I hope everyone remembered that it was Fathers Day yesterday! I want to share the dessert I made- It was lovely.
I have the best father. I know a lot of people probably think that but I am totally right. Here's why...
- He helped me with MANY school projects through the years even when it was the night before the due-date (and remained patient the entire time)
- He built my bedroom furniture for my house
- He (and my mom of course) taught me about healthy eating from a young age
- He listens to me blab ON and ON about what foods I want to make
- When I visit we are a great team in the kitchen creating meals
- He is actually the one that initially inspired me to compile my recipes into my own personal cookbook.
- He got me started with this blog -- He also designed my entire site AND helped me with my photography skills (as well as lets me borrow his camera)
He is a constant inspiration to me- Thank you so much for all your positivity and guidance over the years dad! Love you!
So in lieu of fathers day, I made a cake for our fathers day dinner when I visited my parents this weekend. Espresso is a culture at our house so I thought- what better to make then a cappuccino cake! Recently I have been trying my hand at creating some "entremet" style cakes which are typically multi-layered mousse cakes - SO pretty, especially for someone like me who doesn't really love traditional frostings.
I always think that the cakes look a tad like stratified rock.
These cakes look super impressive and are a little time consuming but with the proper planning you can pull off one of these babies EASY- I give myself 2 days.
DAY 1: Make the cakes
DAY 2: Mousses/Fillings and Assembly
Easy as pie cake!
Recipe: Cappuccino Mousse Entremet
Ingredients:
Fluffy Chocolate Cake:
1/8 cup canola oil
3 eggs, separated
3 tbsp freshly brewed espresso at room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp sugar
1 /2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
Chocolate-Espresso Mousse:
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1 egg
3 oz bittersweet chocolate chunked
1/4 cup heavy cream
Espresso Cinnamon Cake:
Same as fluffy chocolate cake recipe except minus the 1/4 cup cocoa powder and add in another 1/4 cup cake flour.
Espresso Bavarian Cream:
1 tbsp powdered gelatin
3 tbsp water
4 egg yolks
3 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup brewed espresso
1 cup heavy cream (cold)
Bavarian Cream:
Same as Espresso Bavarian Cream except replace the 1/4 cup espresso with 1/4 cup milk
Method:
Fluffy Chocolate Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square cake pan with margarine, line with parchment and grease again. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, espresso, vanilla, and oil. In an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites on med-low until foamy. Turn to med-high and gradually add 1/8-1/4 cup of sugar and whip until soft peaks form.
Add the espresso mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Add 1/4 of the egg whites and fold in to lighten the batter. Add the rest of the whites and fold until there are no more streaks.
Pour batter into cake pan and bake in oven (rotating half way) for 15-18 min or until tester comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack in the pan. Run a blunt knife around cake to loosen.
Espresso Cinnamon Cake: Prepare according to directions for fluffy chocolate cake (but using the 1/4 cup extra flour INSTEAD of the cocoa powder).
Chocolate-Espresso Mousse: Combine water, egg, cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture reaches a boil (or just becomes very thick). Let simmer and continue whisking for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate until melted. Transfer the mixture to a metal bowl and let cool (here you can add the puree or juice).
Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream into the cooled chocolate mixture.
Espresso Bavarian Cream: Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let soften. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale. In a medium saucepan over medium-heat, bring the milk and espresso to a simmer. Pour the hot milk over the yolks and whisk constantly to prevent curdling. Pour back into the saucepan and cook until the cream coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatin, stirring until dissolved completely. Sieve mixture into a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Whip cream in a stand mixer until soft peaks form and fold gently into the cooled custard.
Bavarian Cream: Same as above except don't add the espresso.
Assembly: Start by lining a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil making sure it rises 2 inches above the sides (use 2 sheets of aluminum foil and press them into the bottom of the cake pan). Place the chocolate cake on the bottom of the cake pan.
Layer on the chocolate mousse and smooth with an offset spatula. Place the cappuccino cake on top being careful to makesure the layers are all even. Pour the espresso bavarian cream on top and smooth. Let sit in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the fridge for an hour to allow the first layer of bavarian cream cool before pouring the plain bavarian cream on top. Let sit in fridge for 2 hours to firm up.
Remove cake from pan carefully and remove the aluminum foil. Using a clean knife, slice the sides make sure they show each layer neatly.
