Recipe: A slice of decadence for Mother’s Day
"This is something decadent for Mother’s Day. This rich but smooth slice should fit the bill if you are trying to bake something lovely for your mum. The first part is a flourless chocolate and hazelnut torte, the second part is a silky, light coffee mousse. A delicious combination bound to impress," said Mercy Fenton in her weekly column.
The hardest part of this recipe is quite simple but important - it’s lining the spring form tin so the cake mix doesn’t leak out.
Cut a disk of parchment about 14 inches in diameter, place it on the base of the 10 inch tin, then close the sides over it so the excess paper is coming out the sides of the base. The extra tightness the parchment paper causes prevents any of the mix leaking.
Butter the sides and parchment base.
125gr dark chocolate 53% or more
90gr butter
35ml hot espresso
3 free range eggs
130gr toasted blanched hazelnuts
10gr cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
- Pre heat the oven to 175C.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a bain marie of water. Don’t allow to over-heat.
- Once melted, add the espresso and mix well.
- Pulse the hazelnuts, salt and cocoa powder in a food processor until fine, be careful not to overdo it or you will end up with an oily mess.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer - using a whisk attachment - whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and fluffy.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture and fold in.
- Next, fold in the pulsed hazelnuts. Once everything is combined, scrape into the prepared tin.
- Level carefully then place in the centre of the oven. Bake until just set - 30 to 35 minutes.
- Allow to cool fully, then refrigerate until ready to top with espresso mousse
160g cream cheese
10gr sugar
2½ leaves gelatine
25ml water
3 tsp espresso powder
255ml cream, whipped
2 egg whites
65gr sugar
- Put the cream on to whisk to stiff peaks, then chill in the fridge.
- Soak the gelatin in cold water to soften.
- Using spade, beat the cream cheese and 10gr of the sugar; don’t over-mix it, just needs to be smooth.
- Dissolve the instant coffee in boiled water.
- Once the gelatin is soft, lift out of the cold water and squeeze to remove excess water.
- Dissolve the gelatin in the hot coffee mix.
- Add the coffee with dissolved gelatin to the cream cheese mix.
- Chill the mix until it begins to thicken and set.
- Put the sugar in a small pot and add just enough water to dissolve it.
- Put it on medium heat, ensure sugar is dissolved then increase heat and cook to softball (quite thick syrup) - you can check with a sugar thermometer if you have one. 235F.
- When the sugar is nearly ready, put the egg whites on to whisk at high speed, once they are fluffy and the sugar syrup has reached softball,
- stop the mixer, and then carefully add the boiled sugar syrup.
- Start the mixer again and continue to whisk until cooled.
- Fold the egg white into cream cheese mixture, once evenly distributed with no lumps, fold in the cream.
- Scrape onto the cooled hazelnut and chocolate base.
- Scatter with cocoa nibs or toasted hazelnuts.
- Serve with a quenelle of cream.
