Jaffa Cakes
TIER 1
Jaffa Cakes
This recipe was heavily inspired by a cake I had at Ottolenghi’s bakery in London, where they sell a gluten-free orange and almond cake. I’ve never been able to find the recipe, so this is my attempt at trying to recreate it. A slightly more advanced take on a Jaffa Cake, it has a soft brown butter financier, filled with an bright orange compote and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. It may look simple, but the combination of textures and the depth from the brown butter take it to another level.
6
INDIVIDUAL CAKES
Ingredients
Makes 6 individual cakes
Orange Compote
80g Orange Peel
330g Orange Segments
100g Caster/White Sugar
5g Pectin NH
5g Lemon Juice
Brown Butter & Orange Financier
260g Unsalted Butter
230g Egg Whites
4g Orange Zest
215g Powdered/Icing Sugar
110g Self Raising Flour (or 110g Plain/All-Purpose Flour + 1 Tsp Baking Powder)
115g Ground Almonds
1g Fine Sea Salt
Chocolate Glaze
125g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
12g Honey
8g Water
37g Unsalted Butter
Toasted Flaked Almonds To Garnish
Special equipment
Food processor
Jumbo muffin tin
Piping bags
Method
Orange Compote
1. Cut the oranges into quarters and remove the segments from the peel.
2. Cut the segments into chunks and add the required amount into a saucepan.
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- 330g Orange Segments
3. Cut the peels into small chunks and add this into the pan.
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- 80g Orange Peel
4. Place it onto a medium heat.
5. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and pectin and set it aside.
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- 100g Caster/White Sugar
- 5g Pectin NH
6. Cook the orange mixture for about 3-5 minutes, until the segments have started to break down.
7. Whisk in the sugar mixture and cook it for a further 1-2 minutes, ensuring it reaches a boil.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
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- 5g Lemon Juice
9. Pour the entire mixture into a large food processor and blend briefly – about 10 seconds.
10. Pass the mixture through a sieve, onto a baking tray, scraping the bottom of the sieve to catch all of the compote.
11. Press a sheet of clingfilm on the surface and chill for 2-3 hours or overnight.
Brown Butter Orange Financier
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C/295F fan assisted). Lightly grease a jumbo muffin tin with butter and coat the inside with flour, tipping out any excess.
2. Into a small saucepan, add the unsalted butter. Place the pan over a medium heat.
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- 260g Unsalted Butter
3. Continue to cook the mixture, whisking occasionally until it is a deep golden brown colour, and smells very nutty. Be careful not to burn it.
4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a clean bowl on a tared scale, and weigh 220g of brown butter. Set this aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
5. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and whisk for 30 seconds until frothy.
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- 230g Egg Whites
6. Tip in the sugar and orange zest and whisk again to combine. If the icing sugar is quite lumpy, sift it in.
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- 4g Orange Zest
- 215g Powdered/Icing Sugar
7. Whisk in the self raising flour, ground almonds and salt until there are no streaks of flour.
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- 110g Self Raising Flour (or 110g Plain/All-Purpose Flour + 1 Tsp Baking Powder)
- 115g Ground Almonds
- 1g Fine Sea Salt
8. Finally, pour in the cooled brown butter and whisk to combine.
9. Pour the batter equally into the prepared tin, just below ⅘ of each cavity.
10. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until an even golden brown colour.
11. Once baked, remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then pop them out onto a wire cooling rack. The cakes are too soft to place straight onto a wire rack from the oven, so need to stay in the tin to hold their shape. Cool for a further 15-30 minutes.
12. Once cooled, use a small serrated knife to cut a hole out of the top of the financier. Keep the lid of the cake and set this aside.
13. Remove the orange compote from the fridge and briefly stir it to loosen it, then add it into a piping bag.
14. Pipe the compote into the hole in each cake, just to the top, then add the lid of cake back on top.
15. Place the cakes back in the fridge.
Chocolate Glaze
1. Into a small bowl, add all of the ingredients for the glaze.
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- 125g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
- 12g Honey
- 8g Water
- 37g Unsalted Butter
2. Place the bowl onto a pan of gently simmering water, and stir it with a spatula until it is smooth.
3. Immediately remove it from the heat and transfer it to a bowl that is just slightly bigger than your cake. If the bowl is too big, it will be difficult to get enough depth to the glaze to effectively dip it.
4. Remove the cakes from the fridge and immediately dip them into the glaze. Flip them upside down and then set them on a wire rack.
5. The glaze can appear slightly bumpy so if you want a really smooth finish you will need to do a second dip of the glaze.
6. Place the cakes in the fridge or freezer just briefly to set the glaze on top so it is no longer wet to the touch.
7. Warm the glaze back up over a bain marie, transfer if back into the small bowl, and dip the cakes a second time.
8. Let the glaze set for 5-10 minutes, then sprinkle some toasted flaked almonds on top to finish.
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Chocolate Fondant Cake
TIER 1
Chocolate Fondant Cake
I love this dessert for how simple yet decadent it is, but my favourite part is how well it works as a make ahead option. During testing, I baked it, left it in the fridge overnight, then reheated it the next day and it still had an incredible gooey centre. Serve it simply with softly whipped vanilla cream.
8-10
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Makes 8-10 servings
300g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
100g Milk Chocolate, Chopped
200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
190g Caster/White Sugar
60g Light Brown Sugar
335g Whole Eggs
20g Egg Yolks
3g Flakey Sea Salt
90g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
15g Cocoa Powder
Special equipment
20cm/8” cake ring mold
Stand mixer or electric hand whisk
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 145C/295F non-fan assisted (130C/365 Fan). Take a 20cm/8” cake ring mold and lightly grease it with butter then dust the inside with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess.
2. Place this onto a piece of parchment paper, slightly scrunched around the edge of it so it hugs the cake ring slightly. Lift this onto a baking tray lined with a silicon baking mat.
3. Add the chopped chocolate to a medium bowl and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir this occasionally until it is completely melted, then set this to one side to cool slightly.
- 300g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
- 100g Milk Chocolate, Chopped
4. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, (or a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer), add the room temperature butter and sugars. Beat this on a medium speed with the paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes, or until thicker and paler in consistency. Scrape down the sides.
- 200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
- 190g Caster/White Sugar
- 60g Light Brown Sugar
5. Slowly drizzle in the eggs (previously whisked together in a bowl) and scrape down the bowl a few times as you add the eggs to ensure the butter is fully incorporated. Don’t worry if once you add the eggs the mixture looks slightly split.
- 335g Whole Eggs
- 20g Egg Yolks
6. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and mix just until it forms a smooth, chocolate batter.
7. Finally, sift in the flour and cocoa powder, and sprinkle over the salt. Stir this together with a spatula until there are no more dry ingredients.
- 3g Flakey Sea Salt
- 90g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
- 15g Cocoa Powder
8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake ring and spread it flat with a spatula.
9. Place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
10. Once baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes (this will give a very gooey consistency) or even longer. You can even refrigerate it, then place it back into a hot oven (200C/390F for 5 minutes) and then serve it. This will make the centre soft again (although not quite as soft as when you serve it the same day). This is best served with some freshly whipped cream.
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Chocolate Fondant with Strawberry Sorbet
TIER 2
Chocolate Fondant with Strawberry Sorbet
This is a more refined take on the Tier 1 recipe. The fondants are baked in individual ring moulds and plated with chocolate soil and raspberry sorbet. The soil adds crunch and a subtle saltiness, while the sorbet brings brightness and balance to the plate. All the elements can be prepared in advance, then the fondants are baked just before serving.
4
FONDANTS
Ingredients
Makes 4 Fondants
Strawberry Sorbet
90g Water
160g Caster/White Sugar
35g Liquid Glucose or any invert sugar
2g Locust Bean Gum or NH Pectin
450g Strawberry Puree
Citric Acid To Taste (1-2g)
Fine Sea Salt To Taste
Chocolate Crumble
50g Caster/White Sugar
50g Ground Almonds
30g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
20g Cocoa Powder
3g Flakey Salt
35g Unsalted Butter, Melted
Chocolate Fondant
200g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
200g Icing/Powdered Sugar
220g Whole Eggs
75g Egg Yolks
55g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
45g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt
Special equipment
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Ice cream machine
4 7×3.5cm (2.7×1.3”) metal ring molds
Stand mixer or electric hand whisk
Piping bags (optional)
Method
Strawberry Sorbet
1. Place a medium bowl inside a large bowl that is filled with ice water. Set this to one side.
2. Into a medium saucepan, add the water, sugar, glucose and locust bean gum.
- 90g Water
- 160g Caster/White Sugar
- 35g Liquid Glucose or any invert sugar
- 2g Locust Bean Gum or NH Pectin
3. Whisk the mixture over a medium heat until it reaches 85C/185F on a digital thermometer.
4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into the medium bowl you set aside, over the ice. Stir this occasionally until it reaches around 10C/50F on a digital thermometer.
5. Transfer the cooled mixture to a tall measuring jug, then pour the strawberry puree on top. Blend till smooth with a hand blender.
- 450g Strawberry Puree
6. Add in the citric acid (or lemon juice) and blend. Taste the mixture and add more if needed to suit your taste.
- 1-2g Citric Acid
7. The mixture can be churned immediately in your ice cream machine, or left in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
8. When you are ready to churn it, add a pinch of salt and stir this through. Then pour it into your machine, churning according to the machine instructions. It usually takes around 15-30 minutes until it is a thick, scoopable texture.
9. Once it is done, it will still be slightly soft, so transfer it to a tupperware and place it back in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Then it will be the perfect scooping texture.
Chocolate Soil
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C/295F fan-assisted)
2. Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir together with a spatula.
- 50g Caster/White Sugar
- 50g Ground Almonds
- 30g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
- 20g Cocoa Powder
- 3g Flakey Salt
3. Pour in the melted butter and stir together to form a crumbly chocolate mix.
- 35g Unsalted Butter, Melted
4. Tip the crumble onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely. If you would like the soil to be a finer consistency you can blend it briefly in a food processor but it’s optional! Store the mixture and set to one side.
Chocolate Fondant
1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375C non-fan assisted (175C/345F fan-assisted).
2. Lightly grease four 7×3.5cm (2.7×1.3”) metal ring molds with soft butter and then coat with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess. Place these onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper.
3. Place the chocolate into a bowl and place this over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until it has melted. Remove it from the heat to cool for 5 minutes.
- 200g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
4. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until it is very thick and pale.
- 200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
- 200g Icing/Powdered Sugar
5. Lower the speed, and drizzle in the eggs slowly, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
- 220g Whole Eggs
- 75g Egg Yolks
6. Pour in the cooled chocolate and mix to combine, scraping down the bowl as needed.
7. Finally, sift in the flour and cocoa powder, along with a good pinch of the salt. Stir this through with a spatula until you have a smooth, thick batter.
- 55g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
- 45g Cocoa Powder
- Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt
8. Add the mixture to a piping bag and pipe it into the greased ring molds, filling them about ¾ of the way up.
9. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and bake for 14 minutes. They should feel slightly firm/bouncy when you touch the edge and then the centre should look slightly molten.
Assembly
1. While they are baking, prepare the plates. Take the chocolate soil and pour 1-2 tbsp on the side.
2. Remove the sorbet from the freezer and let it warm up for a few minutes before using a warm spoon to scoop some on top of the soil. Do this, just before the fondant comes out of the oven.
3. Once the fondants are baked, place a palette knife underneath each one and carefully lift it onto the serving plate.
4. Carefully remove the ring mold and peel away the baking paper. Serve immediately.
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Chocolate & Black Sesame Meringue
TIER 2
Chocolate & Black Sesame Meringue
Sticking with the theme of Swiss meringue, we use the same technique as the Île Flottante to make a Swiss-French cocoa meringue and then use a very delicate piping technique to create the perfect cylinder shape. It’s filled with a chocolate brown, black sesame meringue and softly whipped cream. The meringue can be tricky to pipe (I failed more than a few times!), but there is enough mixture in the recipe to have a few practice attempts too.
6
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS
Ingredients
Makes 6 individual desserts
Chocolate Meringue
100g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar
Pinch of Cream of Tartar
75g Icing/Powdered Sugar
10g Cocoa Powder
Black Sesame Seeds
Chocolate Brownie
170g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
85g Unsalted Butter
160g Whole Egg
85g Caster/White Sugar
40g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt
Black Sesame Praline
220g Black Sesame Seeds
90g Caster/White Sugar
15g Water
10-20g Neutral Oil (Groundnut)
Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt
Mascarpone Cream
100g Mascarpone
15g Icing/Powdered Sugar
250g Double/Heavy Cream
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod
Cocoa Powder To Decorate
Special equipment
Silikomart sf098 silicon mold (or similar)
Digital thermometer
Stand mixer
Piping bags
Small leaf tip nozzle
Rotating cake stand/children’s pottery wheel (!)
13×9” baking tray
Silicon mat
High powered food processor
Cookie cutter
Method
Chocolate Meringue
1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F non-fan assisted.
2. For this design, I used the Silikomart sf098 silicon mold. I use scissors to carefully cut out each cylinder individually, then use a pastry brush and lightly grease them with a neutral oil. Alternatively, you can use a ring mold, that is lightly greased, and then cover it neatly with a sheet of parchment/baking paper.
3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar.
4. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly until it reaches around 50C (122F) on a digital thermometer.
5. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it onto the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 3-5 minutes on a medium high speed, until it is thick, glossy and holds a stiff peak.
6. Into a medium bowl, sift together the icing/powdered sugar and cocoa powder so that they are evenly combined.
7. Tip this mixture on top of the meringue and incorporate it with a whisk, then gently finish it, by folding it with a spatula until there are no more streaks.
8. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small leaf tip nozzle.
9. Place the lightly greased cylinder onto a rotating cake stand (you will need help to spin this!) or an electric spinning wheel (I use a child’s clay pottery wheel). Starting at the bottom and applying even pressure, pipe tight lines, slowly moving the nozzle up until the meringue covers the entire cylinder.
10. Place a palette knife carefully underneath the mold and then lift it onto a lined baking tray. Repeat this with the remaining molds – you should have enough meringue to make 6.
11. Pinch a few black sesame seeds in between your finger tips, and flick them onto the meringue so they stick to the outside. We just want a light coating.
12. Place them into the oven and bake for 3 hours. Once the time is up, turn the oven off and open the door and leave them in there to cool for 1-2 hours before attempting to remove them. They need to cool completely and then they will lift off easily. These can also be made a few days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.
Chocolate Brownie
1. Lightly grease a 13×9” baking tray and line the base and sides with parchment paper. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted.
2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Melt this over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, and then remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg, sugar and salt and whisk for 30 seconds to combine.
4. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
5. Add in the flour and whisk just until there are no more streaks of dry ingredients.
6. Pour the batter into the lined tin, spreading it to the edges with a palette knife. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until the mixture has just set.
7. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2-3 hours.
Black Sesame Praline
1. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F.
2. Pour the black sesame seeds onto a baking tray, and roast these for 10 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
3. Remove the tray from the oven and allow them to cool.
4. Into a medium saucepan, add the water followed by the sugar.
5. Place this on a medium heat and cook it until it reaches a deep golden brown colour. If you need to stir it, do this once it has turned a light golden colour.
6. Once a deep golden brown colour, tip in the toasted sesame seeds and stir to combine.
7. Work quickly and immediately tip the mixture onto a silicon baking mat.
8. Add a pinch of flaky salt on top and allow it to set for 30-60 minutes at room temperature or until it has set firm.
9. Break the mixture into a high powdered food processor and blend for 30-60 seconds. Scrape down the sides while still blending, slowly trickle in the neutral oil, just enough until it is a slightly looser texture. You don’t want to add too much oil as this can overpower the taste so use as little as possible. If you have a really high powered food processor you may not need any oil at all, but it will need to be blended for quite some time to get it to a looser consistency.
10. Transfer the smooth mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Assembly & Mascarpone Cream
1. Carefully lift the cooled meringue off of the molds and set them to one side.
2. Remove the brownie from the fridge, and using a cookie cutter, cut discs, about the same size as the hole in your meringue cylinder. I like to stack two discs of meringue together.
3. Carefully press the brownie disc into the bottom of the meringue, then lift it onto your serving plate.
4. Add the black sesame praline to a piping bag, and pipe a small spiral of it on top of the brownie.
5. Finally, add the mascarpone, icing/powdered sugar, cream and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod, to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until it forms medium-soft peaks. Be very careful not to overwhisk this, it needs to be quite a soft texture.
6. Add that mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle.
7. Pipe the cream into the meringue shell, filling it all the way to the top.
8. Finish with a light dusting of cocoa powder, and then serve immediately.
Lemon & White Chocolate Tarts
TIER 2
Lemon & White Chocolate Tart
For Tier 2, we use the same lemon filling as Tier 1, but instead of baking it we cook it like a curd. It sits on top of an almond mirliton, with a secret layer of zingy lemon confit, topped with a stunning white chocolate namelaka which is piped using a basket weave nozzle. Because we cook the lemon filling like a curd, it has a slightly softer texture, more like a cremeux which contrasts all the textures in the tart really well.
4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS
Ingredients
Makes 4 individual tarts
White Chocolate Namelaka
3g Powdered Gelatin (250 Bloom) + 18g Cold Water OR 1 Sheet of Leaf Gelatin
100g Whole Milk
10g Glucose or Honey
185g White Chocolate, Melted
200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold
Lemon Confit
8g Lemon Zest
130g Lemon Juice
65g Caster/White Sugar
Lemon Sweet Pastry
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar, Sifted
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Zest ½ Lemon
50g Egg Yolk
200g Plain, All Purpose Flour
Egg Wash
40g Egg Yolk
10g Double/Heavy Cream
Lemon Filling
80g Whole Eggs
60g Egg Yolks
115g Caster/ White Sugar
100g Double/Heavy Cream
3g Lemon Zest
75g Lemon Juice
20g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed (Optional)
Roasted Almond Mirliton
105g Unsalted Butter
85g Roasted Almond Powder
85g Icing/Powdered Sugar
110g Egg Whites
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod
Zest ½ Lemon
Special equipment
Hand blender
Stand mixer
2 silicon mats (optional)
4 4-inch perforated tart rings
Multi-wheel pastry cutter (optional)
Digital thermometer
Piping bags
Basket weave nozzle
Rotating cake stand (optional)
Method
White Chocolate Namelaka
1. Into a small dish, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir them together and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes at room temperature. If using leaf gelatin, soak this in a bowl of cold water.
2. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and then set this to one side.
3. Meanwhile, add the milk and glucose/honey to a small saucepan. Stir it occasionally over a medium heat, until it is steaming and the glucose has dissolved.
4. Scoop in the bloom gelatin (or squeeze the excess water from the leaf gelatin and drop this in). Stir it together until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
5. Pour the hot milk mixture over the melted white chocolate in three parts, stirring in tight circles in the centre with a rubber spatula, to emulsify the mixture. Initially it will look slightly split but it will pull together.
6. Finally, pour in the cold cream and blend it with a hand blender, until smooth. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 6 hours.
Lemon Confit
1. Add the lemon zest into a small saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring the mixture to the boil, then immediately pass it through a sieve. Repeat this two more times, to remove the bitterness from the zest.
2. Add the blanched zest, lemon juice and sugar into a saucepan, and note the total weight of the ingredients in the pan, on a digital scale.
3. Place the pan on a medium low heat, and simmer until the total weight of the pan has reduced by around 100g.
4. Pour the mixture into a small dish, covered with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
Lemon Sweet Pastry
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, icing sugar, salt and lemon zest. With the paddle attachment, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, scraping it down a few times in between, until you have a smooth paste.
2. Add in the egg yolks, and beat again, until the mixture is evenly combined, you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times again.
3. Tip in the flour, and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure the butter doesn’t get stuck. Scrape the sides, and then mix on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough.
4. Scoop the dough out onto your work surface, and give it a quick knead just to bring it together.
5. Place the dough onto a large silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough circle, getting it as thin as possible (around 3-5mm). If you don’t have silicon mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper but it will be very difficult as it will slip and slide all over the place!
6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30m.
7. Once chilled, remove it from the freezer and working quickly, peel the silicon mat off of the dough. Take 2 of the 4” perforated ring molds (very lightly greased with soft butter) and press these into the dough.
8. Lift them up and place them onto a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat.
9. Using a multi-wheel pastry cutter (or a ruler and a sharp knife) cut 2 long strips of dough, ensuring the width is slightly more than the height of your tart shells. Take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring, using your fingers to carefully press the walls against the base of the pastry. If at any point you feel the pastry is getting too warm, place it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes then carry on. Place the tarts into the freezer for 30 minutes.
10. Take the spare dough and form it back into a dough ball. Repeat steps 5-8 to make two more tart shells.
11. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted (160C fan-assisted).
12. Use a knife to trim the excess pastry from the tart rings so it is flush, then place the tarts into the centre of the oven for around 20 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown colour.
13. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing the tart rings.
14. Mix the egg wash ingredients together and use a pastry brush to paint this over the entire surface of the tart shells. Place them back into the oven and bake for a further 5-10 minutes, until the tarts are a deep golden brown colour. Set aside to cool.
Lemon Filling
1. Into a medium saucepan, add all of the ingredients for the lemon filling, excluding the butter.
2. Whisk it constantly over a medium heat, until it reaches a temperature of 82-84C (179-183F) on a digital thermometer.
3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve, into a tall measuring jug.
4. Add in the cold butter and blend until smooth with a hand blender.
5. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate it for 1-2 hours (or longer) until it is a thicker, more pipeable consistency.
Almond Mirliton
1. Into a small saucepan, add the butter and over a medium heat, until it has melted. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk to combine, before pouring in the melted butter and whisking to combine.
3. Cover the surface of the mixture with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, set the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C fan-assisted).
4. Once it has cooled, pipe the mixture into the tart shells, filling them up just above ¾ full. If you want you can also sprinkle some toasted flaked almonds on.
5. Place the tarts into the centre of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it is a golden colour on top. Allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Assembly
1. Remove the lemon confit from the fridge which should now be a thicker, marmalade like consistency.
2. Pipe a few dollops onto the top of the cooled tart, and spread this to the edges with the back of a spoon. It is quite sharp so you don’t need to overload the tart.
3. Remove the white chocolate namelaka from the fridge and add into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until the mixture holds a medium stiff peak.
4. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a basket weave nozzle.
5. Place the tart into the centre of a rotating cake stand and holding the piping bag at about a 60 degree angle, apply even pressure, then push the nozzle slightly forward to create an initial ruffle of buttercream, before pulling it back to fold the buttercream over itself. Continue this motion in one direction without stopping so the folds connect smoothly, creating an even, continuous ruffle/weave. Because of the type of nozzle it is a little difficult to join the lines up seamlessly, so you just have to neatly pull the piping bag away to create a tail.
6. Remove the lemon filling from the fridge and add this into a piping bag, pipe it into the centre of the tart, filling it just below the rim of the cream.
7. They are now ready to serve.
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Coffee & Peanut Financier
TIER 1
Coffee & Peanut Financier
I’m a huge fan of “finger” style desserts and the great thing about this recipe is that it builds all the fundamental elements you’ll need to take on tier 2. The financier is almost like a brownie texture with a smooth coffee cremeux and a simple chocolate glaze. Peanut and coffee is a delicious combination but feel free to swap the peanuts with any other nut. The financier also stores really well so you can bake it, wrap it tightly and store it in the fridge for a few days until you need it.
12-14
FINANCIERS
Ingredients
Makes 12-14 Financiers
Coffee Cremeux
5g Powdered Gelatin + 30g Water
400g Double Cream
115g Egg Yolks
60g Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod
75g Espresso
1g Freshly Ground Coffee
Small Pinch of Flaky Salt
Chocolate Peanut Financier
200g Unsalted Butter
560g Dark Chocolate (70%)
160g Plain Flour
200g Icing Sugar
16g Baking Powder
2g Fine Sea Salt
520g Double Cream
400g Egg Whites
160g Ground Peanuts or Almonds
Chopped Peanuts To Garnish
Chocolate Peanut Glaze
300g Dark Chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
30g Neutral Oil
30g Chopped Peanuts
Special equipment
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
13×9” cake tin
Stand mixer
Piping bag
Large round tip nozzle
Method
1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin and water to a small saucepan and let it bloom for 10 minutes.
2. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream, espresso, coffee grounds and beans from the fresh vanilla pod. Place it over a medium heat until steaming.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined.
4. Pour the hot cream over the egg mixture, whisking to combine, then add it back into the saucepan. Place it over a medium heat.
5. Cook to 80-82C on a digital thermometer, then immediately pass it through a sieve, on top of a tall measuring jug.
6. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin and blend till smooth with a hand blender. Sprinkle in a pinch of flaky sea salt and stir it through with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours.
7. For the financier, preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C for fan assisted). Lightly grease a 13×9” cake tin with soft butter. Cut a strip of parchment paper long enough to cover the base of the tin and extend up and over two opposite sides, creating “handles.” Press it into the tin so it sticks to the base and sides. Then cover the other sides with two strips of parchment.
8. Add the chocolate and butter to a medium bowl and melt this over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, set it to one side to cool slightly.
9. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the ground peanuts on top and whisk to combine.
10. Pour the cream and egg whites on top and whisk by hand just until combined and there are no streaks of dry ingredients.
11. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk again to combine.
12. Pour the smooth batter into the lined tray and bake in the oven for 70-75 minutes.
13. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating for 1 hour.
14. When the financiers have cooled, use the parchment handles to lift it out of the tin and onto a chopping board. Cut it into 12-14 rectangles, or as small/large as you would like to make them.
15. Remove the coffee cremeux from the fridge and add the mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until it has thickened to a medium stiff peak. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle.
16. Pipe long lines of the cremeux along the top of the financier, and then use a slightly warm knife to trim off the ends so they are flush with the edge of the financier.
17. Place some chopped peanuts into the top of the cremeux, then place the financiers into the freezer for 3-6 hours or until they are solid.
18. When they are frozen, prepare the glaze. Add the chocolate and oil into a bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water, stirring until it is melted.
19. Remove it from the heat and stir through the chopped peanuts. The glaze needs to be around 45C/113F when you use it. Pour the mixture into a tall but thin rectangular container. Take the temperature and heat it up if needed or allow it to cool further.
20. Remove the financiers from the freezer and place a knife into the bottom. Dip the financier into the glaze until it is completely covered, then lift it up, allowing the excess to drip off before quickly flipping it over and placing it onto a tray.
21. Repeat this with the remaining financiers.
22. The financiers can be left at room temperature for 30 minutes then served, or stored in the fridge until needed.
Coffee Bean Petit Gateaux
TIER 2
Coffee Bean Petit Gateaux
The showstopper! This style of dessert was made famous by pastry chef Cedric Grolet but no one ever seems to show you how to actually make them! The recipe has quite a few elements to prepare with a coffee cremeux, chocolate financier, recomposed streusel and a chocolate glaze. I’m a coffee snob, so I would always recommend using the freshest coffee you can get for the best flavour. If you don’t have the fancy coffee bean silicon mold, then feel free to freeze it in any small silicon mold you’ve got.
8-10
COFFEE BEANS
Ingredients
Makes 8-10 Coffee Beans
Coffee Cremeux
5g Powdered Gelatin + 30g Water
400g Double Cream
115g Egg Yolks
60g Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod
75g Espresso
1g Freshly Ground Coffee
Small Pinch of Flaky Salt
Chocolate Financier
130g Double Cream
100g Egg Whites
50g Icing Sugar
40g Ground Almonds
40g Plain Flour
4g Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
50g Unsalted Butter
140g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
Coffee Hazelnut Praline
220g Roasted Hazelnuts, Skinned
80g Pecans
12g Whole Coffee Beans
200g Sugar
50g Water
1 Vanilla Pod
Flakey Salt
Streusel
110g Light Brown Sugar
110g Ground Hazelnuts or Almonds
95g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2g Bicarbonate of Soda
1g Fine Sea Salt
110g Cold Unsalted Butter, Cubed
Recomposed Streusel
215g Streusel
50g Dark Chocolate (70%)
25g Unsalted Butter
70g Coffee Hazelnut Praline
Chocolate Glaze
350g 55% Chocolate
300g Cocoa Butter
30g Neutral Oil
Cocoa Powder to Finish
Special equipment
Digital thermometer
35x25cm baking tray
Food processor
Stand mixer
Piping bag
Coffee bean silicon mold
Method
1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin and water to a small saucepan and let it bloom for 10 minutes.
2. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream, espresso, coffee grounds and beans from the fresh vanilla pod. Place it over a medium heat until steaming.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined.
4. Pour the hot cream over the egg mixture, whisking to combine, then add it back into the saucepan. Place it over a medium heat.
5. Cook to 80-82C on a digital thermometer, then immediately pass it through a sieve, on top of a tall measuring jug.
6. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin and blend till smooth with a hand blender. Sprinkle in a pinch of flaky sea salt and stir it through with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours.
7. For the financier, preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C for fan assisted). Lightly grease a 35x25cm baking tray with soft butter and line it with parchment paper – alternatively use a silicon sponge roll mat. Add the chocolate and butter to a medium bowl and melt this over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, set it to one side to cool slightly.
8. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the ground almonds on top and whisk to combine.
9. Pour the cream and egg whites on top and whisk by hand just until combined and there are no streaks of dry ingredients.
10. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk again to combine.
11. Pour the smooth batter into the lined tray and bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes.
12. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating for at least 1 hour. You can also freeze this.
13. For the coffee hazelnut praline, into a medium saucepan, add the sugar and water. Place it on a medium heat, and cook the mixture until it reaches 116C/240F on a digital thermometer.
14. Once at temperature, pour in the hazelnuts, pecans, coffee beans and the beans from a fresh vanilla pod. Stir constantly with a spatula. The mixture will initially look quite clumpy, then the sugar will crystallise, but eventually, as you keep stirring, the sugars will caramelise and you should have a deep golden caramel surrounding the nuts. It will take around 3-5 minutes.
15. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and tip the caramelised nuts onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. Sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top and let it set completely at room temperature for 30 minutes.
16. The praline should then be completely cool and solid to the touch. Break it into pieces and add it into a high-powered food processor. Blend for 3-4 minutes, scraping it down every so often, until you have a smooth, nutty paste. Store in an airtight container.
17. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add all of the ingredients for the streusel.
18. Mix on a low speed until the butter has broken down and the mixture is sandy in texture.
19. Transfer this to a baking tray, lined with a silicon mat and spread it out. Place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted.
20. Place the chilled mixture into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After around 15 minutes it should be slightly golden around the edges. Remove it from the oven and stir it all together with a spatula then place it back in the oven to bake until it is an even golden colour.
21. Once baked, allow it to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
22. For the recomposed streusel, add the chocolate, butter and praline into a bowl and place this over a pan of simmering water. Stir it together until the chocolate and butter have completely melted. Remove it from the heat.
23. Tip in the cooled streusel and stir to combine. Ensure if there are any large pieces of streusel, that you crush them slightly so they are smaller, before adding them in.
24. Pour the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper and place a second sheet on top. Use a rolling pin to roll it relatively thin, then place it into the freezer for 30 minutes.
25. To assemble the dessert, remove the coffee cremeux from the fridge and whisk it to a medium peak in a stand mixer – avoid whipping it too stiff. Add the mixture into a piping bag.
26. If your coffee bean silicon mold has a cutter, use this to cut the out inserts from the recomposed streusel and financier. Sandwich them together with a little bit of cremeux. If you don’t have a cutter, then you can use a sharp knife to cut the required shapes that will fit your coffee bean mold. You can also freeze this dessert in any silicon mold you have!
27. Take the coffee bean silicon mold (or any silicon mold) and pipe the cremeux into the mold, filling it up about ¾ of the way. Use a spatula to press the cremeux to the edges, then place the financier/streusel insert into the cremeux. Top up the mold if needed with cremeux and then smooth the top with a palette knife. Repeat this for all of the molds you have. Place the molds onto a tray and freeze them for at least 12 hours.
28. Once frozen, remove them from the molds then place the desserts back in the freezer on a tray lined with a silicon mat for a further hour.
29. For the glaze, add the chocolate, cocoa butter and oil into a medium bowl. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and stir it until it is completely melted.
30. The glaze needs to be at 45C/113F when you dip the desserts. Pour the mixture into a small, deep container that is just slightly larger than your dessert.
31. Remove one dessert at a time, and place a knife into the base. Dip the dessert into the so that it is covered right to the edge, then lift it up and hold it at a 45 degree angle until the dripping slows. Then lift it upright until it has set.
32. Dip a pastry brush back into the glaze and quickly brush this all around the bean to ‘rough’ it up slightly.
33. Finally, dust a thin layer of cocoa powder on top of the coffee bean then very quickly and carefully blow torch it to darken the cocoa powder slightly. Lift it onto a small serving dish.
34. Repeat this for all the remaining desserts, and then leave them in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight before serving.
Chocolate Orange Marmalade Trifle
TIER 1
Chocolate Orange Marmalade Trifle
Now this isn’t any ordinary trifle. This has layers of soft chocolate sponge, orange marmalade, vanilla and chocolate custard, then finished with whipped cream. It’s not really traditional, but the texture when you get a spoonful of all the layers is amazing. This can be scaled up to a large trifle, you will just need to increase the quantities.
4
MINI TRIFLES
Ingredients
Makes 4 Mini Trifles
Chocolate Sponge
80g Egg Yolks
75g Caster/White Sugar, Divided
150g Egg Whites
45g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
50g Vegetable Oil
35g Whole Milk
Custard Base
350g Double/Heavy Cream
175g Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
160g Egg Yolks
55g Caster/White Sugar
Pinch Flakey Sea Salt
Chocolate Custard
260-285g Custard Base
65g Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
Vanilla Custard
260-285g Custard Base
40g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
Unsweetened Whipped Cream
200g Double/Heavy Cream
Orange Marmalade To Fill
Cocoa Powder To Decorate
Special equipment
39x27cm baking tray
Electric hand whisk or stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Cookie cutter
Piping bag (optional)
Method
Chocolate Sponge
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F Non-Fan Assisted.
2. Lightly grease a 39x27cm baking tray. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in.
3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, and 20g of caster sugar. Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side.
4. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk (or stand mixer) whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the remaining 55g of caster sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.
5. Gently fold the first third of meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Once incorporated, add the second third, fold it through and then the final third.
6. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold the mixture carefully until there are no more streaks of dry ingredients.
7. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
8. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly.
9. Bake the sponge for 12 minutes then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Custard Base
1. Into a medium saucepan add the cream, milk, egg yolks, sugar and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod.
2. Place this over a medium-low heat and whisk constantly until it reaches a temperature of 82C/180F on a digital thermometer.
3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it through a sieve into a tall measuring jug.
4. Split the mixture into half in between two measuring jugs, you should get around 260-285g per jug.
5. Add the chopped chocolate into one, butter into another, and then blend each until smooth with a hand blender. Add a pinch of flakey sea salt to each and stir it through with a spoon. Alternatively, if you want the vanilla version to be thicker, try using white chocolate instead of butter.
6. Pour the vanilla custard onto a shallow baking tray and cover the surface directly with cling film. Cover the surface of the chocolate jug with cling film and refrigerate – this will thicken faster than the vanilla version.
Assembly
1. Take the cooled chocolate sponge and flip it out of the tray onto a large silicon mat or piece of parchment paper.
2. Take a few tablespoons of orange marmalade and spread this evenly across the sponge with an offset spatula.
3. Take a cookie cutter that is just slightly bigger than the width of your individual trifle dishes.
4. Place a disc of sponge into the base of each trifle dish.
5. Remove the chilled chocolate custard from the fridge (it needs 15-30 minutes to thicken and cool slightly).
6. Add it into a piping bag if you want, otherwise, pour an even layer across each dish.
7. Place it into the freezer or fridge just until a skin has formed on top and when you poke it with your finger, you feel there is enough of a ‘barrier’ to support the weight of the next layer.
8. Add a second disc of sponge, then remove the chilled vanilla custard from the fridge – this will be a looser consistency.
9. Pour this on top of the sponge, leaving enough room at the top for cream.
10. Place the trifles into the fridge or freezer just until the vanilla mixture has set to create a slight barrier and support the weight of the cream. This can take slightly longer as the mixture is softer.
11. For the whipped cream, simply add the cream to a bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk until you have a medium stiff peak.
12. Spoon the cream on top of the set vanilla custard, and then level it completely with a slightly warm palette knife.
13. The trifles can now be refrigerated until needed or served immediately. Dust with a light coating of cocoa powder when ready to serve.
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Black Forest Swiss Roll
TIER 2
Black Forest Swiss Roll
Black Forest gâteau is one of my all-time favourites, and the mix of cream, fruit, and chocolate is exactly what a good Swiss roll should be about too! This version layers the chocolate sponge from Tier 1 with cherry jam, mascarpone cream, and finishes with a stunning chocolate glaze. Watch the video to help you master the perfect roll, and you’ll catch the little accident I had along the way 😅.
1
SWISS ROLL CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 Swiss Roll Cake
Mascarpone Vanilla Cream
4g Powdered Gelatin, 250 bloom
24g Cold water
400g Double/Heavy Cream, Divided
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
130g Mascarpone
20g Icing/Powdered Sugar
Chocolate Sponge
80g Egg Yolks
75g Caster/White Sugar, Divided
150g Egg Whites
45g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
50g Vegetable Oil
35g Whole Milk
Chocolate Glaze
160g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids, Chopped
370g Double/Heavy Cream
10g Unsalted Butter
10g Glucose or Honey
Cherry Jam To Fill
Special equipment
Hand blender
39x27cm baking tray.
Electric hand whisk
Stand mixer
Piping bag
St Honore nozzle
Method
Mascarpone Vanilla Cream
1. Into a small bowl, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir them together and set to one side for 5 minutes to bloom.
2. Into a tall jug, add the mascarpone and set this to one side.
3. Pour 330g of cream into a small saucepan, along with the sugar and the beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod.
4. Place this over a medium heat, stirring until the mixture is steaming.
5. Remove it from the heat and pour it over the mascarpone. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin, and blend with a hand blender until smooth.
6. Finally, pour in the remaining 70g of cold cream and blend again. Pour the mixture onto a deep baking tray and cover the surface directly with clingfilm.
7. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours.
Chocolate Sponge
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F Non-Fan Assisted.
2. Lightly grease a 39x27cm baking tray. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in.
3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, and 20g of caster sugar. Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side.
4. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk (or stand mixer) whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the remaining 55g of caster sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.
5. Gently fold the first third of meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Once incorporated, add the second third, fold it through and then the final third.
6. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold the mixture carefully until there are no more streaks of dry ingredients.
7. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
8. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly.
9. Bake the sponge for 12 minutes then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Assembly
1. Once the sponge has cooled, flip it out of the tray and gently peel off the parchment paper. Then carefully flip the sponge over onto a large, clean sheet of parchment paper, so that the smooth top side (the side that wasn’t touching the tray during baking) is facing down.
2. Position the sponge with the long edge facing you. Choose one of the short ends—either the left or right edge—and slice off a thin piece at a 45-degree angle using a serrated knife. This angled cut makes it easier to start the roll neatly and helps it tuck in smoothly. Then, at the opposite end, score three lines, about 1cm/0.4” apart, being very careful not to cut through the sponge.
3. Take a few tablespoons of cherry jam and spread this evenly across the sponge using a palette knife.
4. Then, remove the mascarpone cream from the fridge, and scoop half of it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the remaining half back in the fridge to use later.
5. Whisk the cream on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until you have a medium stiff peak.
6. Use an offset spatula to spread the cream in a very even layer across the sponge, right to the edges.
7. Starting from the short edge that you didn’t cut, begin to roll the sponge tightly using the parchment paper underneath to guide and lift the sponge as you go. Use firm but gentle pressure to keep the roll even and tight. Once fully rolled, wrap the parchment paper around the log. Then, place a flat tool like a bench scraper against the roll, and with your other hand, gently pull the loose end of the parchment paper. This will tighten the log and help create a more defined cylinder shape. Place the Swiss roll onto a tray and refrigerate for 1 hour, then into the freezer for 15 minutes.
Chocolate Glaze
1. Just before you remove the Swiss roll from the freezer, prepare the glaze, as we will use this immediately.
2. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate and set this to one side.
3. Add the cream and glucose (or honey) to a small saucepan. Note – if you are using a cream with a lower fat percentage (35% for example), you will need less cream, around 260g.
4. Place this over a medium-low heat and stir until the mixture is steaming.
5. Immediately remove it from the heat, and pour it over the chocolate, and add the butter on top.
6. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then use a hand blender to blend until smooth. Avoid adding any air bubbles as you blend it.
7. Remove the Swiss roll from the freezer and place a wire rack over a tray to catch any excess glaze. To elevate the Swiss roll and allow the glaze to drip cleanly down the sides, set a few small ring molds under the roll so it sits slightly above the wire rack. This will keep the bottom from sticking and ensure an even coating all around.
8. Take the glaze and slowly pour it evenly all over the Swiss roll.
9. Let the excess drip off and the glaze set for a few minutes before taking a small knife and wiping away any drips that have set on the underside of the cake.
10. Use a large offset spatula to carefully lift the Swiss roll onto your serving plate, then with a sharp knife that has been heated, cut both ends of the Swiss roll to reveal the swirl. Clean up the plate to ensure a nice presentation. Leave this at room temperature for 30 minutes.
11. Take the remaining mascarpone cream and whisk it to a medium stiff peak. Add this into a piping bag fitted with a St Honore nozzle.
12. Pipe a zigzag of cream down the centre and serve.
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Boston Cream Pie
TIER 1
Boston Cream Pie
A childhood favourite of mine, a Boston cream pie often comes as a donut, but it’s also fantastic in cake form. It starts with two layers of vanilla sponge, which are filled with a thick layer of smooth vanilla crème pâtissière. The cake is then finished with a thin chocolate glaze.The beauty in the cake lies in how it is layered in the tin, and using acetate really helps to get a smooth, clean finish.
7"
CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 7-inch Cake
Vanilla Sponge
245g Caster Sugar
245g All Purpose/Plain or Cake Flour
15g Baking Powder
2g Fine Sea Salt
245g Whole Eggs
100g Vegetable Oil
85g Whole Milk
145g Unsalted Butter
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Crème Pâtissiére
500g Whole Milk
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
75g Caster/White Sugar
120g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch
1g Fine Sea Salt
45g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
Chocolate Glaze
100g Chocolate (55% Cocoa Solids)
50g Unsalted Butter
80g Double/Heavy Cream, Slightly Warm
Special equipment
2 x 7″ springform/removable base cake tins
Acetate
Hand blender (optional)
Stand mixer (optional)
Method
Vanilla Sponge
1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/355F non-fan assisted.
2. Lightly grease the bottom of two 7” cake tins, and place a circle of parchment on the base. Lightly grease the sides and coat them with flour, tipping out any excess.
3. Place the butter & vanilla into a saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Once it has just melted, set it to one side to cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl, sieve together the dry ingredients – sugar, flour, salt & baking powder. Whisk until they are evenly combined.
5. In a separate jug, whisk together the eggs, oil & milk.
6. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl, whisking to combine until you have a smooth batter with no more streaks of flour.
7. Finally, pour in the melted butter and mix the batter slowly until everything is evenly combined and you have a smooth batter.
8. Pour 500g of batter into each cake tin.
9. Place the cakes in the oven and bake for around 30-35 minutes, at which time the cake should be golden and a skewer should come out clean.
10. Once baked, remove them from the oven and run a knife around the outer edge of the cake tin to ensure it releases. Then carefully flip it onto a wire rack.
11. Let the sponges cool for a few minutes, then flip them onto a sheet of cling film and wrap them, before refrigerating. 3-4 hours will be enough but overnight works great too!
Crème Pâtissiére
1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add the milk and the scraped vanilla pod just until it is steaming.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and thickened.
3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the sugar and eggs mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then cook for 1 minute.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve placed over a large bowl.
6. Blend (or whisk) in the butter until the mixture is smooth. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Assembly
1. Once the cakes have chilled, use a serrated knife (or cake leveller) just to trim the top of the cakes off – don’t cut off too much!
2. Take a 7” cake tin with a removable bottom/springform tin/cake ring and line the inside with acetate. Place this onto a tray.
3. Take one of the sponges, and lift it into the tin/ring mold. Ensure the acetate is tight around the cake – if you need to, adjust the acetate and re-tape it so that there are no gaps between the acetate and the cake.
4. Remove the créme pâtissiére from the fridge and add it into a stand mixer (or whisk by hand) and whisk for around 2 minutes until the mixture becomes much smoother in texture. It might initially look slightly lumpy/gelatinous but as you whisk it will smooth itself out.
5. Scoop the créme pâtissiére on top of the sponge and use a spoon to spread it to the edges, creating an even layer.
6. Next, take the second layer of cake and flip it upside down so that the side you cut is now facing down. Lift this on top of the créme pâtissiére and carefully press it in with your hands.
7. To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate and butter to a bowl and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir it until it has completely melted.
8. Take some slightly warm cream and pour this in, and then stir with a spatula until smooth.
9. Working quickly, immediately pour the ganache on top of the sponge, and then tilt the tin/ring mold so that it spreads evenly to the edges.
10. Place the entire cake in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set (or overnight) then remove it from the fridge.
11. Lift it out of the tin/ring mold and peel off the acetate. If any of the créme pâtissiére has stuck, simply smooth the edge of the cake with an offset spatula so that it is neat.
12. It is best served, left at room temperature for 30m-1 hours so that the chocolate can soften slightly.
13. To give it a nice finish as you serve it, gently blow torch the chocolate to give it a quick shine!
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Raspberry Sachertorte
TIER 2
Raspberry Sacher Torte
This is a new and improved version of my original Sachertorte. It has 2 layers of chocolate financier (which is delicious baked on its own too!), with a layer of raspberry compote in the centre. We then sandwich that in a chocolate mousse which uses a pâte à bombe base. The whole thing is frozen and finished with a shiny chocolate ganache glaze. I’d recommend a good quality hand blender for this glaze, to avoid adding too many air bubbles.
7"
CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 7-inch Cake
Chocolate Financier
210g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
75g Unsalted Butter
75g Icing Sugar
60g Ground Almonds
60g Plain Flour
6g Baking Powder
1g Fine Sea Salt
150g Egg Whites (Room Temperature)
195g Double/Heavy Cream
Raspberry Compote
180g Raspberry Puree
40g Caster/White Sugar
3g Pectin Nh
15g Lemon Juice
Chocolate Mousse
90g Egg Yolks
45g Whole Eggs
70g Caster/White Sugar
200g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
(a) 150g Cream (35-48% Fat)
(b) 275g Cream (35-48% Fat)
Chocolate Glaze
200g Dark Chocolate (55% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
240g Cream (35-40% Fat) – Ideally we want a cream that is lower in fat here as it will make the glaze more fluid. I used 39% fat.
40g Soft, Unsalted Butter
20g Raspberry Liqueur (Optional)
Special equipment
9×13” baking tray
6.3”x1.7” (16×4.5cm) ring mold
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
7″ ring mold
Method
Chocolate Financier
1. Take a 9×13” baking tray, and lightly grease the bottom, lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. Pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted.
2. Into a small bowl, add the chocolate and butter and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until it has completely melted and then set it to one side to cool slightly.
3. Into a medium bowl, add the icing sugar, ground almonds, salt, flour, and baking powder. Whisk these together until they are combined.
4. Pour in the egg whites and whisk again until smooth.
5. Pour in the cream and whisk until smooth.
6. Finally, slowly pour in the chocolate mixture while whisking, until you have a thick chocolate batter.
7. Pour the batter into the lined tray and use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly.
8. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven and then remove and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, before refrigerating for 2-3 hours – chilling it will make it easier to cut without falling apart!
Raspberry Compote
1. If you don’t have raspberry puree, you can simply blend 180g of fresh raspberries and use that.
2. Pour the raspberry puree into a medium saucepan and place it on a medium low heat.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar and pectin.
4. Once the puree is steaming, whisk in the pectin sugar mixture and keep cooking until it reaches a boil.
5. Remove it from the heat, and whisk in the lemon juice.
6. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover the surface directly with clingfilm. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Assembly Part 1
1. Once the financier has chilled, use a 6.3”x1.7” (16×4.5cm) ring mold to cut two discs. If you don’t have enough space to cut two full discs, you can cut a second disc, and then cut some scraps and press the cake together slightly. Don’t worry too much if you don’t have a ring mold this exact size, you just want something smaller than the ‘main’ 7” ring mold that we are using later. This is the insert layer that gets sandwiched in between the chocolate mousse.
Note – we will need the spare financier scraps later to decorate the cake so set them to one side. When you have a moment, very briefly blend them to a crumb, then get them onto a tray and into the freezer to use later.
2. Lift one of the discs into the bottom of the 6.3” ring mold, which is on a tray lined with a silicon baking mat.
3, Remove the raspberry puree from the fridge and stir it to loosen it.
4. Pour this into the ring mold and spread it to the edges so that you have an even layer.
5. Place the second chocolate sponge on top and gently sandwich it together.
6. Place the ring into the freezer for 2-3 hours or until frozen.
Chocolate Mousse
1. The key to this mousse is ensuring that the temperatures are correct otherwise, it could split or go grainy.
2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir this until melted, then turn off the heat, but keep it on the water so it stays warm & fluid.
3. Then, add the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer.
4. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk by hand until it reaches around 60C/140F on a digital thermometer.
5. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat, place it onto a stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed.
6. Meanwhile, add the cream (a) into a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat, stirring until it is steaming.
7. Remove the cream from the heat and pour it over your melted chocolate, then use a hand blender to emulsify them together.
8. At this point we need to check the temperatures of both ingredients. The chocolate/cream needs to be between 40-50C (104-122F) and the egg yolk mixture needs to be between 20-25C (68-77F) when we combine them. This will ensure they combine properly.
9. If you find one is colder than the other, just gently stir it over a pan of very gently simmering water.
10. Once both components are at temperature, gently fold the egg yolk mixture (which will have thickened) into the chocolate in three parts until smooth. Set this bowl to one side.
11. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the remaining cream (b). Whisk this until it forms medium soft peaks, do not overwhip it.
12. Take the soft cream and fold it into the chocolate base in three parts until you have a smooth mousse.
13. Take a 7” ring mold and tightly wrap the bottom with clingfilm (you can line it with acetate if you want – this will just make it slightly easier to demold). Place it onto a tray lined with a baking mat.
14. Scoop a small portion of the chocolate mousse into the ring mold, then remove the raspberry/chocolate insert from the freezer. Pop it out of the ring mold and press it into the chocolate mousse.
15. Top up the rest of the ring mold with the chocolate mousse, using a palette knife to completely smooth the top. You may have a little extra chocolate mousse – get this into some ramekins and chill it to have a nice dessert later!
16. Place the entire dessert into the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours, until frozen solid.
Chocolate Glaze
1. Once the glaze is ready we are going to pour it immediately over the cake so be prepared with the frozen cake nearby and a rack ready to pour it on. It can help to demold the mousse from the ring mold, then place it back in the freezer so when you are ready to glaze you don’t need to faff around getting it out of the mold.
2. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate.
3. Add the cream into a small saucepan, and gently stir it until it is steaming.
4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate.
5. Let it sit for a minute, then use a hand blender to blend it until smooth. Really try to avoid adding any air bubbles here.
6. Add in the soft butter and raspberry liqueur (optional) and blend again until smooth.
7. Remove the frozen mousse from the freezer and place it onto a glass, with a tray and wire rack underneath.
8. Pour the glaze evenly over the entire cake.
9. The glaze will set quickly, so once it has stopped dripping, use a knife to just trim away the drips.
10. Remove the blended-up crumbs from the freezer and press these into the bottom of the cake.
11. Then carefully lift it onto your serving plate. You might damage it slightly lifting it up/moving it, so just patch up any bits with more blended crumb!
12. Let it defrost for 2 hours at room temperature, then serve.
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Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
TIER 1
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Unlike a traditional dense cheesecake, this one has a light, mousse-like texture (Triple Chocolate… Choussecake?!). The process is simple as we start by making a ganache with cream cheese, then fold in whipped cream to create that incredible texture. Each layer is easy to replicate since the measurements are nearly identical, with just a few small tweaks. The only tricky part is waiting for each layer to set! But once it’s ready to serve, you’re left with a beautiful ombré effect.
1
8" CHEESECAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 8-inch Cheesecake
Chocolate Cookie Base
120g Oreos
20g-40g Unsalted Butter
Milk Mixture
275g Whole Milk
30g Honey
White Chocolate Layer
75g Milk Mixture (Above)
60g White Chocolate, Chopped
75g Double/Heavy cream
90g Cream Cheese, Full Fat
60g Double/Heavy cream
Milk Chocolate Layer
75g Milk Mixture (Above)
60g Milk Chocolate, Chopped
6g Cocoa Powder
75g Double/Heavy cream
90g Cream Cheese, Full Fat
60g Double/Heavy cream
Dark Chocolate Layer
75g Milk Mixture (Above)
65g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
75g Double/Heavy cream
90g Cream Cheese, Full Fat
60g Double/Heavy cream
Special equipment
Food processor
8×2.75” ring mold
Acetate (optional)
Hand blender
Stand mixer
Method
Chocolate Cookie Base
1. Add the Oreos into a food processor and blend to a fine crumb. If you want, you can remove the white filling and just use 120g of Oreo biscuits.
2. Pour these into a medium bowl and set it to one side.
3. Add the butter into a small saucepan and place it on a low heat until melted.
4. Slowly pour about half of the butter mixture into the Oreos and stir to combine. Keep adding butter until the mixture resembles slightly wet sand. Oreos don’t require as much butter to pull together unlike a traditional biscuit base so add it slowly to avoid a very wet biscuit mixture.
5. Take an 8×2.75” ring mold and place a piece of acetate along the inside. Acetate isn’t completely necessary as we are freezing the mousse. If you don’t have acetate you can simply heat the outside of the ring mold with a hair dryer/heat gun when you need to demold it. Acetate just makes this process much easier and you end up with a slightly cleaner finish. Place the ring onto a baking tray.
6. Pour the Oreo mixture into the base of the ring and use the back of a measuring cup or something flat, to smooth the base out so that it is even. Place the tray into the freezer.
Milk Mixture
1. Add the milk and honey into a small saucepan, and place it over a medium-low heat until it is steaming – stirring occasionally. We are going to split this mixture between all three cheesecake bases.
The process for making the layers is identical, so it is easiest to set up three measuring jugs at once, each with the chopped chocolate in, then pour in the weighed milk mixture.
White Chocolate Layer
1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate, and pour over 75g of the hot milk mixture. The mixture needs to be hot so that the chocolate melts. Let it sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth.
2. Add in the cream cheese, and the 75g of double/heavy cream. Blend again until smooth and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours (or longer if needed).
Milk Chocolate Layer
1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate, and cocoa powder, and pour over 75g of the hot milk mixture. The mixture needs to be hot so that the chocolate melts. Let it sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth.
2. Add in the cream cheese, and the 75g of double/heavy cream. Blend again until smooth and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours (or longer if needed).
Dark Chocolate Layer
1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate, and pour over 75g of the hot milk mixture. The mixture needs to be hot so that the chocolate melts. Let it sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth.
2. Add in the cream cheese, and the 75g of double/heavy cream. Blend again until smooth and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours (or longer if needed).
Assembly
The assembly process is slightly tedious, as you have to wait for each layer to set before you can add the next one!
1. Remove the white chocolate layer from the fridge and place it into a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed, until the mixture thickens and holds a medium peak. Set this to one side.
2. Into a bowl, add the remaining 60g of double/heavy cream and whisk until it holds a medium peak. Note – 60g can actually be quite tough to whisk if you are using an electric stand mixer so it is worth mixing 100g so that the whisk attachment can actually catch it, then just weigh the required 60g of cream.
3. Take the 60g of whipped cream, and fold this through the white chocolate layer, until smooth and combined. The final texture of the mixture should be thick, but still soft and slightly runny. We want a texture where we can pour the mousse into the tin and it will almost settle itself without too much assistance!
4. Remove the chilled chocolate base from the freezer and pour the white chocolate layer in. It should spread to the edges and settle, but if not just use a palette knife or a spoon to gently spread it, so that it is even. You can even give the tray a bit of a tap on the work surface to help it settle. Place the tray into the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or until the white chocolate layer feels firm enough to the touch to support another layer of mousse.
5. Repeat this exact same process with the milk chocolate and dark chocolate layers, freezing the mousse in between the milk and dark chocolate each layer. Note that because these layers have more cocoa solids, they will become thicker more quickly as you whisk them, so be careful not to over-whisk them and let them become too thick.
6. Once you have added the dark chocolate layer, place the entire cheesecake into the freezer. If you need to serve this quickly, 2-3 hours in the freezer will be absolutely fine, but you can also freeze it overnight too.
7. When you are ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the freezer, and lift it onto your serving dish. Carefully pull off the ring mold and then peel away the acetate, to reveal a smooth cheesecake. The cheesecake now needs 2 hours to defrost before you can eat it (maybe slightly less if you only freeze it for 2-3 hours). Or, you can defrost it for 2 hours then get it straight into the fridge.
8. Just a note that the longer you leave it at room temperature, you will begin to see the base ‘weep’. This is just because the sugar draws moisture from the cheesecake mixture. Nothing has gone wrong, it’s just a natural scientific occurrence of the ingredients of the hygroscopic properties of sugar!
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Espresso Burnt Basque Cheesecake
TIER 2
Espresso Burnt Basque Cheesecake
We don’t use coffee often in Bake It Better, but it’s a flavour I absolutely love! A classic burnt Basque cheesecake is usually made without a biscuit base, but here, we’re taking it up a notch with our own homemade chocolate biscuit base. I’ve also included some great techniques to give the cheesecake a more refined finish—less rustic than most recipes! If coffee isn’t your thing, feel free to skip the espresso and coffee beans and swap in fresh vanilla instead!
1
9" CHEESECAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 9-inch Cheesecake
Chocolate Cookie Base
70g Unsalted Butter, Cubed & Cold
55g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
12g Cocoa Powder
45g Ground Almonds
35g Caster/White Sugar
1g Baking Powder
Pinch of Sea Salt Flakes
Coffee Cheesecake
450g Double/Heavy Cream + extra
45g Coffee Beans, Whole
880g Cream Cheese
265g Caster Sugar
38g Plain Flour
290g Whole Eggs, Whisked Together
25g Freshly Brewed Espresso
Special equipment
9” springform/loose bottom cake tin
Stand mixer
Hand blender
Food processor
Method
Chocolate Cookie Base
1. Take a 9” springform/loose bottom cake tin, and lightly grease the base and sides. Place a circle of parchment along the bottom and a strip around the side.
2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can do this with your hands), add all of the ingredients.
3. With the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed until it resembles a crumble-like texture and the butter has broken down. If doing this by hand, just rub the mixture between your fingers.
4. Remove the mixture from the bowl and tip it into the base of the cake tin. Use your hands to press it flat into the tin – it will be quite dry/dusty initially, but pressing it down will help form it into a dough. Then use the back of a flat glass to press it firmly down.
5. Place the tin into the freezer, while you pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted.
6. Put the tin into the oven and bake the base for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
7. Once it has cooled, lay a few large sheets of foil underneath the pan – we will need these later!
Coffee Cheesecake
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream and whole coffee beans. Place the lid on the pan and place it on a medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, turn the heat off and allow it to steep for 30 minutes.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 210C/410F fan-assisted.
3. Remove the lid and pour the mixture into a tall jug, then use a hand blender to blend for about 30 seconds.
4. Pour the mixture through a sieve and into a bowl on a scale. You will have lost some weight due to evaporation, so you need to top up the mixture with more fresh double/heavy cream, until it weighs 365g.
5. Into a food processor or blender, add the cream cheese, flour, and sugar. Blend on a low speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth. We’re trying to avoid adding in too much air so it is important to do this on a low speed. Scrape down the mixture a few times to ensure it incorporates properly.
6. Pour in the eggs and blend until combined on a low speed. Scrape down the food processor when/if needed.
7. Finally, pour in the coffee cream and freshly brewed coffee and blend on low until combined. Scrape down the food processor and blend again.
8. Give the bowl a very firm tap on the work surface to get rid of any excess bubbles, then pour the mixture, through a sieve, straight over the biscuit base.
9. Take two tea towels, and soak them in water. Fold them into a neat rectangle shape and then wrap them around the outside of the tin. Then, take the foil that you laid down, and wrap this up and around the tea towels (to stop them from burning!)
10. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and bake for around 35-40 minutes. The cheesecake should be dark on top, with a very significant wobble when you gently shake the tray. About ¾ of the cheesecake should wobble. If you think the cheesecake is done, but maybe you want it a little darker on top, you can put it under a hot grill just for a minute or two to add some colour. For me, I found 36 minutes was perfect.
11. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, before refrigerating overnight. It’s important to let it chill overnight to really set the cheesecake.
12. The next day, remove it from the tin, and then use a hot knife to cut slices.
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Chocolate Orange Swirl Cookies
TIER 1
Chocolate Orange Swirl Cookies
These stunning cookies use the same base dough, one flavoured with orange and the other flavoured with cocoa powder. The doughs are laid on top of each other and carefully rolled into a tight log to create the spiral effect. You can get creative and colour one of the doughs, or even make a quick ganache and sandwich the cookies together!
18-20
COOKIES
Ingredients
Makes 18-20 Cookies
Chocolate Dough
170g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2g Fine Sea Salt
30g Cocoa Powder
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
30g Ground Almonds
110g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
40g Whole Eggs
Orange Dough
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2g Fine Sea Salt
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
30g Ground Almonds
110g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
Zest 1 Medium Orange
40g Whole Eggs
Egg Wash
1 whole egg, whisked
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Silicon mats (optional)
Rolling pin
Method
Chocolate Cookie Dough
1. Add all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the cubed butter.
2. Mix on a medium low speed for 2-4 minutes, until the butter has broken down, and the mixture has a breadcrumb/sandy-like texture.
3. Pour in the egg mixture and mix for about 20 seconds, the dough will not pull together however, so remove the bowl from the mixer and squeeze the dough with your hands, until it forms a dough.
4. Place the dough in between two silicon mats or pieces of parchment paper and roll it to about 3-5mm thick – the thinner the better really. You want to roll it as best as possible into a neat rectangle shape as that will reduce the wastage later on.
5. Place the dough into the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.
Orange Cookie Dough
1. Add all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the cubed butter.
2. Mix on a medium low speed for 2-4 minutes, until the butter has broken down, and the mixture has a breadcrumb/sandy-like texture.
3. Pour in the egg mixture and mix for about 20 seconds, the dough will not pull together however, so remove the bowl from the mixer and squeeze the dough with your hands, until it forms a dough.
4. Place the dough in between two silicon mats or pieces of parchment paper and roll it to about 3-5mm thick – the thinner the better really. You want to roll it as best as possible into a neat rectangle shape as that will reduce the wastage later on.
5. Place the dough into the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.
Assembly
1. Once the doughs have chilled remove them from the fridge, and apply a light egg wash to the chocolate dough. Then, lift the orange dough on top, gluing it in place.
2. Leave them at room temperature to soften for just a few minutes – this will make them easier to roll.
3. Once softer, with the chocolate dough on the bottom, carefully roll the dough, lengthways (with the short side of the rectangle of dough facing you), into a tight log. Wrap this in clingfilm and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour
4. Before they are done chilling, preheat the oven to 150C/300F, non-fan assisted.
5. Once chilled, use a very sharp knife to cut the log into discs of equal thickness – about 5mm, then lift the biscuits onto a tray lined with a silicon baking mat.
6. Immediately place the tray into the oven and bake until lightly golden around the edges – about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool then serve.
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Sablé Viennois
TIER 1
Sablé Viennois
In Tier 1 we tackle a simple Sablé biscuit, and learn the foundations of a Sablé dough. A spin on the recipe I share in my book, the biscuits are elevated by piping the dough into a zigzag pattern! Although the piping can be a little bit tricky, it’s worth the effort as it holds its shape really well, resulting in a stunning biscuit. To finish, I’ve dipped mine in a little dark chocolate, but you can get creative here with the toppings.
12-14COOKIES
Ingredients
Makes 12-14 Biscuits
140g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Egg White
120g Plain Flour
40g White Bread Flour
20g Cornflour (Cornstarch)
Chocolate Variation:
140g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Egg White
115g Plain Flour
30g Bread Flour
20g Cornflour (Cornstarch)
15g Cocoa Powder
To decorate:
200g Dark Chocolate (50-60% Cocoa Solids), Melted
Special equipment
Basket Weave Piping Nozzle
Stand Mixer
Piping Bags
Silicon Baking Mat
Method
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl), add the soft butter, sugar and salt.
2. Beat this on a medium-low speed for 2 minutes until lighter and fluffier in consistency. If doing this by hand, simply use a rubber spatula to beat the ingredients together.
3. Add in the egg white and beat again to combine. The egg white, won’t fully incorporate so don’t worry if the butter is slightly lumpy/separated.
4. Finally, sift in the flours & cornflour. Mix this until the dough is soft and slightly sticky. We need the dough to be quite soft otherwise it will be very difficult to pipe. Add this mixture into a piping bag fitted with a basket weave piping nozzle (or any other nozzle you prefer!). Massage the dough in the bag to soften it further.
Note: If you want to make chocolate cookies, simply follow the same steps, but add the cocoa powder in with the flours.
5. If you want to be accurate, draw a stencil on some parchment paper, with pairs of lines, about an inch apart, and place this under your silicone mat.
6. With firm pressure, pipe tight zig zags, roughly 3-4” long. Then, use a bench scraper or sharp knife, neaten the top and bottoms of the biscuits by trimming off the shaggy ends.
7. Place the tray of cookies into the freezer, while you preheat your oven to 175C/350F Non-Fan Assisted.
8. After the cookies have chilled for 20 minutes, place the tray into the middle shelf of the oven and bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.
9. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray for 5 minutes.
10. To decorate, melt some dark chocolate, and dip the edges of the biscuits before placing them carefully on a silicon mat. Let the chocolate set before serving.
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Chocolate and Raspberry Soufflé
TIER 1
Chocolate and Raspberry Soufflé
I’ve cheated a bit in Tier 1 and used the chocolate soufflé recipe from my book, because you honestly can’t beat it! But I tried adding a frozen raspberry insert in the middle, which oozes out once baked, and it really takes the dessert to the next level from both a flavour and a wow factor perspective. Make sure you use good quality chocolate with 50-60% cocoa solids to ensure the right consistency.
4-5
SOUFFLÉS
Ingredients
Makes 4-5 Souffles
Raspberry Insert
50g Raspberry Jam
50g Fresh Raspberries
Splash of Water
Chocolate Soufflé
– Beurre Manie
50g Unsalted Butter, Softened
50g Plain Flour
Pinch of sea salt
– Chocolate Base
270g Whole Milk
50g Granulated/Caster Sugar
200g Chopped Dark Chocolate, 50-60% Cocoa Solids
110g Egg Yolks
French Meringue
180g Egg Whites
70g Granulated/Caster Sugar
Special equipment
3.8cm x 1.9cm silicone half-sphere mould (15 hole) OR a small silicone ice cube tray
Stand mixer
Piping bags
Ramekins
Method
Raspberry Insert
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the fresh raspberries, raspberry jam and just a little splash of water (3 tsp roughly).
2. Place it over a medium low heat, and stir it together until the raspberries have broken down, and it is bubbling and has thickened just slightly.
3. Into a silicone half sphere mould, or a silicone ice cube tray, pour the raspberry mixture in, spread it out so it is even, and then freeze for 3 hours or until it is solid.
Chocolate Soufflé
– Beurre Manie
1. Into a small bowl, add the butter, flour and salt and use a spatula to form it into a paste. Sometimes it is actually easier just to use your hands and mix it together as the quantities are so small.
2. Set this bowl to one side.
– Chocolate Base
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk and sugar. Place it over a medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is steaming.
2. Remove it from the heat and add in the beurre manie from above. Whisk this through until it has dissolved, then place the pan back on the heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened and holds a slightly more elastic consistency.
3. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until the chocolate has completely dissolved. Don’t worry if it looks slightly greasy or split here. Scoop this mixture into a medium bowl.
4. Add the egg yolks on top and immediately whisk this (to make sure the eggs don’t cook from the heat), until you have a smooth, glossy mixture.
5. Cover the surface with cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
French Meringue & Assembly
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F Fan Assisted.
2. Lightly grease the ramekins with soft butter, using an upwards stroking motion.
3. Tip in a few tablespoons of sugar and swirl this around, tipping out the excess. Place these on a tray and set to one side.
4. Meanwhile, add the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on a medium low speed until the mixture is frothy and thick bubbles have formed.
5. With the speed on medium, slowly add in the sugar a tablespoon at a time, waiting about 15 seconds in between each addition.
6. Once you’ve added all the sugar, keep whisking until you have a stiff meringue.
7. Fold the meringue in thirds, into the chocolate base, until you have a homogenous mixture with no streaks of meringue.
8. Remove your frozen raspberry inserts from the freezer.
9. Add the soufflé mixture into a piping bag, and pipe the mixture into the ramekins, filling them about 3⁄4 of the way. Then press your raspberry into the middle and cover it up, filling the ramekin to the top with the remaining soufflé mixture.
10. Use a palette knife to smooth the top and create a flush edge, then quickly run your thumb around the outside of the soufflé to create a rim.
11. Place them into the oven immediately and bake for 18 minutes.
12. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately. They should be well risen!
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Chocolate Mousse Cake
TIER 1
Chocolate Mousse Cake
There are only two elements to this cake – the sponge and the mousse. I show you how to master each one, then it’s just a case of building your cake! I recommend using a ring mould for the most professional finish, and running a warm palette knife over the top of your mousse to create a smooth top. This is such a simple recipe but it looks amazing, the texture is divine, and it’s so full of flavour.
1
6-INCH CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 6-inch Cake
Chocolate Sponge
80g Egg Yolks
20g Caster Sugar (A)
60g Caster Sugar (B)
150g Egg Whites
40g Plain Flour
28g Cocoa Powder
50g Vegetable Oil
30g Whole Milk
Chocolate Mousse
170g Whole Milk
120g Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Finely Chopped
120g Chocolate (30% Cocoa Solids), Finely Chopped
300g Double/Heavy Cream
Pinch Sea Salt Flakes
Special equipment
39cm x 27cm baking tray
Electric hand whisk (or stand mixer)
Hand blender
16cm ring mould (4.5cm high)
Method
Chocolate Sponge
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/356F Non-Fan Assisted (160C Fan Assisted) and then lightly grease a medium-sized baking tray (this recipe uses a 39cm x 27cm tray). Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in firmly with your hands.
2. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar (A). Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side.
3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk (or a stand mixer) whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the sugar (B), about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.
4. Pour the egg yolk mixture on top of the meringue and gently fold it through using a spatula until well combined.
5. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold it in carefully until it is fully incorporated.
6. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
7. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly. Try to ensure the batter is relatively even.
8. Bake the sponge for 12 minutes then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Chocolate Mousse
1. Add the milk to a small saucepan and place it onto a medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, add the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl.
3. Once the milk is simmering, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes with a plate on top.
4. Then, remove the plate and use a hand blender to blend the milk and chocolate until smooth and set it to one side.
5. Into a medium bowl, add the cream and use an electric hand whisk to whisk it to a soft-medium peak.
6. Then, whisk the cream through the chocolate mixture in three parts until smooth. It’s important to whisk it through, as if you try to fold it, the cream will not incorporate properly and remain lumpy.
7. Lastly, fold in the salt.
Assembly
1. Take your cooled sponge and tip it out onto a silicon mat/piece of parchment paper.
2. Use your cake ring to cut 2 circles out of the chocolate sponge.
You will have enough remaining sponge to make the Tier 2 recipe, so make sure to save this if you’re moving straight onto Tier 2!
3. Take one of the sponges and place it on a tray lined with a silicon mat/piece of parchment paper. Place your cake ring over the top and gently push the sponge to the sides of the cake ring to make sure it’s even and there are no gaps.
4. Pour your chocolate mousse over the sponge until it reaches halfway up the cake ring. Then add your second layer of chocolate sponge and pour the remaining chocolate mousse over the top until it reaches the top of the cake ring.
You may have a little mousse left over but you can pour this into ramekins to have little pots of delicious chocolate mousse!
5. If you have a slightly uneven top to your mousse cake, heat the edge of a palette knife or scraper and run it evenly over the top of the cake to smooth out the top.
6. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours until set and ready to serve.
7. To remove the ring, simply gently heat the sides with a blowtorch and it should lift off smoothly. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt just before serving.
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Chocolate Praline Mousse Cakes
TIER 2
Chocolate Praline Mousse Cakes
In Tier 2 we add two extra elements to really level up the cake – a hazelnut praline filling and a cocoa gavotte decoration. I’ve turned these into individual plated desserts by using smaller ring moulds, but you can make one large mousse cake if you’d prefer. I’ve adjusted the mousse recipe slightly here and only used 70% cocoa solids, but if you prefer a sweeter flavour then follow the same 50/50 split as Tier 1.
5
7CM MOUSSE CAKES
Ingredients
Makes 5 7cm Mousse Cakes
Hazelnut Praline
165g Caster Sugar
50g Water
250g Whole Roasted Hazelnuts, Without Skins
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt
Chocolate Sponge
40g Egg Yolks
10g Caster Sugar (A)
30g Caster Sugar (B)
75g Egg Whites
20g Plain Flour
12g Cocoa Powder
25g Vegetable Oil
15g Whole Milk
Chocolate Mousse
130g Whole Milk
10g Honey
175g Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Finely Chopped
220g Double/Heavy Cream
Pinch Sea Salt Flakes
Cocoa Gavotte
150g Water
15g Unsalted Butter
1g Salt
11g Plain Flour
30g Icing/Powdered Sugar
3g Cornstarch/Cornflour
35g Egg Whites
4g Cocoa Powder
Special equipment
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Silicon mat
Food processor
Electric whisk
Small baking tray (16cm x 26cm)
5 7cm mousse rings (3.5cm high)
Heat gun/Blow torch
Method
Hazelnut Praline
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the sugar & water. Place it on a medium heat, and cook the mixture until it reaches 110C/230F on a digital thermometer.
2. Once at 110C/230F, pour in the hazelnuts. Stir constantly with a spatula. The mixture will initially look quite clumpy, then the sugar will crystallise, but eventually, as you keep stirring, the sugars will caramelise and you should have a deep golden caramel surrounding the nuts. It will take 3-5 minutes.
3. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and tip the caramelised nuts onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. Sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top and let it set completely at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. The praline should then be completely cool and solid to the touch. Break it into pieces and add it into a high-powered food processor. Blend for 3-4 minutes, scraping it down every so often, until you have a smooth, nutty paste. Store in an airtight container.
Chocolate Sponge
1. Preheat the oven to 180C Non-Fan Assisted (160C Fan Assisted) and then lightly grease a small baking tray (this recipe uses a cm x cm baking tray). Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in firmly with your hands.
2. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, and sugar (A). Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side.
3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk, whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the sugar (B), about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.
4. Pour the egg yolk mixture on top of the meringue and gently fold it through using a spatula until well combined.
5. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold it in carefully until it is fully incorporated.
6. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
7. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly. Try to ensure the batter is relatively even.
8. Bake the sponge for 10-12 minutes, until dry to the touch, then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Chocolate Mousse
1. Into a small saucepan, add the milk and honey and place it onto a medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, add the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl.
3. Once the milk is simmering and the honey has dissolved, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes.
4. Then, use a hand blender to blend until smooth and set it to one side.
5. Into a medium bowl, add the cream and use an electric hand whisk to whisk it to a medium-soft peak.
6. Then, whisk the cream through the chocolate mixture in three parts until smooth. It’s important to whisk it through, as if you try to fold it, the cream will not incorporate properly and remain lumpy.
7. Lastly, fold in the salt.
Assembly
1. Take your cooled sponge and tip it out onto a silicon mat/piece of parchment paper.
2. Use one of your mousse rings to cut 5 circles out of the chocolate sponge and place them inside of your mousse rings. Gently push the sponge to the sides of the mousse rings to make sure there are no gaps.
3. Next, add a dollop of hazelnut praline to the centre of each sponge (I like to use a piping bag). You want it to cover about ⅔ of the sponge, not go all the way to the sides.
4. Then, add the chocolate mousse until it reaches the top of the mousse ring (again, I like to use a piping bag).
5. If your mousse is slightly thicker then use a palette knife to press the mousse to the edges and ensure there are no gaps. Then, heat your palette knife in some hot water, dry it with a tea towel and smooth the top of your mousse rings to ensure a nice even finish.
6. Place the cakes in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours until set and ready to serve.
Cocoa Gavotte
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the water, salt & butter. Place it over a medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, into a medium bowl, add all of the remaining ingredients and whisk them together till smooth.
3. Once the water is boiling, slowly pour it over the bowl of ingredients, whisking constantly to ensure that the mixture is tempered.
4. Once you’ve added all the water, pour the mixture back into the pan, and whisk constantly over a medium heat until it thickens to a custard-like consistency.
5. Place a sheet of cling film over a small baking tray and pour your gavotte mixture on top. Place another sheet of cling film over the top and refrigerate it for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F.
7. Onto a tray lined with a silicon mat, take a dollop of the gavotte mixture and create a line of it at the top of your tray. Do the same about half way down your tray. Then, using a palette knife, spread it nice and thin. It needs to be thin (almost opaque) otherwise the texture won’t be correct.
8. Place it into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until crispy (the top might be slightly cracked).
9. Repeat this with a second tray of mixture.
10. Once baked, allow them to cool for 5 minutes, then snap them into shards ready to decorate. It is best to make these fresh as they will soften the longer they are left. If you make them ahead of time, you can place them back into the oven for 2-3 minutes, to crisp up again.
11. When ready to serve, remove your mousse cakes from the fridge and use a heat gun/blow torch to gently warm the sides of your mousses and lift off the cake rings.
12. Place your chocolate gavotte shards on top/around the sides of your mousses in whatever design you would like!
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Tiramisu Cake
TIER 1
Tiramisu Cake
This is a subtle coffee flavoured cake, filled and decorated with vanilla and chocolate mascarpone swiss meringue buttercream, and topped with a chocolate ganache. I’ve used a scalloped edged scraper to create a funky texture as the design to this cake – relatively simple but so effective! Just make sure not to keep going over the cake. Have confidence in yourself! And remember, no one can see the back 😉
LARGE 7-INCH
CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 Large 7-inch Cake
Coffee Cake
455g Caster Sugar
495g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
405g Whole Eggs
21g Baking Powder
485g Cake Flour (or Plain/All-Purpose Flour)
2g Salt
5g Instant Coffee
45g Boiling Water
Coffee Sugar Syrup
100g Sugar
100g Water
2g Instant Coffee
Mascarpone Swiss Meringue Buttercream
400g Egg Whites
700g Caster Sugar
7g Fine Sea Salt
1kg Unsalted Butter, cubed
2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
200g Mascarpone
Chocolate Mascarpone Swiss Meringue Buttercream
300g Mascarpone Swiss Meringue Buttercream
100g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
Chocolate Ganache
50g Dark Chocolate, Finely Chopped
140g Double/Heavy Cream
Cocoa Powder To Decorate
Special equipment
4 7-inch cake tins
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Rotating cake stand
Flat edged scraper
Scalloped edged scraper
Heat gun (or a hair dryer)
St Honore piping nozzle
Hand blender
Method
Coffee Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-Fan Assisted. Lightly grease 4×7” tins with soft butter, and place a circle of parchment in the bottom. Tip in a tablespoon of flour and shake this around to coat the tin and then tip out any excess.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt & baking powder, then whisk to combine. Set this to one side.
3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar. Beat it with the paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
4. Scrape the bowl, then back on a medium low speed, slowly add the eggs in about 6 additions, leaving about 10-15 seconds between each addition. Don’t worry if the batter looks slightly curdled at this stage.
5. Tip in the flour mixture and mix on a low speed until there are no more dry ingredients visible. Scrape down the bowl, really ensuring to scrape the bottom so that there are streaks of butter.
6. Finally, stir together the boiling water and the instant coffee powder. Pour this coffee mixture into the cake batter and mix on a low speed until combined. If you feel your batter is still a little too thick, just add a little more boiling water to loosen it.
7. Weigh 440g of batter into each tin. The batter will be quite thick so use the back of a hot spoon to spread it out roughly to the edges of the tin.
8. Bake the cakes for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the cakes have an even golden colour.
9. While still warm, gently loosen the edges of the cake from the cake tin with a palette knife, and then flip them out onto a wire rack. Let them cool for a few minutes before wrapping them tightly in clingfilm and refrigerating. Ideally you would chill them overnight but 4 hours is enough time too.
Mascarpone Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1. In a stand mixer bowl over a pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg whites, caster sugar and sea salt until the mixture reaches 65C on a digital thermometer.
2. Once the mixture comes to temperature, immediately add the bowl to your stand mixer and mix on a medium speed for 10-15 minutes, until the bottom of the bowl is tepid to touch.
3. Next, with your stand mixer on a medium speed, add the butter a little at a time, leaving 5-10 seconds between each addition. Once it’s all been added, continue mixing for another 5 minutes.
4. Finally, add the mascarpone and vanilla and, using the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed for 5 more minutes.
5. To make the chocolate mascarpone swiss meringue buttercream, melt the chocolate over a bain marie, let it cool for 3 minutes then whisk through 300g of the plain mascarpone swiss meringue buttercream. If the buttercream seems too soft when you’ve whisked throught the chocolate, just pop it in the fridge for a few minutes so it can thicken slightly.
6. When you’re ready to start decorating your cakes, add the buttercreams to piping bags.
Coffee Sugar Syrup
1. In a saucepan over a medium heat, mix the sugar, water and coffee together until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to one side to cool.
Crumb Coat
1. Using a serrated knife, evenly cut the top off your cake layers to make them level.
2. Put a cake board on top of a rotating cake stand. Secure the cake board down with some wet kitchen paper.
3. Add a small dollop of buttercream to your cake board and place your first layer on top, cut side up. Using a spoon, add some sugar syrup to the top of the cake layer.
4. Next, pipe a dollop of chocolate buttercream in the centre of the cake layer. Then, add a circle of the vanilla buttercream around the chocolate buttercream. Follow this with a circle of chocolate, and finish it with a circle of vanilla. Make sure you end with the vanilla buttercream round the outside.
5. Repeat this with the second and third cake layers, so you have three layers of buttercream in total. Place your final layer on top, making sure the cut side is facing down.
6. Next it’s time to crumb coat the cake. Add more vanilla buttercream to the outside of the cake – you can be messy here! Then, using a palette knife, spread the buttercream out over the entire outside of the cake, making sure all the gaps between the layers are filled.
7. Next, hold a flat edge scraper against the outside of the cake at about a 30 degree angle. In one swift motion, spin the cake whilst keeping a straight hold of the scraper. Repeat this a few times, filling in any gaps with extra buttercream. You should be left with an even crumb coat around the cake. Then, take your palette knife and smooth the top of the cake.
8. Chill the cake until the buttercream feels firm to touch. About 20 minutes in the freezer or 30-40 minutes in the fridge.
Decoration
1. Once your buttercream has chilled, take a palette knife and spread a thick layer of your vanilla buttercream over the outside of the cake (don’t worry about the top). You want to make sure this buttercream is quite soft with few air bubbles, so I like to add it back into the stand mixer and use a heat gun or hair dryer to just loosen it a little before using. Melting it slightly will give you a soft, bubble free buttercream,
2. Then, using a scalloped edged cake scraper, use the same technique as the crumb coat. Heat the edge of the scraper with a heat gun or hair dryer, then hold it at a 30 degree angle against the side of the cake, and in one swift motion spin your cake, holding the scraper steady.
3. You’ll likely be left with a few gaps/air pockets. Fill these in with some buttercream and repeat the process, making sure you heat your scraper slightly before attempting the scrape. I wouldn’t recommend doing this more than 3 times or you will scrape off too much buttercream.
4. Once you’re happy with the design of the cake, use a palette knife to scrape off any excess buttercream from the top of the cake.
5. Next, add your remaining vanilla buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a St. Honore nozzle. Holding the piping bag firmly, at the edge of the top of the cake pipe in a zigzag motion whilst spinning your cake stand. Try and do this in one spin until you have covered the entire edge of the cake.
6. Finally, make your chocolate ganache. In a saucepan, heat the double cream over a medium heat until it’s simmering. Add the chopped chocolate to a narrow tall jug, then pour over the heated cream. Use a hand blender to blend the mixture until smooth. Try to avoid vigorously moving the blender to ensure you don’t add too many air bubbles to the ganache. Let it sit for 2 minutes.
7. Add a dusting of cocoa powder over the piped edges of your cake. Then slowly pour the ganache over the top of the cake until you’ve covered about ⅔ of the cake top. Gently tilt the cake to fill the entire top.
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Red Velvet Cake
TIER 2
Red Velvet Cake
This is such a light and fluffy red velvet cake recipe, a new favourite for me. Filled with cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream, and decorated with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream, tempered white chocolate ‘leaves’ and a velvet spray. We get technical here, but stay with me! Tempering chocolate is such a great skill to have in your baking toolkit, and if you’re already a pro at tempering, I think you’ll love the technique to this design.
1 LARGE
7-INCH CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 Large 7-inch Cake
Red Velvet Cake
160g Unsalted Butter
8g Red Fat Soluble Powder (or a good squeeze of Red Gel Colour)
300g Whole Eggs
170g Egg Yolks
170g Egg Whites
390g Caster Sugar, Divided
8g Baking Powder
8g Baking Soda
40g Cornflour/Cornstarch
40g Cocoa Powder
200g Cake Flour (or Plain/All-Purpose Flour)
2g Salt
140g Plain Greek Yoghurt
8g Vanilla Paste
8g White Vinegar
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
400g Egg Whites
700g Caster Sugar
7g Fine Sea Salt
1kg Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature, Cubed
2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream
400g Swiss Meringue Buttercream
120g Cream Cheese, Full Fat, Room Temperature
White Chocolate Decoration
600g White Chocolate (to make 2x batches of 300g tempered white chocolate)
Velvet spray
150g White Chocolate
150g Cocoa Butter
10g White Cocoa Butter (more if needed to create a white colour)
Special equipment
4 7-inch cake tins
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
2 7.3-inch acrylic cake discs (3mm thick)
Revolving cake stand
Straight edged scraper
Heat gun/hair dryer
Adjustable raplette (optional)
2 A3 sheets of acetate
Rolling pin
Spray gun OR canned velvet spray
Method
Red Velvet Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F Non-Fan Assisted. Lightly grease 4×7” tins with soft butter, and place a circle of parchment in the bottom. Tip in a tablespoon of flour and shake this around to coat the tin and then tip out any excess.
2. In a bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients and leave to one side.
3. In a saucepan over a medium heat, mix together the butter and red colouring until melted. Leave to one side.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar (250g), whole eggs and egg yolks and whisk on a medium speed for 6-7 minutes until the mixture holds a slight ribbon.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium speed until they’re frothy with small bubbles (about 2-3 minutes), then increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the sugar (140g) one tablespoon at a time, leaving 10-15 seconds between each addition. Once you’ve added all the sugar, keep whisking until you have a stiff meringue (2-3 more minutes).
6. Next, add the meringue to the egg mixture in three parts and whisk each part by hand until you have a smooth batter.
7. In a separate bowl, stir the vinegar, yoghurt and vanilla paste together. Then whisk this mixture into the cake batter.
8. Next, sift your dry ingredients into the cake batter and gently whisk them through by hand until combined.
9. Finally, add your melted butter to the batter and gently whisk it through until combined.
10. Weigh 380g of batter into each tin.
11. Bake the cakes for 28 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
12. While still warm, gently loosen the edges of the cake from the cake tin with a palette knife, and then flip them out onto a wire rack. Let them cool for a few minutes before wrapping them tightly in clingfilm and refrigerating. Ideally you would chill them overnight but 4 hours is enough time too.
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1. In a stand mixer bowl over a pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg whites, caster sugar and sea salt until the mixture reaches 65C on a digital thermometer.
2. Once the mixture comes to temperature, immediately add the bowl to your stand mixer and mix on a medium speed for 10-15 minutes, until the bottom of the bowl is tepid to touch.
3. Next, with your stand mixer on a medium speed, add the butter a little at a time, leaving 5-10 seconds between each addition. Once it’s all been added, continue mixing for another 5 minutes.
4. Finally add the vanilla and, using the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed for 5 more minutes.
Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Note – After finishing the filming I decided to adjust the recipe slightly as I wanted to improve the texture of the buttercream for the final coat. So I have adjusted the recipe here, where the cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream is just used as the filling, and then the swiss meringue buttercream is used for the final coat. This will give the cake a better finish.
1. Take the cream cheese, and beat it in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes on a medium speed.
2. Next, weigh 400g of the Swiss Meringue Buttercream and add this in thirds to the cream cheese, while beating with the paddle attachment.
3. This buttercream can be slightly unstable so if you find it has split slightly, switch to the whisk attachment and whisk on a medium high speed for 5-10 minutes, until it begins to smooth. It can take some time so be patient. It should be much smoother but slightly more aerated in texture, with a few more streaks of air bubbles compared to the regular swiss meringue buttercream. That’s ok as we are only going to use it for the filling.
Crumb Coat
1. Using a serrated knife, evenly cut the top off your cake layers to make them level.
2. Put a cake disc on top of a rotating cake stand (this is not necessary but makes cake decorating so much easier!). Secure the cake disc down with some wet kitchen paper.
3. Add a dollop of cream cheese buttercream to your cake board and place your first layer on top, cut side up.
4. Next, add a dollop of cream cheese buttercream in the centre of the cake layer. Use a palette knife to spread the buttercream out until you have an even layer.
5. Repeat this with the second and third cake layers, so you have three layers of cream cheese buttercream in total. Place your final layer on top, making sure the cut side is facing down, and cover this in buttercream too.
6. Next it’s time to crumb coat the cake. Add your vanilla buttercream to the outside of the cake, and use a palette knife to spread the buttercream out over the entire outside of the cake, making sure all the gaps between the layers are filled.
7. Next, hold a flat edge scraper against the outside of the cake at about a 30 degree angle. In one swift motion, spin the cake whilst keeping a straight hold of the scraper. Repeat this a few times, filling in any gaps with extra buttercream. You should be left with an even crumb coat around the cake. Then, take your palette knife and smooth the top of the cake.
8. Chill the cake until the buttercream feels firm to touch. About 20 minutes in the freezer or 30-40 minutes in the fridge.
9. Whilst the buttercream is chilling, grease one side of a cake disc with butter and add a circle of parchment paper, the same size as the cake disc. Use a palette knife to smooth the parchment paper – almost like you are ‘squeegeeing’ out any excess buttercream. Place this disc in the freezer.
10. Once chilled, add a thick layer of the vanilla swiss meringue buttercream onto the top of the cake. Use a palette knife to spread the buttercream to the edge of the cake. Place your second cake disc on top of the buttercream, with the parchment paper facing down. Press down firmly, and use your cake scraper to line up the top cake disc with the bottom cake disc.
11. Add more vanilla swiss meringue buttercream to the outside of the cake using a palette knife, and, following the same technique as the crumb coating, use the cake scraper to evenly spread the buttercream over the whole cake. Repeat the process 4-5 times, filling in any gaps with buttercream after each spin, until you have a nice smooth layer of buttercream. Make sure you clean and heat your scraper in between each spn, and start scraping from the same place each time.
12. Once happy with the cake, chill once more until the buttercream feels firm to touch. About 20 minutes in the freezer or 30-40 minutes in the fridge.
13. Once chilled, carefully run a knife in between the parchment paper and the cake disc to gently dislodge it. You should be able to lift the disc off, then peel the parchment paper off.
14. Use a palette knife and a little more buttercream to the top and gently smooth the top of the cake as best as possible. Don’t worry too much, as we are going to spray it so it doesn’t need to be perfect.
White Chocolate Decoration
For this decoration we need to use tempered White Chocolate. There is a thorough guide and video to this here. I recommended splitting this into two batches, as it is a quick process so 800g is too much chocolate to work with at once.
I use a raplette to level my chocolate and create a more professional finish. You can do this using a palette knife but it will be uneven. These instructions assume you are using a raplette.
1. Once you have tempered your first batch of chocolate, take an A3 sheet of acetate and press it down onto a very lightly oiled work surface (to ensure it sticks). Alongside this, lay down a few sheets of clingfilm, longer than the length of the acetate, also on an oiled surface.
2. Set the raplette to a height of 2-3mm and a width of roughly 25cm/10 inches. Pour the tempered chocolate into the well of the raplette and, working quickly, drag this along your acetate to create an even rectangle of chocolate.
3. Let the chocolate set until it is just touch dry (you don’t want it to solidify too much). This should only take 2-3 minutes.
4. Using a sharp knife and a metal ruler, cut even, diagonal lines across the chocolate, roughly 3cm/1.25” wide. Repeat this in the other direction to create squares.
5. Place another sheet of acetate on top and lift the chocolate onto the clingfilm. Place a large rolling pin at one end and wrap the clingfilm and chocolate around the rolling pin. You need to ensure you’re working quickly here to ensure the chocolate doesn’t snap as you’re rolling it. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
6. Once set, carefully remove the rolling pin and clingfilm to release the squares of chocolate. Put them to one side and repeat the process with the second batch of tempered chocolate.
Assembly
1. There are no real rules here! Just start to add your chocolate squares onto your cake, layer by layer. I like to overlap mine to create a bit more texture. If your cake is too cold, the chocolate won’t stick, so it can be helpful to heat it up a little with a heat gun/hair dryer before you palace on each square. You want your top layer of chocolate to end slightly above the top of the cake. Once you’ve added all the chocolate, place the cake in the fridge or freezer so it is cold before we spray. It only needs around 15m in the freezer or 30m in the fridge.
2. Next move on to your velvet spray. You can buy a premade spray in a can, or you can make your own velvet spray and use a fence spray gun (!) to spray your cake. To do this, add your ingredients to a bowl and stir over a pan of gently simmering water until melted. Then remove from the heat and cool until it reaches 45C.
3. Add the mixture to the spray gun and spray evenly over your cake. This is really messy so make sure anything behind your cake is well protected!
4. Ensure the cake comes to room temperature before serving.
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Chocolate Babka
TIER 1
Chocolate Babka
I love the design of this Babka! It’s such a showstopper and so unbelievably tasty. This recipe teaches you the foundations of enriched dough, which we fill with a super easy chocolate filling. It’s just the braiding that requires a bit more brain power, but watch the video and I’ll walk you through it step by step – I promise it’s easier than it looks!
2
BABKAS
Ingredients
Makes 2 Babkas
For the dough
750g White Bread Flour
150g Caster Sugar
15g Instant Dry Yeast
225g Whole Milk
165g Whole Eggs
9g Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
150g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed
For the chocolate filling
240g Unsalted Butter
160g Caster Sugar
80g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of sea salt flakes
For the egg wash
2 Egg Yolks (35g)
Splash of Water
For the sugar syrup
100g Caster Sugar
100g Water
Special equipment
Stand mixer
2 x 2lb loaf tins
Method
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk and eggs followed by the strong white bread flour, the sugar, salt and yeast. Lastly, add the vanilla bean paste. Knead together on a medium-low speed (speed 3 on a KitchenAid) for 8 minutes.
2. Next, slowly add the butter a few pieces at a time (waiting 20-30 seconds between each addition), and keep kneading until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated. This will take about 10-12 minutes.
3. Once your dough is ready, lift it out of the bowl and shape it into a tight ball. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl and lightly grease the top of the dough (I use an oil spray but alternatively, you can put some oil on your hands and gently rub the dough). Cover the surface of the dough directly with cling film, and the top of the bowl. Chill in the fridge overnight (minimum 12 hours).
4. Just before you’re ready to roll your dough, make the chocolate filling.
5. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat
6. In a separate bowl, add the sugar, cocoa powder and salt
7. Once your butter has melted, pour it over the dry ingredients and whisk until combined
8. Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes, stirring with a spatula occasionally until it becomes the consistency of soft butter. It may take longer if your room temperature is a little warmer. To speed it up, just pop it in the fridge and stir every few minutes.
9. Once your Babka dough has chilled, lightly flour your surface and place the dough on top. Flour the dough and roll it out to roughly 18”x24” (roughly the width of your two loaf tins placed side by side). The dough should be nice and thin.
10. Next, spread your chocolate filling all over the top of the dough, right to the edges.
11. Using your hands, starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log, then place it in the freezer for 10 minutes (you can bend it slightly to make sure it fits!).
12. Once your dough has chilled, cut off any rough ends and then cut the dough lengthways directly down the centre. Next, place one half of the log over the top of the other half in a cross shape. Starting with one side of the cross, braid the dough into a tight plait, then repeat with the other side.
13. Line the bottom of your loaf tins with a piece of parchment paper. Place one of your tins next to the dough, cut the dough to the same length as the tin, then place it in your tin. Repeat with the other tin. You’ll likely have a little dough remaining.
14. Cover the tins with a tea towel and leave to proof for 2 hours. If you’re in a particularly cold kitchen, you can put your tins in the oven and add a small cup of boiling water to the bottom of the oven. Replace this every 30 minutes or so to speed up the proofing process slightly.
15. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F Non- Fan Assisted just before the time is up.
16. Once your Babkas have proofed, mix together the egg wash ingredients and paint it over the Babkas.
17. Just before adding your Babkas to the oven, add some boiling water to a tray and place this on the bottom shelf of your oven. Add the Babkas to the middle shelf and bake for 60-70 minutes. To check they are cooked in the middle, probe the centre of the Babkas with a digital thermometer – they should be over 90C/195F.
18. Whilst the Babkas are baking, make your sugar syrup. Add the water and sugar to a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until it’s gently simmering and all the sugar has dissolved.
19. Once baked, remove the Babkas from the oven and lightly run a knife around the outside of the tins to loosen them. Tip them onto a wire rack and use a pastry brush to soak them in the sugar syrup. Wrap the Babkas in cling film and leave to cool for 1 hour. It’s important to leave them for an hour to allow the middle of the Babkas to completely set.
20. Once cooled, your Babka’s are ready to serve! They’re best eaten straight away (or within a few hours) as they have the tendency to dry out a little, but if you want to serve them later I’d pop them in the oven for 5-7 minutes before serving.
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Decadent Baked Chocolate Tart
TIER 1
Decadent Baked Chocolate Tart
This recipe teaches you how to master the perfect chocolate pastry, and create the smoothest chocolate filling. Decadent really is the only way to describe it! It’s light but rich, and is best served with a nice dollop of Vanilla Chantilly.
1
9" TART
Ingredients
Makes 1 9-inch Tart
For the chocolate pastry
70g powdered/icing sugar
100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
20g cocoa powder
50g egg yolks
180g all purpose/plain flour, plus a pinch of sea salt
For the cocoa egg wash
40g egg yolks, plus 5g cocoa powder
10g heavy/double cream
For the filling
155g whole eggs
85g granulated/caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
180g heavy/double cream
325g whole milk
130g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, melted
Special equipment
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
9-inch (22.8cm) fluted tart tin
Method
Chocolate pastry and egg wash
- Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift in the sugar. Add the butter and the cocoa powder.
- Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture forms a smooth paste, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add in the egg yolks, scrape down the sides and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated.
- Scrape down the bowl once again to ensure no butter is stuck to the sides. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed for about 20 to 30 seconds, or until the mixture pulls together into a dough.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and gently work it into a disc shape. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and gently squeeze it, using your hands to test the firmness. You want the dough to be slightly pliable but still cold. If the dough is too soft it will get sticky as you roll, but if it is too cold it will crack. It might need a minute or two at room temperature to get it to the right consistency.
- Lightly flour the dough and your rolling pin, and working quickly, roll the dough into a rough circle until the pastry is relatively thin, about 0.15 to 0.20-inch (4mm to 5mm) thick. Lift the dough up occasionally and lightly flour underneath to prevent it from sticking. If the dough is tearing or feels too warm, place it on a baking tray and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, then try again.
- Place your rolling pin at the top of the circle and fold the top edge of the dough over the rolling pin. Pull the rolling pin back towards you, which will wrap the dough around the rolling pin.
- Starting at the bottom edge of your fluted tart tin, carefully unroll the dough from the rolling pin, to cover the entire tin.
- Use your fingers to gently press the dough into the edges of the fluted indents. If the dough is tearing, simply take any excess pastry and patch the holes.
- Take the rolling pin, and pressing firmly against the top of the tin, roll it over the entire tin to trim away the excess dough. Place the tin on a tray and pop it into the freezer for 30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Cut a large circle of parchment/baking paper, and scrunch this up a few times so that it is flexible. Remove the tray from the freezer and use a fork to poke holes evenly across the base of the pastry.
- Place the parchment/baking paper on the inside of the pastry and press it into the edges. Pour your baking beans or rice into the base and spread them out. Place the tray with the tin on in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment paper with the baking beans on. Return the tray to the oven and continue to bake until the pastry is an even golden color—about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow the pastry to cool for 10 minutes.
- Very carefully remove the pastry from the tin, keeping the removable base on the bottom. Really thoroughly mix together the ingredients for the egg wash to make sure the cocoa powder is incorporated.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly egg wash the inside and outside of the tart shell. Place it onto the tray and back into the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the egg wash has completely set
- Remove the tart from the oven, allowing it to cool slightly. It is now ready to add your filling.
Filling
- Lower the oven temperature to 285°F/140°C.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, and salt for 1 minute.
- In a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the cream and milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then slowly pour it over the egg mixture and whisk constantly until combined.
- Place the melted chocolate in a medium bowl and slowly pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate, using a spatula to stir in small circles in the center of the bowl (ensure the melted chocolate is warm for this step). Use a spoon to scoop off any foam from the top.
Assembly
- Place the baked tart case, still in the pan, on a baking tray in the center of the oven. Carefully pour the chocolate filling into the tart shell, filling it just below the lip of the tart shell. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until there’s a wobble about 3” (7.5cm) big in the center of the tart.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow the tart to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Remove the tart from the fridge and pop it out of the pan and onto your serving plate. oven. Decorate the tart with a dusting of cocoa powder around the edges.
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Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets
TIER 2
Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets
For this recipe, we use the same pastry and filling from Tier 1, but we advance it by using individual perforated tart rings, and by creating a Chocolate Namelaka and a Salted Caramel. I’ve used a #127 piping nozzle to create a funky design around the edge, but you can do whatever you fancy!
6
TARTLETS
Ingredients
Makes 6 Tartlets
For the chocolate pastry
70g powdered/icing sugar
100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
20g cocoa powder
50g egg yolks
180g all purpose/plain flour, plus a pinch of sea salt
For the cocoa egg wash
40g egg yolks, plus 5g cocoa powder
10g heavy/double cream
For the Namelaka
3g powdered gelatin
18g cold water
160g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
120g whole milk
12g glucose
240g heavy/double cream, cold
For the salted caramel
88g heavy/double cream
23g whole milk
68g glucose syrup, divided
40g superfine/caster sugar
1g flaky sea salt
30g unsalted butter
For the filling
100g eggs
50g granulated/caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
110g heavy/double cream
200g whole milk
80g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
Special equipment
Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
6x 3 x 0.78 inch (7.6×1.98cm) perforated tart rings
2x piping bags, plus a #127 tip piping nozzle
Hand blender
Method
Chocolate pastry and egg wash
- Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift in the sugar. Add the butter and the cocoa powder.
- Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture forms a smooth paste, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add in the egg yolks, scrape down the sides and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated.
- Scrape down the bowl once again to ensure no butter is stuck to the sides. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed for about 20 to 30 seconds, or until the mixture pulls together into a dough.
- Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form a rough ball. Place the ball of dough onto a silicone mat. Place a second silicone mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough rectangle, getting it around 0.15 to 0.2 inch (4mm to 5mm) thick. If you don’t have silicone mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper, but it will be more difficult as it has less grip. Place it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with soft butter. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the ring.
- Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and, working quickly, peel the top silicone mat off of the dough. Press the 4 tart rings firmly into the dough, lift them up, and transfer them to a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat. The dough should be cold enough that it attaches to the ring as you lift it up. Place the tray in the fridge while you cut the walls.
- With the remaining dough, use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut 4 strips of dough each measuring 9.6 x 0.9 inches (24.4 x 2.3cm). These measurements seem quite precise, but this will ensure the dough fits perfectly into the tart rings with no excess overlapping. If they feel too warm to lift up, place them back in the freezer for 5 minutes just so they can cool back down slightly.
- Remove the baking tray with the tart bases from the fridge and remove one strip of dough for the walls.
- Working quickly, take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use your fingers to gently press together this strip of dough, against the base of the tart. The idea is to slightly push down the wall of dough so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell and there are no gaps. If at any point you feel the dough is too warm or is tearing, place everything back in the freezer for 10 minutes then carry on.
- Repeat this with the remaining tarts, again, chilling the dough if needed. At this point, squeeze together the remaining scraps of dough, and repeat the process, rolling the dough and chilling it, so that you can create the final 2 tart shells.
- Once you have lined all the tart shells, avoid trying to move them in case the dough tears. Chill the entire tray for 15 minutes and pre-heat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Remove the shells from the freezer and holding a knife perpendicular to the tart shell, trim off the excess pastry hanging over the tart ring so that the pastry is flush.
- Place the tart shells in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. While they bake, thoroughly whisk together the ingredients for the egg wash.
- Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. At this point, the pastry should have retracted slightly from the ring mold, and you should be able to lift it off easily.
- Lift the shells up and using a pastry brush, apply an even egg wash all over the tart. Place them back on the tray and into the oven for a further 5-8 minutes. The pastry is blind baked now ready to add your filling.
Namelaka
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered gelatin and cold water. Mix well and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
- To a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water without allowing the bowl to touch the water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
- To a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and glucose. Stir the mixture until steaming. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until it completely dissolves.
- Slowly pour this mixture over the melted chocolate, stirring in small circles in the center of the chocolate as you pour. Initially, the mixture will look quite split and oily, but as you add the remaining milk, everything will pull together.
- Add the cold cream and use a hand blender or a hand whisk to mix until combined. Cover the surface with plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours or ideally overnight.
Salted Caramel
- In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the milk, heavy cream, and 23 grams of corn/glucose syrup. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking the mixture to ensure the syrup has fully dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat but ensure the mixture stays warm.
- In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the superfine/caster sugar and the remaining 45 grams of glucose sugar. Cook until the mixture turns a deep caramel color, whisking slowly to help disperse the sugar.
- Once golden, immediately pour in the hot cream mixture, being very careful as it will bubble up violently. Whisk the mixture and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve and into a large bowl. Let the mixture cool for 2 minutes. Add the sea salt flakes and butter. Blend or whisk until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a container and chill for at least 3 hours
Filling
- Lower the oven temperature to 285°F/140°C.
- To a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt for 1 minute.
- In a small saucepan over a medium heat, combine the milk and cream. Heat until the mixture is steaming.
- Slowly pour the milk mixture over the eggs, whisking to combine as you pour.
- Slowly pour this mixture over the melted chocolate, using a spatula to stir the mixture in small circles in the center as you pour. Once everything has been combined, use a spoon to scoop off any foamy bubbles on the top.
Assembly
- Place the tray with the tarts on, in the middle of the oven and carefully pour in the chocolate filling—just to the top of the tart shell. Bake for about 25 or 30 minutes or until they have a very small wobble in the center.
- Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before refrigerating for 3 hours.
- Remove the namelaka from the fridge and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until you get a medium–stiff peak.
- Add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small St. Honore nozzle. Holding the piping bag just slightly below vertical, pipe the namelaka around the outside edge of the tart in a zigzag motion, leaving a small gap in the center. If you have a cake turntable, this can make it a little easier to spin the tart as you pipe.
- Add the salted caramel to a piping bag and snip a small hole off the end. Pipe this into the center of the tart.
- Allow the tarts to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
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Brown Butter and Hazelnut Financier
TIER 2
Brown Butter and Hazelnut Financier
Now you’ve learnt the basics of a financier from Tier 1, this recipe advances your skills by making a brown butter, swapping out ground almonds for blended hazelnuts, and practising your piping with a grass tip nozzle. It’s a beautifully light and airy cake, and the extra effort comes across in the incredible flavours. It’s a little untraditional doing a financier in a loaf cake, but it works for me!
MAKES 1 LOAF CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 1lb Loaf Cake
For the chocolate chantilly
90g 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
200g heavy/double cream
10g honey
For the financier
75g whole hazelnuts, skin on, plus more to decorate
145g unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
155g egg whites
3g orange zest
1⁄2 fresh vanilla bean pod or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
155g powdered/icing sugar
75g self-rising/raising flour, plus more
Special equipment
Hand blender
Blender
1 lb (450g) loaf pan
Baking tray/sheet
2 piping bags, plus 1 large grass tip nozzle
Method
1. To make the dark chocolate chantilly, add the chocolate to a tall measuring jug.
2. In a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the cream and
honey. Stir occasionally until hot but not boiling, then immediately remove the
saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture over the chocolate.
3. Allow the cream to sit for 2 minutes before using a hand blender to blend until
smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C. Grease a 1lb (450g) loaf pan with butter. Sprinkle
flour in the pan and shake the pan to coat with flour. Tap the pan to remove any
excess flour.
5. To make the financier, spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the
oven and roast the hazelnuts for 8 to 12 minutes or until the skins start to burst.
6. Remove the tray from the oven and let them cool slightly, before peeling off the skins
(save these for decoration). Don’t worry if there are still a few skins remaining as this
will give the cake batter a nice color. Place the skinned hazelnuts back into the oven
for 5 minutes, or until they are a golden colour.
7. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the hazelnuts to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Add them to a blender and blend them into a fine powder. Set aside.
8. In a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the
butter has melted, it will begin to roar quite violently, then big bubbles will form in the
pan. After this, the bubbles will become much smaller and the pan will go very quiet.
At this point, you’re looking for a caramelized, nutty aroma coming from the pan. This
should take around 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Remove the saucepan from the heat and measure out 115 grams. Allow the butter to
cool for 5 minutes.
10. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites for 30 seconds or until they become
frothy.
11. Add the ground hazelnuts, orange zest, and vanilla. Sift the powdered/icing sugar
into the bowl. Whisk briefly until everything has been combined.
12. Sift the self-rising flour into the bowl. Briefly mix again to ensure the dry ingredients
have been incorporated.
13. Whisk in the cooled brown butter. It might not incorporate right away, so keep
whisking until it does. Pour the cake batter into the greased pan.
14. Add some softened butter to a piping bag. Cut a very small hole at the end of the bag
and pipe a thin line of butter down the center of the batter.
15. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 60 minutes. It should have a nice golden color
on top and a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.
16. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the cake to cool for 1 to 2 hours.
17. Remove the dark chocolate chantilly from the fridge and very briefly stir by hand just
until it is smooth. Be careful not to over-work it. Add the chantilly to a piping bag
fitted with a large grass tip nozzle.
18. Pipe long lines of the chantilly across the top of the cake, overlapping them slightly.
19. Finish by decorating the cake with some slightly roasted hazelnut halves, and
hazelnut skins.
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Hazelnut Truffle
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Baileys Yule Log
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Snickers
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Black Sesame & Blackberry
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Bi-Color Pain Au Chocolat
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