Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

Easy, no eggs chocolate mousse, perfect in layer cakes.

Adapted from piskeriset.dk

Ingredients:

• 300 ml heavy whipping cream
• 220 g milk chocolate, I used Valrhona
• 2 sheets of gelatin (husblas), about 3.5 g

Directions:

Place the gelatin (husblas) in cold water to bloom for 5-10 minutes. Melt the chocolate over at double boiler with 50 ml of the cream. 

Whip the remaining cream to medium hard peaks. (You don't want it to become grainy.)

Melt the gelatin in a small ball over a double boiler. (I just place a bowl as a lid on a saucepan with water I just boiled in a kettle. I don't put the saucepan over the heat.) Mix the gelatin in the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate cool to finger-warm. Gently fold the whipped cream in the chocolate. Pour the Mousse in small serving sized bowls, one large bowl if served family style or use it as filling in a cake. 

Now the chocolate mousse has to set. Let the mousse set for a minimum of 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Lagkagebunde - Spongecake for Danish Layer Cake

Classic Danish Layer cake

I know I need a better picture of the spongecake inside.

Makes 3 thin cakes.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 150 g sugar
• 110 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or the seeds from 1 vanilla pod

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).

If baking 3 thin cakes:

Spray three 9-inch (22 cm) baking pans. Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each and spray this too. Set aside. 

Whisk the eggs light and foamy with the sugar, it takes about 5 minutes to get maximum foaming when whisking on a stand mixer.

Mix and sift flour and baking powder together, and set aside. 

Very gently fold the flour, vanilla and milk in the foamy eggs. Be very careful not to deflate the egg mixture to much.

Pour the batter in the prepared baking pans, dividing the batter evenly between the three, if making 3 cakes. (Put about 155 g in each.) 

Bake the 3 thin cakes for about 7-8 minutes, until light brown.

If baking one big cake, to cut up in 3 thin discs after cooling:

Spray a 9-inch (22 cm) springform. Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom and spray this too. Set aside.

Whisk the eggs light and foamy with the  sugar, it takes about 5 minutes to get maximum foaming when whisking on a stand mixer.

Mix and sift flour and baking powder together, and set aside. 

Very gently fold the flour, vanilla and milk in the foamy eggs. Be very careful not to deflate the egg mixture to much.

Pour the batter in the prepared springform

Bake the large cake for 25-30 minutes, until light brown.

When cooled completely, place the cake on a sturdy work surface. Using a long serrated knife and a sawing motion, cut the layer horizontally to make 3 layers. Don't worry if the layers are not perfectly even. The filling and frosting will mask that. 

Happy Easter

Easter layer cake

Happy Easter everyone. I hope you all are enjoying the holiday and the spring.

Vanilla Buttercream - Smørcreme

Florentines with Vanilla Buttercream

This vanilla buttercream is great as frosting, or as a crumb coating before decoration a layered cake. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites
• 100 g confectionary sugar
• 150 g butter, salted and room temperature
• ½ teaspoon vanilla paste

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and whip the buttercream until thick and fluffy over a double boiler. I used a saucepan with very hot water, and placed my bowl on top of that. I didn't have it on the stove. It takes some time to get the buttercream nice and fluffy.

Vanilla Custard - Kagecreme

Strawberry Tart with Chocolate Crust

This vanilla custard is used in tarts and layer cakes. But works great served with fresh fruits.

Ingredients:

• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2,5 dl milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• heavy whipping cream, whipped

Directions:

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale in color. Whisk in the cornstarch and vanilla paste.

Heat the milk to a slow boil, set aside. 

While whisking vigorously drizzle the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture, just a tiny bit at a time at first. Once you’ve added about ¼ of the milk, you can add the rest in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture back in the saucepan and reheat it over medium heat. Whisk constantly until it starts to boil and is thickened. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar or press some plastic wrap against the custard so it won't form a pudding skin. Chill the custard completely in the refrigerator.

When the custard is cold, whip the heavy whipping cream. Fold the whipped cream in the custard a little at a time till you get the desired taste and texture.