Flourless Rosemary Mocha Cake
Recipe courtesy of Fanny Hicks, Pastry Chef, Biltmore Forest Country Club, Asheville, N.C.
Ingredients
- For the Whipped Coffee Ganache
- cream - 5 ozs., hot
- white chocolate - 5 ozs., melted
- espresso concentrate - 1 tsp.
- cream - 5 ozs., cold
- For the Flourless Cake
- butter - 8 ozs.
- semi-sweet chocolate - 8 ozs.
- almond meal - 8 ozs.
- sugar - 8 ozs.
- eggs - 8
- salt - 1/2 tsp.
- For the Mousse
- sugar - 8 ozs.
- eggs - 2
- egg yolks - 6.6 ozs.
- semi-sweet chocolate - 1 lbs., 10 ozs., melted
- cream - 7 ozs., hot
- cream - 1 lb., 12 ozs., soft whip
- For Rosemary Whipped Cream
- cream - 2 cups
- rosemary - 1 sprig
- sugar - 2 Tbsps.
- For Rosemary Chocolate Sauce
- water - 1 cup
- sugar - 1 cup
- rosemary - 1 sprig
- water - 1 cup
- cocoa powder - 1 1/4 ozs.
- semi-sweet chocolate - 2 ozs.
- For the garnishes
- chocolate shavings or pearls - as needed
- fresh rosemary - as needed
Instructions
Procedure:
- For the Whipped Coffee Ganache: Emulsify hot cream into chocolate. Add cold cream and espresso. Chill. Whip to soft peaks.
- For the Flourless Cake: Melt butter and chocolate. Stir in almond meal. Whip sugar and eggs on high until very light and frothy. Add salt. Fold into chocolate mixture. Bake in parchment-lined half sheet pan at 325ºF, low fan, for 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then refrigerate. Cut to line base of ring molds.
- For the Mousse: Add just enough water to the sugar until it is wet. Cook to 240º F. Whip eggs and yolks, stream in hot sugar, whipping to a ribbon consistency. Combine chocolate and hot cream. Fold egg mix into chocolate, fold in whipped cream. Spoon into ring mold over the flourless cake. Refrigerate until set.
- For Rosemary Whipped Cream: Combine cream and coarsely chopped rosemary. Rest half an hour, then strain. Add sugar and whip.
- For Rosemary Chocolate Sauce: Simmer water, sugar and rosemary. Remove rosemary. Add syrup to cocoa powder slowly to make a smooth paste. Return to heat, bring just to a boil and pour over chocolate. Stir until smooth.
- To Plate: Place mousse cake in the center of the plate. Add tempered chocolate collar if desired. Above and below the cake, pipe alternating dots of rosemary whipped cream and whipped coffee ganache, using two different-sized tips for added interest. Add a few small dots of rosemary chocolate sauce. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or pearls and garnish with fresh rosemary.
