Ingredients
(For a 7" to 8" in diameter cake, or 3" x 3"; individual ones)
For the Chocolate Cake:
2 2/3 oz dark chocolate, 64 % cocoa contents, Valrhona Manjari
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa (I used Scharffen Bergen)
3 large eggs
1.5 oz confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
For the Chocolate-Ginger Mousse:
1 3/4 oz dark chocolate, 64 % cocoa, Valrhona Manjari
1/4 cup (minus 2 tsp) milk
1 gelatin sheet
1 tsp finely grated ginger root
2 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup (minus 1 Tbsp) cold heavy cream
Decoration and Fruits:
Fresh raspberries
Dark chocolate, 70% cocoa Valrhona de couverture, for the decoration
Unsweetened cocoa, to sprinkle
To make the Raspberry Sauce:
Mix 5 1/4 oz fresh raspberries (or frozen) with 2 tsp lemon juice and 1.5 oz confectioner’s sugar. Place in a fine sieve to remove the seeds.
To make the chocolate cake:
Melting the chocolate in a double-boiler. Separate the whites from the egg yolks. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until white in color, then add the cocoa and cornstarch. Mix well before adding the melted chocolate.Whip the egg whites firm with a pinch of salt and add them delicately to the chocolate batter. Pour in a mold covered with a sheet of parchment paper and cook in a preheated at 350 F oven for 15 min. When cooked, let rest and cool down on a rack. Take mold rings and cut chocolate cake rounds serving as the basis. Line the ring molds with cake strips. Place them on a baking sheet and add a chocolate cake basis in each mold. Arrange fresh raspberries on top, pointing up.
To make the chocolate-ginger mousse:
Heat the milk with the finely grated ginger. Add the confectioner’s sugar and mix well. Keep warm. Soak the gelatin in cold water for a few min and squeeze out the excess water. Add it to the milk and mix to dissolve. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler. Pour the hot flavored milk into the chocolate, in 2 to 3 times, mixing well at each time. Whip the cold heavy cream firm. Fold it gently into the chocolate batter. Pour the mousse on top of the raspberries in each mold. Place in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours, or until the mousses are set.
When you are ready to serve, remove the ring molds carefully, then the cake strips. Decorate with fresh raspberries and chocolate twirls. Sprinkle bitter cocoa on top and serve with the raspberry sauce.
Note: For 6 individual cakes, simply double all the quantities in the recipe. (Recipe & Photo courtesy of La Tartine Gourmande, printed with permission.)