Lemon and chocolate: a winning combination!
In this recipe, lemons are used to their full potential, fresh, in aromatic paste, in liqueur and even candied fruit.
Chocolate is very good, without being intrusive.
The mousseline cream, despite the presence of a substantial dose of butter, if well executed will have a softness and, paradoxically, a unique lightness. It is a cake that is easy to make, certainly needs attention and precision, but the original and fragrant result will satisfy every effort.
Production time: 70 minutes + cooling
Degree of difficulty (from 1 to 5): 3
Ingredients for 15-18 people
For the bisquit:
280 g of whole eggs
75 g of egg yolks
180 g of granulated sugar
65 g of candied lemon zest
20 g of limoncello
180 g of egg whites at room temperature
65 g of granulated sugar
45 g of potato starch
45 g of weak flour
45 g of bitter cocoa
For the lemon paste:
100 g of whole lemon
50 g of lemon zest
85 g of glucose
140 g of icing sugar
160 g of dark sugar
For the mousseline cream:
250 g of whole fresh milk
2 egg yolks
70 g of granulated sugar
20 g of corn starch
140 g of lemon paste (recipe above)
160 g of butter at room temperature
For the chocolate glaze:
120 g of granulated sugar
40 g of bitter cocoa
100 g of water
90 g of fresh cream
5 g of gelatin powder
25 g of water
Process to make the Lemon and Chocolate cake
For the lemon paste
Simply combine all the ingredients (remove the whole lemon seeds); blend well until it becomes a smooth paste. Only 140 g will be needed in this recipe, the rest is preserved for a long time in a refrigerator closed in a jar. It can be used to flavor creams, ice creams, coffee, or various bisquits.
For the bisquit:
The bisquit dose is about 1,000 g which is used for 2 baking pans of 30 × 40 cm each, but only 2 squares about 22 cm will be needed, so the waste will be a lot, but I preferred to use 2 whole shapes without cut or combined additions or recoveries in collage, to give the final sweet a precision and elegance that would otherwise be compromised. Leftovers could be the basis for another dessert or you can simply taste it natural or spread with a jam, with coffee or milk.
Then prepare a 22 cm square with acetate sheets inside, all placed on a rigid support covered with baking paper.
Turn the oven to 190 ° C. Coat 2 baking pans about 30 × 40 cm with baking paper.
Blend the candied lemon with the limoncello until obtaining a cream; heat the eggs and the yolks with the first dose of sugar up to 40 ° C, then mount them together with the blended lemons for 8 minutes at high speed, then for another 10 minutes at medium speed. Meanwhile whip the egg whites with the second dose of sugar.
With a spatula, add the sieved powders a little at a time to the whipped eggs, and then the whipped egg whites.
Pour half the mixture into a baking pan leveling well with a spatula, bake immediately for 15 minutes; repeat with the second half of the mixture.
Let it cool and cut with the framework in 2 layers, leave one inside the framework with the acetate.
For the mousseline
With the first 4 ingredients make a classic pastry cream, let it cool covered with transparent film in contact: at the time of use it must be at room temperature. Whip the butter until it is light and fluffy, add the lemon paste and finally the pastry cream, gently. Pour this mousseline over the bisquit inside the framework, level it well and place the second layer of bisquit on this cream. Put in the freezer.
For the glaze:
Bring to the boil the largest dose of water with the cream, gradually add it to the sugar and sifted cocoa, so as not to form lumps. Put on the heat and bring to 105 ° C. Let it cool down.
Put the second dose of water in the gelatin, turn immediately and well and after a couple of minutes put it in the icing, turn well to melt it completely, let it cool and pour it evenly over the cake.
Place everything in the freezer, but let it defrost in the refrigerator and serve this delicious cold.
The recipe was made by Roberto Saluzzi.