administratorThe dessert I’m sharing today comes from my wonderful cookbook Pâtisserie! by Christophe Felder. The base of this cake is a chocolate sponge layered with a delicious caramel mousse. Pears can easily be substituted with apples. For those who have never made caramel before, this recipe can be a bit challenging — not because it’s extremely difficult, but the caramel is prepared multiple times. All weights, including liquids, are given in grams.
The cake is light and, contrary to appearances, not overly sweet. The proportions given are for a standard baking tray measuring 25 × 36 cm.
Ingredients
Chocolate Sponge:
80 g egg yolks
100 g flour
17 g unsweetened cocoa powder
160 g egg whites
120 g sugar
Syrup for soaking sponge:
70 ml water
50 g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Caramelized Pears:
33 g sugar
400 g pears, peeled and diced (~1 cm)
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise + seeds scraped out
Caramel Sauce:
40 g sugar
100 g cream (30–36%)
20 g butter
Caramel Mousse:
8 g gelatin sheets (5 sheets)
370 g cream (30–36%)
80 g egg yolks
20 g sugar
127 g sugar
50 g water
180 g milk
Decoration:
150 g sugar
1 tsp butter
Pinch of salt
Chocolate Sponge
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly whisk the egg yolks with a fork. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, gradually adding sugar at the end. Gently fold in the yolks with a whisk. Add the flour and cocoa 2 tablespoons at a time, folding carefully with a spatula. Repeat until fully incorporated.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Divide the batter into two equal portions (weighing is best). Spread half the batter evenly in the tray and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove and cool. Repeat with the second portion.
Caramelized Pears
Place sugar in a pan over low heat. When it begins to melt (may take several minutes), stir with a wooden spoon.
Cook until the caramel turns dark brown, taking care not to burn.
When the first wisp of smoke appears, add the pears, vanilla pod, and seeds. Cook for about 5 minutes while stirring, then set aside to cool.
Caramel Sauce
In a small saucepan, melt the sugar over low heat. Remove from heat.
Warm the cream slightly (lukewarm) and add it in three portions, stirring with a wooden spoon (be careful, the caramel may splatter).
Add the butter, stir, and return to medium heat briefly, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.
Caramel Mousse
Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water.
Whisk egg yolks with 20 g sugar in a bowl.
Prepare the caramel: in a small saucepan, melt 127 g sugar over low heat. When dark brown with the first smoke, add the water carefully and stir quickly (it will splatter). If the sugar clumps, continue stirring until dissolved. Set aside.
Heat the milk to a boil, then pour it over the egg yolks and sugar. Return everything to the saucepan and add the prepared caramel. Heat gently like crème anglaise to 82°C, then remove from heat. Add the drained gelatin and stir. Let cool, being careful not to let the mixture set.
Whip the cream and fold in the cooled caramel mixture with gelatin until smooth.
Syrup for soaking sponge
Mix the water, sugar, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
Assembling the Cake
Place one sponge layer in the baking tray. Brush with vanilla syrup.
Spread the caramelized pears evenly over the sponge, then drizzle with caramel sauce.
Spread half the caramel mousse on top. Cover with the second sponge layer and brush with syrup.
Spread the remaining caramel mousse on top and smooth the surface. Refrigerate for several hours.
Decoration
In a small saucepan, melt sugar with a pinch of salt until dark brown.
When the first wisp of smoke appears, remove from heat and add the butter. Stir well and pour onto a parchment-lined flat tray. Spread as thinly as possible.
Once set, place a second sheet of parchment on top and crush the caramel with a rolling pin into small pieces.
Sprinkle the small caramel pieces over the top of the cake.
This cake is a showstopper — delicate, rich, and perfectly balanced with pear and caramel flavors.
