Chocolate Genoise For Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE GENOISE FOR CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Combine 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon cocoa, and coat the pan, tapping out excess. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and set aside. Wash and dry the mixer bowl.
• Place the egg whites in the clean mixer bowl; with the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high, and add the sugar gradually, until glossy stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Transfer the egg-white mixture to a large bowl.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg-yolk mixture into the egg-white mixture. Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the top, and gently fold them into the batter. Gently pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet, and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until cake springs back when touched, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately turn cake out onto wire rack lined with parchment. Peel parchment from cake; cool completely. Use genoise the day it is made.

GENOISE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CHEVRE MOUSSE AND RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For the genoise cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In an electric mixing bowl with the whip attachment on low speed, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture down from the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and half of the milk. Once milk and eggs are incorporated, scrape down the bowl, also be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Mix until lump free.
• Add the shortening and whip on high speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the remaining milk and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until well incorporated, and the batter is smooth.
• Grease an 18 by 13-inch baking tray with shortening. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the sheet pan. Then grease the parchment paper with shortening as well.
• Pour the cake batter onto the sheet pan and spread until even. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly golden in color, do not let brown. The cake is done when a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean. Once cool, using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut the cake into 3-inch round circles.
• For the chocolate chevre mousse: In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Once all the chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Place the chevre in a medium mixing bowl, then add the melted chocolate. Whisk together the chocolate and chevre until smooth.
• For the raspberry sauce: In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the raspberries, water, sugar, cream of tartar, and lemon juice. Stir the sauce to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook the sauce until it comes to a slight boil. The remove the saucepan from the heat and add the contents to a blender. Blend the sauce until smooth. Pass the sauce through a strainer or cheesecloth to remove any seeds.
• To plate the dessert: Place a cake round in the center of the plate. Then spread a layer of the chocolate chevre mousse on the cake. Place an even layer of whole raspberries on top of the mousse. Repeat the layers with the cake, mousse, and raspberries. Drizzle the sauce over the cake tiers and around the plate. Serve.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE

Steps:

• Place a 1-quart saucepan half filled with water over high heat and bring it to a simmer. Make a double boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over the simmering water. Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and honey in the mixing bowl and make an egg foam by whisking the mixture to 113 degrees F (45 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, about 7 to 10 minutes. The egg foam passes through various stages becoming foamy, then smooth and finally it thickens. When it is thick, it will be hot to the touch, tripled in volume, and light in color and the sugar will have completely dissolved. If you dip the whisk into the mixture and pull it out, the batter should fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and whip the batter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it cools, increases in volume, stiffens slightly and becomes pale yellow, about 7 to 10 minutes. Take the time to whip it well; if the mixture is underwhipped, the baked genoise will be dense. Very, very carefully, fold in the flour with a rubber spatula until the flour is no longer visible, making sure to fold to the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix or the batter will deflate.
• I bake the genoise on a baking sheet 99 percent of the time because then I can cut it to any size I want. Spread the batter over a parchment paper-covered baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven until lightly and evenly browned and springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. If using cake pans, fill buttered and parchment paper-lined 8-inch round cake pans three quarters full. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until well-risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Genoise is baked at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time on a baking sheet than when baked in a cake pan to allow it to retain moisture; if overbaked, it will be dry and crunchy.
• Let the genoise cool slightly. Unmold and finish cooling on a wire rack to allow the air to circulate evenly around the cake. The baked genoise can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Return it to room temperature before using it.
• VARIATION: You can easily make this recipe into a Chocolate Genoise by substituting unsweetened cocoa powder for 10 to 20 percent of the weight (a scant 1/4 cup to a full 1/3 cup/0.8 to 1.6 ounces/25 to 50 grams) of the flour. Weigh the cocoa powder before you sift it.
• SIDEBAR: Genoise can be made with butter. In this recipe, you can substitute butter (5 1/2 tablespoons, 2.7 ounces or 75 grams) for the 3 large egg yolks. Melt and cool the butter and fold it in after the flour is added.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE

Steps:

• One 9 by 2-inch round layer pan, or a 9-inch springform pan, buttered and the bottom lined with a disk of parchment or wax paper
• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the cake flour, cornstarch, and cocoa through a fine-meshed strainer over a piece of waxed paper to break up any lumps in the cocoa. Set sifted ingredients aside with the strainer.
• Whisk together the eggs yolks, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue whisking gently until the mixture is lukewarm, about 100 degrees. This should take only a minute or two.
• Whip with the electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is cooled and increased in volume, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove bowl from mixer and sift in dry ingredients, in three additions gently folding each third in with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread the top even with a spatula.
• Bake the layer about 30 minutes until it is well risen and the center is firm to the touch.
• If necessary, loosen the layer from the side of the pan with a small knife or spatula and invert the cake onto a rack. Place another rack on the cake and invert again. Remove the top rack, so that the layer cools right side up, still on the paper

MILK-AND-DARK-CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the chocolate génoise:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Dust the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
• 2. Whisk together the flour and cocoa powder in a medium bowl; set aside.
• 3. Fill a pot one-third full with water and bring to a simmer. Combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer stand and, using the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until the mixture triples in volume and forms a thick ribbon when the whisk is lifted, about 8 minutes. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture. Fold in the melted butter. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
• 4. Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes, until it has pulled away from the side of the pan and the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Unmold the cake on a rack and cool completely, right side up.
• Make the milk and dark chocolate mousses:
• 5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat 2 1/2 cups (580 grams) of the heavy cream to soft peaks. Scrape half of the whipped cream into a medium bowl. Cover both bowls and refrigerate.
• 6. Put the milk and dark chocolate in two separate medium bowls. Bring the remaining 1 cup (232 grams) cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour 1/2 cup (116 grams) of the hot cream over the milk chocolate and the remaining 1/2 cup (116 grams) over the bittersweet chocolate. Gently whisk the milk chocolate until it is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk the dark chocolate until smooth.
• 7. Let the chocolate mixtures cool for 10 minutes. Fold the milk chocolate mixture into one bowl of whipped cream. Fold the dark chocolate into the remaining whipped cream.
• Make the sugar syrup:
• 8. Combine 1/4 cup (59 grams) water and the sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.
• Assemble the cake:
• 9. Using a serrated knife, slice the cake horizontally in half. Cup a strip of parchment paper to line the inside of a 9x4-inch cake ring. Line the mold with the strip and place it on a serving plate. Place a 9-inch cardboard cake round in the bottom of the cake ring. Place the bottom cake round, cut side up, in the ring. Brush the cake generously with the sugar syrup. Scrape the dark chocolate mousse onto the cake and smooth it into an even layer. Top with the second cake round, cut side down. Brush the cake generously with syrup. Scrape the milk chocolate mousse onto it, smoothing it into an even layer. Chill the cake for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
• 10. To unmold the cake, lift it off the plate, holding it with your palm against the cardboard round. Using a hairdryer or warm damp towel, briefly warm the cake ring mold. Lift off the ring mold and peel off the parchment strip. Allow the cake to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

GENOISE TORTE WITH CHOCOLATE- AND PRALINE-CARAMEL MOUSSES

Steps:

• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon water in another heatproof bowl. Let soften about 3 minutes.
• Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Swirl pan to dissolve sugar. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until sugar turns dark amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Slowly add 1 cup cream and the butter, stirring until butter has melted. Put 2/3 cup caramel into a medium bowl; set aside. Stir remaining caramel and the unsweetened chocolate in another medium bowl; set aside.
• Set 1 bowl of softened gelatin over a pan of simmering water, and stir until gelatin has melted. Repeat with remaining bowl of gelatin. Pour larger batch of gelatin into plain caramel. Pour smaller batch of gelatin into chocolate caramel. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Whisk remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into plain caramel mixture; fold remaining whipped cream into chocolate-caramel mixture. Refrigerate the mousses until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Stir almond praline into plain caramel mousse.
• Stir Cognac and simple syrup in a small bowl. Assemble torte: Place 1 cake rectangle on a platter; brush with one-quarter of the Cognac syrup. Spread with half the chocolate-caramel mousse. Top with another cake rectangle; brush with one-quarter of the syrup. Spread with praline-caramel mousse. Refrigerate 10 minutes to set. Top with another cake rectangle; brush with one-quarter of the syrup. Spread with remaining chocolate-caramel mousse. Top with remaining cake rectangle; brush with remaining syrup. Clean edges with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with bittersweet chocolate shavings.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10 1/2-by-15 1/2-by-1-inch jelly-roll pan. Line with parchment; butter and flour paper, tapping out the excess flour.
• Sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda together twice into a medium bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Skim off white foam, and pour clear yellow butter into a bowl, discarding white liquid at the bottom. Set aside in a warm place.
• In a medium-size heat-proof bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water; stir until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, and beat on high speed until mixture is thick and pale and has tripled in bulk. Reduce speed to medium, add vanilla, and beat 2 to 3 minutes more.
• In three additions, sift flour mixture over egg mixture, folding in gently with a spatula. While folding in last addition, dribble melted butter over batter and fold in.
• Spread batter evenly in pan, leaving behind any unincorporated butter in the bottom of the bowl. Tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake until cake springs back when touched in center, 15 to 20 minutes. Don't overbake or cake will crack. Let sit in pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.
• Dust surface with cocoa powder. To make rolling easier, trim edges of cake, and cover with a sheet of waxed paper and a damp dish towel. Invert onto a work surface, and peel off parchment; dust with cocoa. Starting from one long end, carefully roll up cake in towel. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until ready to use.