Gâteau Favorite

G¢teau Favorite

Yield: 1 7-inch cake

# of Servings: 10 to 12

Ingredients:

Chocolate Souffl© Sheet:

• 4 oz chocolate, 55% to 64%, wafers or broken up
• 4 tsp water (.65 oz)

• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1.2 oz sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 2.4 oz sugar

Nut meringue:

• 3 oz almond flour, lightly toasted
• 3 oz hazelnut flour
• 4 ½ oz confectioners’ sugar
• 2.25 oz granulated sugar
• 2 tbl + 1 tsp (.65 oz / 18 g) cornstarch

• 6 egg whites (6 fl oz), room temperature
• ¾ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3.75 oz granulated sugar

Ganache:

• ½ cup (4 fl oz) heavy cream
• 3 oz chocolate, 61% to 64%, wafers or chopped

• 1 recipe French Buttercream or Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• ½ cup hazelnut paste, or Nutella

• ¼ cup (2 fl oz) crème fra®che
• ¼ cup (2 fl oz) heavy cream
• 2 tbl (.9 oz / 26 g) sugar

• 1 ½ cup (6 oz / 170 g) sliced natural almonds, toasted until a light golden brown

• Cocoa powder, as needed

• Confectioners’ sugar, as needed

Special tools and equipment needed:

• One 7″ by 1 ¾” stainless steel cake ring
• One jelly roll pan (10.25″ by 15.25″)
• Two half-sheet pans (13″ by 18″)
• Parchment paper sheets measured for the above pans
• Stand mixer with wire whip
• Optional: 21″ plastic pastry bag and a ½” plain round tip (#864)
• 7″ cardboard cake circle
• Butane kitchen torch

Pre-recipe preparations for Chocolate Souffl© Sheet:

• Cut parchment sheet to fit jelly roll pan.
• Butter the bottom and sides of the pan, insert parchment sheet and butter the sheet
• Preheat oven to 375 °F

Directions:

Chocolate Souffl© Sheet

1. Melt chocolate and water in a medium-sized mixing bowl over a just simmering double boiler or in a microwave. Set aside in a warm spot.
2. In machine bowl with whisk attachment on medium high speed (8 on a KitchenAid), or in mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until thick and light colored, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
3. Add yolk mixture into chocolate, stir to combine with plastic spatula. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all the chocolate.
4. In clean mixing bowl, with a clean whisk attachment beat whites on medium high speed (7 on a KitchenAid) with salt until soft peak stage. Slowly add the sugar and beat just until firm peaks. Do not overbeat.
5. Add ¼ of the whites to chocolate mixture and stir to lighten. Fold in remaining whites just until the batter is homogenous and no white streaks appear.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan, and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
7. Bake for between 10 and 12 minutes, just until the sheet is firm to the touch, and cake tester comes out clean.
8. Remove to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
9. Dust the sheet with cocoa powder with a large cutting board. Turn upside down and bang on the counter so the souffl© sheet falls onto the board.
10. Use the ring to cut a 7″ circle. Gently slide a cake circle under, and carefully wrap in plastic film. Freeze until necessary.
11. Use the remaining chocolate souffl© sheet for snacking or another dessert.

Pre-recipe preparations for the Nut Meringue:

• Trace two 7″ circles on one piece of parchment and one 7″ circle on another. Turn upside down so the pencil marks are facing down.
• Bring egg whites to room temperature.
• Lightly toast the almond flour in a 325 °F oven. Set aside to cool.

Nut Meringue:

1. In medium sized mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix well and set aside
2. Beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar and beat to a medium stiff meringue
3. Gently fold in the dry ingredients in three stages, mixing just enough to combine the dry with the meringue.
4. Add batter to pastry bag and pipe out in a coil until the just inside the 8″ circle outlines². Alternatively, spread the batter with offset spatula. It should be about ¼” thick.
5. Pipe remaining batter in small circles on sheet pan. These are good for testing meringue doneness, small desserts, and good old snacking.
6. Place in oven for 2 ½ hours. Turn oven off and let nut meringues sit in oven for 6 hours or overnight. Place a sticky note somewhere near the oven on switch to prevent someone from turning oven on.
7. When done, the nut meringues should be crisp. If not, turn oven back on to 225 °F and bake for additional 45 minutes. Let cool in oven.
8. Nut meringues may be stored by gently combining them on one pan, carefully wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in dry place in the kitchen.

Chocolate Ganache:

1. Bring heavy cream to the boil in a small saucepan.
2. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate.
3. Cover and let sit for 3 minutes. Whisk just until smooth.
4. Let sit overnight.

Assembly:

1. Make the buttercream or remove buttercream from the refrigerator.
2. Combine with the hazelnut paste, or Nutella to taste. Set aside.
3. Whip crème fra®che, heavy cream and sugar just until stiff. Do not overwhip as it will become grainy when spread over the cake. Set aside.
4. Place the cake ring over a 7″ cardboard circle.
5. Place a meringue circle flat side down on the bottom of the ring, trimming with a small knife if necessary.
6. Using an offset spatula, spread with â…›” of ganache.
7. Place the 2^nd meringue circle, flat side up, over the ganache and press down gently.
8. Spread 4 oz (â…›” thick) of hazelnut buttercream over the meringue circle. Return remaining buttercream to the refrigerator.
9. Place the chocolate souffl© circle on top of the butter cream.
10. Give the whipped crème fra®che and heavy cream mixture a quick whisk if necessary to bring it to just stiff consistency. Spread over the cake.
11. Place the last meringue disk flat side up on the whipped crème fra®che and heavy cream mixture and gently press down. The cake should be roughly the height of the cake ring.
12. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Finishing:

1. Remove the hazelnut buttercream from the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until almost room temperature.
2. Beat on medium speed until smooth.
3. Warm the outside of the cake ring with the kitchen torch and remove ring.
4. Spread a thin layer of the buttercream around the sides and top of the cake.
5. Press the toasted almonds onto the sides and let a generous amount fall on top.
6. Dust well with confectioners’ sugar.
7. Store in the refrigerator. Remove to room temperature for 1 hour prior to serving. Slice with a serrated knife.