Apple Mousse Cake
Description
The recipe won’t take much time. Making a mousse apple cake is quite easy, contrary to what it may seem at first glance. It is best to prepare the mirror glaze in advance. The cooking itself does not take too much time; a significant part of the time goes to stabilizing and freezing the cake. This cake can be made year-round because apples are an all-season fruit. Having made it at least once, you will definitely want to make it again. Follow the step-by-step recipe, and everything will turn out well.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
Prepare a 18 cm diameter springform ring for baking the sponge cake. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, preheat the oven to 175 degrees, and melt the butter.
- 3
Step 3
Whip the egg white into a fluffy foam with a pinch of salt, add 1 tsp of the sugar intended for the sponge cake.
- 4
Step 4
Beat the egg with sugar until fluffy.
- 5
Step 5
Add almond and wheat flour to the beaten egg with sugar, and mix on low mixer speed.
- 6
Step 6
Add the previously whipped egg white and gently fold it in with a silicone spatula. Lastly, add the melted butter.
- 7
Step 7
Place the dough into the prepared ring and bake for 12–15 minutes at 175 degrees.
- 8
Step 8
Cool the finished sponge cake on a wire rack.
- 9
Step 9
To prepare the apple confit, remove the zest from the lemon (or lime), squeeze the juice from half a lemon or a whole lime.
- 10
Step 10
Peel the washed apples and remove their cores.
- 11
Step 11
Cut the apples into small cubes no larger than 1 cm on each side. Place them in a bowl, add lemon (or lime) juice, and mix.
- 12
Step 12
Place 250 grams of prepared apples in a saucepan, add sugar and 1 tablespoon of water, put it on the stove over medium heat, simmer until soft, then blend into a puree.
- 13
Step 13
Add lemon (or lime) zest and ground cinnamon (optional) to the apple puree.
- 14
Step 14
Soak 10 grams of gelatin in water according to the instructions on the package. For 10 grams of gelatin, use 60 ml of water.
- 15
Step 15
Dissolve the starch in a small amount of water, add a couple of tablespoons of apple purée, mix everything, and return it to the saucepan with the main mixture.
- 16
Step 16
Bring the puree back to a boil, simmer for 30 seconds, add the bloomed gelatin, and stir until smooth.
- 17
Step 17
Add the remaining apples to the puree and mix.
- 18
Step 18
Place the cooled sponge cake back into the pastry ring, pour the apple confit on top, and put it in the freezer for 2 hours.
- 19
Step 19
Put the chocolate and condensed milk in a saucepan, then add the gelatin mixture prepared from 10 grams of gelatin and 60 ml of water.
- 20
Step 20
Pour water into a saucepan or small pot, add the sugar and glucose syrup, bring to a boil, and cook until it reaches 103°C—about 2 minutes from the moment it starts boiling. The mixture needs to boil by the time the caramel is ready.
- 21
Step 21
Prepare the caramel. To do this, heat a small heavy-bottomed saucepan and spread 100 grams of sugar evenly in a thin layer. Do not stir; you may only gently sway the saucepan from side to side. Bring it to a caramel color. Carefully add hot water to the melted sugar, stirring continuously.
- 22
Step 22
Pour the caramel into the previously prepared chocolate mixture. Let the mixture sit for a while, then blend it with an immersion blender. Keep the blender at an angle to avoid forming unwanted foam.
- 23
Step 23
Pour the glaze into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap "in contact", and refrigerate for 8–12 hours to stabilize.
- 24
Step 24
Prepare a 20 cm cake ring for assembly. Cover the bottom with plastic wrap, place it on a firm surface, and line the sides with acetate tape. Put it in the freezer about 10 minutes before assembling the cake.
- 25
Step 25
Start preparing the caramel mousse before assembling the cake. Soak 10 grams of gelatin according to the instructions on the package, using a ratio of 10 grams of gelatin to 60 ml of water.
- 26
Step 26
Mix sugar and starch in a saucepan.
- 27
Step 27
Add the egg yolks and stir.
- 28
Step 28
Pour in the milk and mix until smooth. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, add the bloomed gelatin, and stir until it dissolves. Cool to room temperature.
- 29
Step 29
Whip the chilled cream until fluffy. Put it back in the refrigerator for a while.
- 30
Step 30
Whip the egg whites into a fluffy mass, adding a pinch of salt and 2 tsp of sugar.
- 31
Step 31
Prepare caramel for the meringue. To do this, pour sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of water. Place it on the stove over low heat and let the sugar dissolve. Do not stir—this is important!
- 32
Step 32
By the time it comes to a boil, there should not be a single sugar crystal on the sides of the saucepan, otherwise the caramel will not turn out. If sugar gets on the sides of the saucepan, carefully brush it off with a damp pastry brush.
- 33
Step 33
Achieve a caramel color.
- 34
Step 34
In a thin stream, pour the liquid caramel into the whipped egg whites, continuing to whip until cooled. Add the custard portion of the mousse prepared earlier here as well.
- 35
Step 35
Fold the previously whipped cream into the mixture, gently mixing with a silicone spatula until smooth.
- 36
Step 36
Take the cake assembly mold out of the freezer, spread half of the mousse, and you can put it back in the freezer for 3–4 minutes so it sets.
- 37
Step 37
Take the sponge cake with apple confit out of the freezer. Remove it from the mold.
- 38
Step 38
Place the confit and sponge cake into the mold in this order: confit on the bottom, sponge cake on top. Add the remaining mousse. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until completely set for 8–12 hours.
- 39
Step 39
Before applying the glaze, remove it from the refrigerator and warm it in the microwave or over a double boiler. Blend it so that no bubbles remain; you can strain it through a sieve. Cool it to the working temperature of 32–35 degrees.
- 40
Step 40
Take the cake out of the freezer and remove it from the mold. Place it on a raised stand. Pour the glaze over it, and remove any excess with a spatula. Decorate the top of the cake as you wish, for example with fresh berries.
- 41
Step 41
Carefully transfer the cake onto a serving dish; the bottom of the cake can be decorated with chocolate crumbs.
- 42
Step 42
Traditionally, I’m showing a cut of the cake. It is beautiful and incredibly delicious, with a pleasant tartness, slightly spicy, in a creamy caramel mousse and a caramel-chocolate glaze, with the most delicate “Joconde” almond sponge.