Rose's Heavenly Cakes (53 page)

Loosen the succès from the sheets by carefully running a thin pie server or a long offset spatula underneath them. They will be quite soft at this point and can tear, so be gentle when loosening them. Make sure that you loosen them in the centers, not just around the edges. Allow them to cool completely on the sheets before transferring them to a work surface or serving plate. They will shrink back to their original size or slightly smaller when cooled. They will be approximately 1/8 inch thick. To obtain a perfect circle, if desired, invert an 8-inch round cake pan over the succès and trim any excess with a sharp knife.

Make the Tea Ganache

In a food processor, process the chocolate until very fine.

In a 2-cup or larger microwavable cup with a spout (or in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring often), whisk together the crème fraîche and cream and scald it (heat it to the boiling point; small bubbles will form around the periphery).

With the motor of the food processor running, pour the cream mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process for a few seconds until smooth. Pulse in the instant powdered tea. Scrape the ganache into a glass bowl and let it sit for 1 hour. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to cool for several hours, or until the mixture reaches frosting consistency. The ganache keeps for 3 days at room temperature, for 3 weeks refrigerated, and for 6 months frozen.

Compose the Succès

Spread a little ganache on an 8-inch cardboard round or serving plate and set one disk of succès on top. Carefully spread an even layer of the ganache over the top (a slightly rounded ¾ cup). Place the second disk flat side up on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Spread on another layer of the ganache (again, be careful to spread it evenly) and place the third disk flat side up on top of that. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another hour. Using a long metal spatula, spread some of the remaining ganache in a thin layer around the sides, filling in any gaps as well. Then spread the remainder evenly on top of the succès.

For a decorative design, run the back of a spoon in a circular pattern around the top surface of the ganache starting at the center. If desired, place the cocoa in a fine-mesh strainer and sprinkle it evenly over the top. Slice with a long serrated knife. The succès will keep wrapped airtight for 5 days refrigerated. Allow it to come to room temperature at least 2 hours before serving.

Plan Ahead

Mold and freeze the mousse at least 8 hours ahead. Unmold and glaze the cake at least 2 hours ahead.

Special Equipment

One 17¼ by 12¼ by 1-inch half-sheet pan, coated with shortening or nonstick cooking spray, lined with parchment (extending slightly over the short edges), coated with baking spray with flour    |    One 6-cup (48 fluid ounces) silicone bombe mold or glass bowl, coated with nonstick cooking spray. (If using silicone, wipe out the excess cooking spray with a piece of plastic wrap.)

Preheat the Oven

Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.

Melt the Chocolate

Heat the chocolate until almost completely melted. Use a small microwavable bowl, stirring with a silicone spatula every 15 seconds (or use the top of a double boiler set over hot, not simmering, water, stirring often—do not let the bottom of the container touch the water).

Remove the chocolate from the heat and, with the silicone spatula, stir until fully melted. Cool completely, until no longer warm to the touch but is still fluid.

Beat the Yolks and Sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the yolks with ¼ cup of the sugar on high speed for 5 minutes, or until very thick and fluffy and when the beater is raised the mixture falls in ribbons. Using a silicone spatula, scrape in the chocolate and beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until evenly incorporated. If you have only one mixer bowl, scrape the mixture into a large bowl and thoroughly wash and dry the mixer bowl and whisk beater. There must be no grease in the bowl so that the egg whites can become aerated when beaten.

Beat the Egg Whites into a Stiff Meringue

In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. With the beater off, add the cream of tartar. Raise the speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised. Raise the speed to medium-high and gradually beat in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, beating until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly.

Detach the whisk beater and use it to fold one-quarter of the meringue into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining meringue in two additions. Finish folding with a large silicone spatula and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread the surface evenly with an offset spatula.

Bake the Cake

Bake for 15 minutes. The cake will have puffed and lost its shine, and springs back when pressed lightly in the center.

Cool and Unmold the Cake

Set the pan on a wire rack. Run a small metal spatula between the long sides of the pan and the cake. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes.

Set a large piece of parchment on a work surface. Dust the top of the cake well with cocoa. Turn the pan upside down on the parchment by setting one long side onto the parchment and then quickly flipping the other side over. Lift up the pan and then gently peel the parchment off the bottom of the cake. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, measure the inside diameter of the top of the bowl you will be using to mold the mousse. If you have a pot lid of the same size, you can use it as a template. Alternatively, make a template from a piece of cardboard.

When the cake is cool, cut out two cake rounds. Remove the scraps from around the circles. (They make a delicious small trifle if you layer them in a bowl with softly whipped cream and raspberries.) Cut away the parchment so that only a small border remains around the cake circles. Wrap the circles in plastic wrap and store one for future use (it can be placed in a freezer-weight storage bag and frozen for several weeks). Refrigerate the other for at least an hour to firm and make it easy to transfer to the mousse filling.

Brew the Tea

Have ready a tea ball or two heatproof glass measures and a fine-mesh strainer.

Place the loose leaf tea in the the tea ball or the glass measure. In a small saucepan, or in a second glass measure in the microwave, heat the water to very hot (195°F/90°C). Do not let it boil in order to avoid making the tea bitter. Pour the hot water over the loose leaf tea in the glass measure or steep the tea ball or teabag in the water for 4 minutes, no longer, as the tea could become bitter if it steeps too long. If not using a tea ball or tea bag, strain the tea into the glass measure used to heat the water and discard the leaves. You will have approximately 1 cup of tea, but you will need only ¼ cup for this recipe. (The remaining tea is delicious to drink.)

Melt the Chocolate with the Cream

In a small microwavable bowl (or in the top of a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water—don't let the bottom of the container touch the water), heat the chocolate and cream. Stir often with a silicone spatula until almost completely melted. If using the microwave, stir every 15 seconds.

Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth. Set aside in a warm spot.

Make the Sabayon

In a medium saucepan, bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer over medium-high heat. In a medium glass bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, and salt until well blended and lightened. Set the bowl over the simmering water (make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water) and whisk very briskly, preferably with a piano wire whisk (one with 10 to 12 fine wire loops), to incorporate as much air as possible. While whisking, slowly pour in the ¼ cup tea. Be sure to whisk against the sides of the bowl so that the outside edges don't overcook. Continue to whisk vigorously until the mixture has doubled in volume to a thick foam, about 5 minutes. When it falls from the whisk, the sabayon will maintain some body before sinking back into itself. An instant-read thermometer should register 170°F/76°C.

Remove the bowl from the heat and, with the whisk, gently stir and fold in the warm chocolate mixture until the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout (make sure to maintain as much of the mixture's volume as possible).

Set the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water. Gently fold the outside edges of the sabayon into the center two or three times as it cools. It will take about 20 minutes to cool to room temperature. If you are not ready to use it, you can cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.