Genoise Torte With Chocolate And Praline Caramel Mousses Recipes

CHOCOLATE PRALINE TORTE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and cream. Stir over low heat until butter is melted. Pour into two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Sprinkle with pecans; set aside. , Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Carefully pour batter over pecans. Bake at 325° for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; invert onto wire racks to cool completely. , For topping, beat cream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff. , Place one cake layer, pecan side up, on a serving plate. Spread with half of the topping. Top with second cake layer and remaining topping. Sprinkle with chocolate curls if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

MAIDA HEATTER'S CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• Set a rack in the center of the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch glass pie plate. Dust it with bread crumbs or cocoa powder. Set aside.
• Place the chopped chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over water over low heat. Bring it to a low simmer. Meanwhile, in a cup or small bowl, dissolve the coffee in the 1/4 cup boiling water and pour it over the chocolate. Cover and cook over low heat, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. Let cool slightly. (Alternatively, place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and pour it over the chocolate. Cover with a plate or kitchen towel and let stand for 5 minutes. Vigorously whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. If there are still bits of unmelted chocolate, microwave in 15-second bursts, whisking between, until smooth and fully melted.)
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the yolks at high speed until they are pale, thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to beat at high speed for 5 minutes more until very thick. Reduce speed to low, and add the vanilla and cooled chocolate, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl as necessary. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Wash the whisk attachment and mixing bowl.
• In the mixing bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry. Gradually, in two or three small additions, gently fold half the egg whites into the chocolate, then fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining whites just until no whites show. Handling as little as possible, gently reserve about 4 cups of the mousse in a separate medium bowl; cover and refrigerate.
• Transfer the rest of the mousse into the pie plate; it will barely reach the top. Gently level and bake for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat, then leave it in the oven for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. (The mousse will rise during baking and then, while cooling, it will sink in the middle, leaving a high rim.) Wash the mixing bowl and whisk attachment and place in the refrigerator or freezer to chill.
• When the baked mousse is completely cool, remove reserved mousse from refrigerator. Handling as little as possible, transfer the chilled mousse to the center of the baked mousse. Mound it slightly higher in the center, but be careful to handle as little as possible or it will lose the air beaten into it. Refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours.
• Make the whipped cream: In the chilled mixing bowl with the chilled whisk attachment, whip the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla on high speed until it holds a defined shape. Spread over the unbaked part of the mousse, excluding the rim; refrigerate. (Another way of applying the whipped cream: Use a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tube and pipe a lattice pattern over the top of the pie and a border around the edge.) Coarsely grate some semisweet chocolate over the top before serving, if desired. The torte is best eaten the day it's made, but it's not bad the next day.

GENOISE TORTE WITH CHOCOLATE- AND PRALINE-CARAMEL MOUSSES

Steps:

• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon water in another heatproof bowl. Let soften about 3 minutes.
• Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Swirl pan to dissolve sugar. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until sugar turns dark amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Slowly add 1 cup cream and the butter, stirring until butter has melted. Put 2/3 cup caramel into a medium bowl; set aside. Stir remaining caramel and the unsweetened chocolate in another medium bowl; set aside.
• Set 1 bowl of softened gelatin over a pan of simmering water, and stir until gelatin has melted. Repeat with remaining bowl of gelatin. Pour larger batch of gelatin into plain caramel. Pour smaller batch of gelatin into chocolate caramel. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Whisk remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into plain caramel mixture; fold remaining whipped cream into chocolate-caramel mixture. Refrigerate the mousses until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Stir almond praline into plain caramel mousse.
• Stir Cognac and simple syrup in a small bowl. Assemble torte: Place 1 cake rectangle on a platter; brush with one-quarter of the Cognac syrup. Spread with half the chocolate-caramel mousse. Top with another cake rectangle; brush with one-quarter of the syrup. Spread with praline-caramel mousse. Refrigerate 10 minutes to set. Top with another cake rectangle; brush with one-quarter of the syrup. Spread with remaining chocolate-caramel mousse. Top with remaining cake rectangle; brush with remaining syrup. Clean edges with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with bittersweet chocolate shavings.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE

Steps:

• One 9 by 2-inch round layer pan, or a 9-inch springform pan, buttered and the bottom lined with a disk of parchment or wax paper
• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the cake flour, cornstarch, and cocoa through a fine-meshed strainer over a piece of waxed paper to break up any lumps in the cocoa. Set sifted ingredients aside with the strainer.
• Whisk together the eggs yolks, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue whisking gently until the mixture is lukewarm, about 100 degrees. This should take only a minute or two.
• Whip with the electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is cooled and increased in volume, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove bowl from mixer and sift in dry ingredients, in three additions gently folding each third in with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread the top even with a spatula.
• Bake the layer about 30 minutes until it is well risen and the center is firm to the touch.
• If necessary, loosen the layer from the side of the pan with a small knife or spatula and invert the cake onto a rack. Place another rack on the cake and invert again. Remove the top rack, so that the layer cools right side up, still on the paper

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• To make the sour cream cake: butter and flour an 8 or 9 inch cake pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks and the vanilla. In a measuring jug, whisk the sour cream and the milk together until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture alternately to the creamed butter mixture, ending with the milk mixture. Fold in the egg whites, then pour into the prepared pan. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a plate and continue cooling to room temperature. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to finish the cake.
• To make the almond praline: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the water over low heat. Stir together until the sugar has melted, then increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the sliced almonds with the sugar syrup and toss until well coated. With a slotted spoon, transfer the nuts to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake until golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let the nuts cool and break them apart. The nuts should remain whole but be coated with a sugary golden coating.
• To make the chocolate mousse: chill a bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer in the freezer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt the chocolates over simmering water and stir in the cinnamon. In the frozen mixing bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks (do not over beat). Remove the double boiler insert holding the melted chocolate from the pan. With a rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate. Fold the remaining cold cream into the chocolate mixture, 1/4 at a time, mixing it as little as possible just to get it all incorporated.
• When ready to assemble the torte, cut the sour cream cake in half horizontally with a long sharp knife. Place 1 layer of the cake on a serving plate and spread a thick layer of mousse on top of it. Sandwich the second layer over the top and spread a mounded layer of mouse over the top. Spread a layer of mousse around the edges, covering the cake completely. Gently press the sugared almonds into the mousse evenly around the edges of the cake. Using a very sharp vegetable peeler, shave long thick curls of chocolate over the top of the cake and serve immediately.

GENOISE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CHEVRE MOUSSE AND RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For the genoise cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In an electric mixing bowl with the whip attachment on low speed, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture down from the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and half of the milk. Once milk and eggs are incorporated, scrape down the bowl, also be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Mix until lump free.
• Add the shortening and whip on high speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the remaining milk and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until well incorporated, and the batter is smooth.
• Grease an 18 by 13-inch baking tray with shortening. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the sheet pan. Then grease the parchment paper with shortening as well.
• Pour the cake batter onto the sheet pan and spread until even. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly golden in color, do not let brown. The cake is done when a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean. Once cool, using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut the cake into 3-inch round circles.
• For the chocolate chevre mousse: In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Once all the chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Place the chevre in a medium mixing bowl, then add the melted chocolate. Whisk together the chocolate and chevre until smooth.
• For the raspberry sauce: In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the raspberries, water, sugar, cream of tartar, and lemon juice. Stir the sauce to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook the sauce until it comes to a slight boil. The remove the saucepan from the heat and add the contents to a blender. Blend the sauce until smooth. Pass the sauce through a strainer or cheesecloth to remove any seeds.
• To plate the dessert: Place a cake round in the center of the plate. Then spread a layer of the chocolate chevre mousse on the cake. Place an even layer of whole raspberries on top of the mousse. Repeat the layers with the cake, mousse, and raspberries. Drizzle the sauce over the cake tiers and around the plate. Serve.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE FOR CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Combine 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon cocoa, and coat the pan, tapping out excess. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and set aside. Wash and dry the mixer bowl.
• Place the egg whites in the clean mixer bowl; with the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high, and add the sugar gradually, until glossy stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Transfer the egg-white mixture to a large bowl.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg-yolk mixture into the egg-white mixture. Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the top, and gently fold them into the batter. Gently pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet, and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until cake springs back when touched, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately turn cake out onto wire rack lined with parchment. Peel parchment from cake; cool completely. Use genoise the day it is made.

ALMOND PRALINE FOR GENOISE TORTE

Steps:

• Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl pan to dissolve sugar. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until sugar turns light amber, about 7 minutes.
• Add almonds and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until almonds are toasted and caramel turns dark amber. Pour onto prepared sheet. Let cool completely.
• Break into shards. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until finely ground with a few larger pieces remaining.

CHOCOLATE PRALINE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Break both chocolates into chunks and place in a double boiler over simmering water. Heath until melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside and cool until lukewarm.
• Whip the cream until it is stiff and doubled in volume. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly until stiff but not dry. Set aside.
• Combine praline paste, salt and creme de cacao in large mixing bowl. Stir well and add egg yolks. Whisk until smooth.
• Add melted butter, espresso and melted chocolate to the praline paste mixture and blend thoroughly. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Finally, very gently fold in the egg whites.
• Spoon mousse into individual bowls or large serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 8 house before serving.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• Stand 16 wafers around inside edge of 9-inch round pan lined with plastic wrap. Melt 3 chocolate squares as directed on package.
• Beat pudding mixes and 2 cups milk with whisk 2 min. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP; pour into prepared pan. Beat cream cheese, sugar and remaining milk with mixer until well blended.
• Stir in 1 cup of the remaining COOL WHIP; spread over pudding. Top with remaining wafers. Refrigerate 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, shave remaining chocolate square into curls. Invert torte onto plate. Remove pan and plastic wrap. Top torte with remaining COOL WHIP, berries and chocolate curls.

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease paper., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating just until combined. Transfer to prepared pan., Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Carefully remove waxed paper., In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 1 minute. Heat and stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature., Sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa together. In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Beat in confectioners' sugar mixture and vanilla. While beating, gradually add gelatin until stiff peaks form., Trim cake edges; cut crosswise into fourths. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup filling. Repeat layers three times. Refrigerate until serving.