Delicious cake with summer rhubarb and sweet caramel. One of three cakes I made for my cousin’s 50th birthday. The recipes of the others will appear within the next few weeks when I get around to write them down.
RHUBARB MOUSSE CAKE WITH CARAMEL
12-14 SERVINGS
ALMOND SPONGE:
1/2 EGG
50 G SUGAR
50 G ALMOND FLOUR
1 PINCH OF SALT
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celsius
Mix sugar and eggs together.
Mix almond flour and salt in.
Pour the mixture into a 16 cm spring mould, lined with baking paper at the bottom.
Bake the sponge for 20-25 min until it’s nicely golden on top.
Let it cool in the mould and then cut it free with a sharp knife.
CARAMEL MOUSSE:
1 SHEET GELATINE
20 G CALLEBAUT GOLD CHOCOLATE
65 G SALTED CARAMEL
100 G HEAVY CREAM 38%
25 G RED CURRANT JELLY
Soak the gelatine in cold water, 5-10 minutes
Melt the chocolate along with the salted caramel.
Heat two tablespoons cream up to the boiling point and melt the gelatine in it
Stir it into the caramel-chocolate.
Whisk the rest of the cream to soft peaks and fold it into the caramel to a light mousse.
Distribute 85 g mousse in a 10 cm round silicone mould, place it in the freezer for 15 min.
Heat the red currant jelly in the microwave, so it is slightly more liquid and easier to distribute.
Gently pour the jelly on top of the mousse and place it in the freezer for 5 min.
Finish with another layer of mousse. Cover the mould and place it in the freezer for a few hours until it is completely frozen.
RHUBARB MOUSSE:
400 G FRESH RHUBARBS
13 G SUGAR
JUICE OF ½ LEMON
400 G HEAVY CREAM 38%
5 SHEETS GELATINE
SEEDS OF 1 VANILLA POD
60 G ICING SUGAR
OPTIONALLY A LITTLE PINK FOOD COLOURING GEL
Soak the gelatine in cold water for a minimum of 10 min.
Cook a compote of rhubarb, lemon juice and sugar for 5-10 min until the fruit is soft and tender, then blend it to a puree.
Squeeze the water out of the gelatine and melt it in the compote. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl and place it in the fridge until the puree is just slightly cooler than your little finger.
Should the rhubarb puree turn out to be a bit more brownish than rhubarb red, you can cheat by adding a bit of pink food colouring now.
Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a knife.
Whisk cream, vanilla seeds and icing sugar to soft peaks.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the puree without knocking too much air out of the cream.
Pour the rhubarb mousse into the mould and tap it lightly against the table top, to force out any air holes.
Remove the mould with caramel mousse from the freezer and gently push the mousse out of the mould.
Gently insert the caramel mousse into the rhubarb mousse so that the top of the insert is just covered with the mousse.
Place the almond sponge on top and press it lightly into the mousse.
Finally, cover with cling film to protect the cake.
Place the cake in the freezer until it is completely frozen.
RHUBARB STRIPS:
7 CM RHUBARB STEM (POSSIBLY A LEFTOVER FROM THE MOUSSE)
30 SUGAR
120 ML WATER
Cut long thin strips of rhubarb stem, this is easiest with a potato peeler.
Stir the sugar into the water and then dip the rhubarb strips into it.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, greased with a little oil.
Dry the rhubarb in the oven at 50 degrees for approx. 2-3 hours. Let them cool down and put them in an airtight container.
DECORATION:
RHUBARB STRIPS
WILTON RED CHOCOLATE SPRAY
VALRHONA CRUNCH PEARLS
Spray the surface of the still frozen cake with red chocolate spray.
Let the cake thaw in the refrigerator on the dish you want to serve it.
Decorate with braided rhubarb strips and crunch pearls.
NOTE: The mould I used is from Silikomart, by the name of Gemma.