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Chocolate-and-cherry mousse cake with mirror glaze
Easy
1 hour, plus 4–5 hours’ setting time
45 minutes
Ingredients
-
For the chocolate biscuit layer:
- 1x 200g packet Woolworths choc-chip crunchies
- 1x 250 g packet Woolworths ginger snap biscuits
- 100 g dark chocolate, melted
- 3 T butter, melted For the cherry compote layer:
- 2 gelatine leaves
- 4 cups frozen cherries
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 T lemon juice
- 2 T water
- 2 T cornflour
- 1 t vanilla paste
- 1 lemon, zested For the chocolate mousse layer:
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 5 leaves gelatine
- 5 free-range egg yolks
- 1 t vanilla paste
- 1/4 t salt
- ¼ t ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup castor sugar
- 2 cups whipping cream For the mirror glaze:
- 10 g gelatine powder
- 60 g cold water
- 150 g caster sugar
- 150 g glucose
- 75 g water
- 100 g condensed milk
- 150 g dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 drops maroon food colouring To decorate:
- 100 g fresh cherries
- edible gold dust
Method
1. To make the biscuit layer, place a piece of parchment paper in the base of a 25 cm springform cake tin and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Coarsely crush the biscuits. Mix the butter and chocolate, then fold into the crushed biscuits. Press the mixture into the cake tin and chill to set.
3. To make the cherry compote layer, bloom the gelatine in cold water. Place the remaining ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook until the mixture thickens, then add the bloomed gelatine. Allow to cool slightly, then pour over the biscuit layer. Allow to set completely in the fridge.
4. To make the chocolate mousse layer, melt the chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals, then allow to cool. Bloom the gelatine in cold water. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, vanilla paste, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until yolks are light and fluffy. Add the bloomed gelatine and mix until dissolved, then fold in the melted chocolate and combine until smooth. Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip cream to until medium peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture in 3 batches. Pour the mousse over the set cherry compote layer, then place the cake tin in the freezer to set until the mousse is solid. Once frozen, remove the cake from the tin and place on a wire rack to glaze.
5. To make the mirror glaze, bloom the gelatine in the cold water. Place the sugar, glucose, water and condensed milk in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine, stirring until completely dissolved. Add the chocolate and blend using a stick blender. Add the food colouring and blend until fully incorporated. Pour glaze into a jug, then pour over the cake and allow to drip down the sides. Tap lightly and place in the fridge to firm up before transferring onto a plate.
6. To decorate, dip half the cherries in gold dust and place around the cake, then add the undipped cherries.
Photographs: Jan Ras
Production: Amy Ebedes-Murray
Food assistant: Bianca Jones