The “Mogador” is one of my favorite macarons, created by the Picasso of Pastry Mr. Pierre Hermé, associating the rich, sweet and creamy milk chocolate Jivara (of Valrhona) to the sour and fresh passion fruit, creating the perfect balance.
I wanted with this cake to please all the Mogador lovers, and added a hazelnut crunch and thin chocolate to have more textures…
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This cake is made of:
- a moist chocolate cake
- a passion fruit and milk chocolate ganache
- a hazelnut praline crunch
Chocolate cake
This cake is fluffy and moist. It has to be baked as soon as it’s prepared. It can be frozen once cooked, wrapped with cling wrap, for a maximum of two weeks, otherwise the taste will be altered.
Equipment
- Scale
- Saucepan
- Stainless steel mixing bowl
- Sieve
- Stand mixer with whip
- Stand mixer with flat beater
- Spatula
- Parchment paper or silicone mat
Ingredients
- 100 g Egg yolks 5 to 6 yolks
- 50 g Eggs Approx. one whole egg
- 25 g White sugar For the egg yolks
- 25 g Trimoline (inverted sugar) Or Acacia honey
- 50 g Flour
- 25 g Cocoa powder Plain, unsweetened
- 25 g Dark chocolate Caraibe 66% of Valrhona
- 25 g Clarified butter* Or grapeseeds oil
- 125 g Egg whites
- 2 g Table salt
- 60 g White sugar For the egg whites
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 170°C.
- Prepare a double boiler (Bain-Marie).
- Place the yolks, the eggs, the 25g of sugar, the trimoline in the bowl of the stand mixer equipped with the whip. Mix until the mixture is thick and lightened in color.
- Sieve the flour TOGETHER with the cocoa powder. You can do this directly on the eggs mixture.
- Combine using the flat beater, at the lowest speed.
- Melt the clarified butter with the chocolate using the double boiler around 50°C.
- Add them to the mix. Do not overwork the batter, just combine the ingredients.
- Whisk the egg whites with the salt and add the 60g of sugar in three times until it forms a soft peak on the whip (a meringue).
- Add half of the egg whites to the mixture, using a spatula, with gentle movements from the inside to the borders of the bowl, in order not to "break" the meringue.
- Add the rest of the meringue using the same method.
- Pour evently the batter into the baking tray using the angled spatula (it should be around 2cm thick).
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Let it cool down for at least 30 minutes before using it.
Notes
Hazelnut crunch
This mix can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, or in the freezer for up to two months. So if you have any leftovers do not hesitate to store them.
Equipment
- Scale
- Saucepan
- Stainless steel mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 40 g Plain hazelnut paste
- 60 g Hazelnut and almond praline Homemade if possible*
- 30 g Milk chocolate Jivara 40% of Valrhona
- 20 g Feuilletine flakes "Gavottes" biscuit available in supermarket**
- 1 pinch Fleur de sel French sea salt
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate at 45°C using double boiler or microwave (not recommended).
- Add the hazelnut paste and praline. The hazelnut paste can be prepared at home by roasting raw hazelnuts for 15 minutes at 150°C, then peeling them mixing them (once cool) with high-speed blender until getting a smooth and creamy paste.
- Add the salt and the feuilletine flakes.
Notes
Passion fruit and milk chocolate ganache
In order to get the perfect creamy texture, it is important to add the puree little by little. Actually, we need to make an emulsion, i.e. mix two liquids that do not combine naturally (the water of the puree and the oil/fat of the chocolate). If not emulsified properly, the ganache will leave a sensation of fat on the palate.
Equipment
- Scale
- Stainless steel mixing bowl
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Hand blender
- Cling wrap
Ingredients
- 150 g Milk chocolate Jivara 40% of Valrhona
- 80 g Passion fruit puree
- 10 g Soft butter
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate pistoles using a double boiler (Bain-Marie) or microwave (not recommeded).
- Bring the passion fruit puree to boil.
- Add it gradually to the melted chocolate (in 3 steps). Take the time at each step to stir energetically using the spatula with small circular movements in the very center. This will insure the perfect and homogeneous incorporation of the cream into the chocolate (make an emulsion)*.
- Add the butter (at room temperature) and mix with the hand blender.
- Cover with cling wrap directly on the surface and let it set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Notes
Montage
Cover a clean tray with cling wrap, and invert the chocolate cake on it: the side with the baking paper or silicone mat up.
Carefully peel off the baking paper (the cake should be completely cool).
Trim the edges with a sharp knife.
Use an angled spatula to spread evenly the hazelnut crunch on the sponge.
Then spread the passion fruit and chocolate ganache. It should be at room temperature in order to facilitate this task.
Divide the cake in two, and place one half on top oof the other, keeping the ganache on top. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes minimum.
Cut into triangles or any other shape you like.
Decorate with tempered milk chocolate if available, or chocolate flakes.
Bon appétit!