A traditional framboisier is made with 2 layers of plain sponge and a vanilla cream composed of half buttercream and half crème pâtissière. I’ve adapted this classic recipe to make an all chocolate and raspberry dessert.
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Sponge
- 170 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
- 170 g butter
- 4 medium eggs, separated
- 170 g caster sugar
- 70 g plain flour
- 7 g baking powder
- 80 g ground almonds
- 1 pinch of salt
For the White Chocolate Mousse
- 2 small gelatine leaves (3 g)
- 120 g white chocolate
- 200 ml fresh double cream
- 1 vanilla pod (opened and scraped)
- 280 ml fresh double cream
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 125 g dark chocolate (64%), chopped
- 30 g butter
- 60 ml semi-skimmed or full fat milk
- 25 ml fresh double cream
How to Make It
- For the chocolate sponge, melt the chocolate and the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds at a medium power. Stir with a spatula and repeat this step 3 or 4 times until both are melted. Cool for 10 minutes then add the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the sifted caster sugar, flour, baking powder and ground almonds. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to peak. Incorporate a third with the chocolate mix, then incorporate the remaining two-thirds. Spread it out to 1 cm thick over a tray lined with a silicone mat or baking paper. The sponge must be large enough to cut 2 hexagons of 24 cm. Bake for 7 minutes at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, turn the tray and bake for another 3–5 minutes. Prick the sponge with a knife; if the blade comes out clean it’s cooked. Cool on the mat.
- Turn the sponge over onto the work surface and gently peel off the silicone mat or baking paper. Place the cake tin over it and cut 2 hexagons using a sharp knife on the outside of the tin.
- Put the tin on a serving tray and place a hexagon of the chocolate sponge in the base. Garnish the cake with large raspberries.
- To make the white chocolate mousse, and pour it over the raspberries. Put the second hexagon on the top and press gently with the fingertips. Set in the fridge for 8 hours. Make the chocolate shavings.
- To make the chocolate ganache, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave following the method in step 1. Then add the cold milk and the cream in 3 or 4 batches. This will cool the temperature of the ganache. Put back in the microwave for an extra 20 seconds to warm it up and bring it back to 40°C (it must feel warm but not hot), which is a good temperature to use a ganache. Pour it over the cake and spread it out with a large pallet knife. Set in the fridge.
- Half an hour before serving, blowtorch all the way around the hexagon frame to melt the edges of the cream and remove it by lifting it up with a kitchen cloth. Decorate the cake with white chocolate mousse, raspberries and chocolate shavings.
