white until foamy. Add one quarter of the sugar and whisk for a while. Then add remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and egg whites are glossy. Add egg yolks and whisk until combine.

Combine and sift both flours. Gently fold flours into the batter with a spatula until combine. Fold in melted butter until combine.

Pour batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly, and bake for 15 minutes or until when a toothpick is inserted in the center comes out clean.

When sponge is done and cooled, peel away (by gently rubbing) the layer of brown skin on the top.

Passionfruit Bavarian Cream
2 sheets (6 grams) gelatin
125ml strained passionfruit juice, room temperature
2 egg yolks
50 grams caster sugar
200ml whipping cream

To make passionfruit bavarian cream:
Soften the gelatin in a bowl of cold water.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale and creamy. Add passionfruit juice and whisk to incorporate. Place bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, whisk constantly, until the mixture reaches 85C. Remove from heat.

Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin. Stir it into the passionfruit custard. Place the custard over a bowl of ice, stir until it cools to room temperature.

Whisk cream to firm peaks (be careful not to overwhip). Carefully fold whipped cream into the custard with a spatula until combine.

At this stage, start assembling the entremet. The passionfruit bavarian cream needs to be use immediately before the gelatin start to take effect.

To assemble (1):
Line a cookie tray (or any rectangular baking tray) with baking paper. Place 7.5cm diameter X 4.5cm height cake rings on top. You will need 8 cake rings.

Cut out 7cm diameter round cake sponge using cookie cutter. Brush sponge generously with sugar syrup. Place sponge in the centre of cake ring.

Unmold frozen chocolate mousse from cake ring. (Note: I'm still trying to find the best way to do this. At the moment, I put the cake ring with the frozen mousse in a ziplock bag, and dip the ziplock bag in a bowl of hot water for 3 seconds. Then I remove the cake ring from the bag, and gently push the mousse out of the ring onto a baking paper. A bit messy, but it works.)

Place the frozen chocolate mousse on top of the sponge. Pour passionfruit bavarian cream over, and level with a spatula. Place in freezer until completely frozen.

Passionfruit Glaze
150ml strained passionfruit juice (reserve seeds to decorate)
1 tablespoon glucose syrup
2 sheets (6 grams) gelatin

To make passionfruit glaze:
Soften the gelatin in a bowl of cold water.

Warm passionfruit juice and glucose syrup in a saucepan, stir, over medium heat until glucose dissolves. Do not let the passionfruit mixture boil. It should be warm but not hot.

Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin. Stir it into the warm passionfruit mixture.

Allow glaze to cool to room temperature.

To assemble (2):
Place passionfruit seeds randomly over top of the entremets, pour cooled glaze on top, refrigerate until glaze has set completely. Unmold entremets from cake rings.