In her magnificent latest book, Flavorful, Tish Boyle goes to the max in fashioning grand desserts. This is the most complex recipe in the book and is truly a master work of dessert craftsmanship. Yet, Tish has written this for you, the American home cook, and she means it. The recipe is long, with multiple steps and components.Tish is a masterful writer and you will be easily able to march down the 15-step plan she has laid out for you. This is a project for a rainy weekend.
Pray for rain.
Chocolate-Glazed Peanut Butter Mousse Cake
Yield: One 9-inch cake serving 12
Ingredients:
Special Equipment:
- 9-inch diameter, 3-inch high springform pan
Chocolate Genoise:
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sifted cake flour
- ½ cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓cup clarified butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
White Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse:
- 3.5 ounces white chocolate
- ¾ cup peanut butter [I prefer Jif]
- 2 ¼ cups heavy cream, divided
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Quick Sugared Peanuts:
- ¾ cups light salted roasted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
Chocolate Glaze:
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
Make the genoise:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch-diameter, 3-inch-high springform pan with a round of parchment paper (don’t be tempted to use a standard 9-by-1 -inch pan — there will be too much batter).
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together three times. Return the mixture to the sifter and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar together by hand. Place over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stirring constantly with the whisk (no need to beat air into the eggs at this point), heat the egg mixture until it is hot to the touch and the sugar is dissolved.
4. Remove from the heat, attach the bowl to the mixer stand, and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until the egg mixture triples in volume and is very light, about 8 minutes.
5. Pour the hot clarified butter into a large bowl and stir in the vanilla.
6. Sift about one-third of the flour mixture over the shipped eggs. Using a large rubber spatula, fold together quickly but gently, unit nearly combined. Sift in half the remaining flour mixture and fold again. Repeat with the remaining flour. Scoop about ¾ cup of the batter into the hot butter and fold together until well blended. Pour the butter mixture into the remaining batter and fold it in, being sure it is completely incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake until the cake shrinks slightly from the sides of the pan and the top of the cake springs back when pressed in the center with your fingers, 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely in the pan. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan to release the cake. Unlatch and remove the side of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack, and remove the pan bottom and parchment. Using a long, serrated knife, trim about 1/8 inch off the side of the cake all the way around (this will ensure the mousse will neatly cover the side of the cake when it’s assembled). Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers. Clean the springform pan to prepare it for the cake assembly.
Make the mousse:
9. Place the white chocolate and peanut butter in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup of the cream and the milk over medium-high heat until scalding. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and peanut butter and gently whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Whisk in the salt and vanilla. Set the mixture aside to cool completely.
10. Place the remaining 1 ¾ cups cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled peanut butter mixture one-third at a time.
Assemble the cake:
11. Place one of the cake layers in the bottom of the cleaned spring- form pan, centering it in the pan. Scrape about half the peanut butter mousse over the cake and spread it into an even layer with a spatula, letting it fill the gap between the edge of the cake and the side of the pan. Lay the second cake layer on top, centering it. Scrape the remaining mousse over the cake, spreading it into an even layer with a spatula and letting it fill the gap between the cake and the pan. Freeze the cake for at least 1 hour, until firm.
Make the peanuts:
12. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or lightly oil it with vegetable oil.
13. In a medium bowl, stir together the peanuts, corn syrup, and brown sugar. Put the nuts on the prepared baking sheet and use your hands to separate them so they are not in one big mass. Bake, stirring once or twice during baking, until the nuts are nicely browned, about 13 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the nuts cool completely. Once cool, break the nuts apart with I your fingers and then coarsely chop them.
Make the glaze:
14. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until scalding, stirring occasionally. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let it stand for 30 seconds. Gently whisk until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla.
Glaze the cake:
15. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake pan, wiping it clean as needed, to release the cake. Unlatch and remove the side of the pan. Use a small offset metal spatula to smooth over any uneven spots on the mousse. Place the cake on a cardboard cake round, if you have one, and then place it on a wire rack over a large piece of parchment or waxed paper to catch any drips of glaze. Pour I the glaze onto the center of the top of the cake and use a small offset metal spatula to gently nudge the glaze over the edge of the cake, letting it drip over the sides. Use the spatula to spread the glaze j carefully over any uncovered spots on the sides of the cake. Sprinkle the nuts over the top of the I cake. Let the cake stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the I mousse to soften. Refrigerate any leftover cake, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
Source: Flavorful by Tish Boyle [Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015]