Chocolate and red fruits mousse cake

Special occasions always deserve a special cake! It can be an anniversary, a birthday, a dinner with guests, a special day or simply the wish to make at home something that is usually bought from pastry shops or ordered at the restaurant.
It is not always necessary to master the art of patisserie or to have particular and costly equipment. Some recipes only require time and a bit of organization, like this chocolate and red fruits mousse cake; the only matter here is to plan in advance all the steps, especially if it has to be served for a specific time. But, since it tastes better the day after preparation, I recommend to make it in advance and keep it the freezer until the planned day; then it is important only to remember to transfer it into the refrigerator at least four hours before serving.
The recipe is my personal adaptation of different recipes that I wanted to put together; I have to say that the result gave me great satisfaction. The cake is composed by three layers: the first one is a base of biscuit joconde, a sort of sponge-cake made with almond flour which gives a delicate nutty flavor and a slightly crunchy texture which perfectly balances the softness of the upper layers. Then comes a very peculiar milk chocolate ganache, where the cream is replaced by a blend of red fruits (I used raspberries and sour cherries because I wanted some sourness to balance the sweetness of milk chocolate, but any type of red fruits will work well). Finally on top there is a light dark chocolate mousse (light because there is no egg and no added sugar), which really has a light texture. The combination is absolutely lovely, especially for chocolate fans. I made it as a unique cake (the occasion was my son's second birthday) but it can also be shaped in mono-portion cakes (it only will take a little longer, and take up more space in the freezer). For decorating the top I tempered some milk chocolate, spread it in a thin layer over non-stick paper and, when partially solidified, cut it into little circles. I used also some raspberries to add a touch of color and served.

Chocolate and red fruits mousse cake 

makes a 20 -22 cm Æ tarte

Biscuit joconde

80 g almond flour (or blanched almonds finely ground*)

60 g icing sugar

2 eggs, whole

1 egg white

10 g granulated sugar

25 g flour

15 g butter, melted and cold

30 g frozen raspberries

* if using blanched almond, when grinding add one tbsp icing sugar or flour taken from the total quantity used in the recipe: sugar / flour absorbs the oil contained in almonds avoiding that they become a paste

Milk chocolate and red fruits ganache

150 g cherries, preferably sour (fresh or frozen)

130 g raspberries  (fresh or frozen) or mixed red fruits

250 g milk chocolate

Light dark chocolate mousse

100 g full fat fresh milk

120 g dark chocolate (50- 60 % cocoa solid)

3 g gelatin, powdered or in sheet

220 g whipping cream

Decoration: fresh raspberries, chocolate, ...

Make the biscuit base. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat the egg white with a mixer on medium speed until foamy, then add granulated sugar and whisk on medium-high speed until soft, glossy peaks form. Mix the almond flour with icing sugar. Whisk the 2 eggs with the sugar-almond mixture until pale and smooth, then gently add the whipped egg white. Finally add the flour and melted butter and gently amalgamate. Spread the batter about 1cm thick onto the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the frozen raspberries over the top. Bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, until slightly golden but still soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  Cut a 20 - 22 cm circle from the biscuit. Place a 20 - 22 cm patisserie ring or spring-form pan without the base on a tray or plate lined with plastic film and line the sides with non-stick paper or plastic film. Place the circle of biscuit on the bottom of the ring (you can use the ring to cut the biscuit the same size).

Make the ganache. In a sauce pan bring fruits to boil, wait a couple of minutes then pour the mixture  over the chopped milk chocolate, in three times. Mix with an immersion mixer until the mixture is smooth and brilliant. Pour over the biscuit and let cool for at least one hour in the freezer.

Make the chocolate mousse. Chop the chocolate and melt in the microwave or putting the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Bring milk close to boiling, then pour it over the melted chocolate, in the center of the bowl, in three times, and stir gently with a spatula until a smooth emulsion forms. Meanwhile dissolve the gelatin powder: first of all sprinkle the granules into a cup or small basin containing a quantity of water equal to five times the weight of the gelatin. Stir gently and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until the gelatin has soaked up the liquid; then place the bowl in a pan of barely simmering water or in the microwave and heat, gently stirring, until the gelatin has dissolved completely and turned transparent. To check all the granules are melted, lift the spoon used for stirring and make sure that there are no undissolved granules. Add it to the chocolate-milk mixture and stir to amalgamate. In a cold bowl whisk the cream until it start thickening and form peaks; it doesn't have to be firmly whipped. Gently add the cream to the chocolate ganache and amalgamate.

Pour the mousse over the red fruit ganache and freeze for at least 4 hours. About four hours before serving transfer the cake in the fridge. 

Serve with decorations of raspberries and chocolate or whatever your fantasy suggests.