Floating Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse Cake (红心巧克力慕斯蛋糕)

I was so impressed when I saw the cake at wenxuecity. This cake requires some planning since there are 4 different components, the raspberry puree, chocolate cake, white chocolate mousse, and the top glaze. It is a minimum 3-day process.

 PART A: Day 1 - Raspberry Puree

Ingredients:

Fresh raspberry - 24 oz
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Gelatin - 1.5 bag ( about 3 tsp)
Uses 8" cake pan, lined with shrink wrap

Steps:

1. Puree the raspberry in blender until smooth, and then pour the puree thru fine sieve to a saucepan.

2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the puree and allow the gelatin to soften for about 5 minutes. Then heat the puree over medium heat until the gelatin melts completely.
3. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
4. Cool the mixture slightly and pour into plastic lined cake pan. Freeze for at least 12 hours.

PART B: Day 2 - Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Large egg - 2 at room temperature
Large egg yolks - 6 at room temperature
Almond paste - 6 oz
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 3 TBSP
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Unsalted butter - 3 TBSP, melted and cooled

Steps:

1. Preheat over to 400°F. Prepare a 9" cake pan with parchment paper covering the bottom
2. Put egg, yolks, almond paste, and powdered sugar in mixer bowl and mix at medium low speed until smooth, thick, and pale, about 5 min.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, and sugar. Add these to the egg mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Add butter and mix for another 5 seconds.
5. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 8 minutes or just until firm to the touch. Do not over bake. When you insert a toothpick, it will come out with wet crumbs.

6. Cool it completely and fridge until ready to assembly.

PART C: Day 2 - White Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

White chocolate - 12 oz
Water - 1/3 cup
Gelatin - 1.5 bag
Heavy whipping cream - 3 and 3/4 cup

Steps:

1. Put the chocolate chips in a stainless steel mixing bowl that fit over a saucepan. Add water to the saucepan and heat it until the chocolate melt entirely.
2. In another saucepan, add 1/3 cup water and sprinkle in the gelatin. Let the gelatin soak for 5 minutes, and then set the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the gelatin dissolves.
3. Pour 3/4 cup of the heavy cream in another sauce pan and bring it to boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat immediately.
4. Add the gelatin to the hot cream and stir until well mixed; then add the mixture to the melted chocolate and stir well until the mixture is very smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and allow the chocolate mixture to cool until its just warm.

5. Use electric mixer to whip the rest of the heavy whipping cream until it just holds stiff peaks.
6. Use rubber spatula to gently fold half of the whipped cream into the slightly warm chocolate mixture. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold gently until smooth. Do not over fold the mixture; it should still have a few distinct streaks of white chocolate and whipped cream.

PART D: Day 2 - Assembly

1. Optionally, trim the 9" chocolate cake to 8". Then put the cake in the middle of the 9" mousse ring.

2. Pour in half of the white chocolate mousse and put raspberry puree in the middle of the white mousse, gently press it in.

3. Then add the rest of the mousse and put the cake in refrigerator overnight.

PART D: Day 3 - Glaze Top

Ingredients:

Raspberry puree - 100 g, filtered using fine sieve
Sugar - 30 g
Water - 100 g
Gelatin - 5 g (about 3/4 bag)

Steps:

1. Add water, sugar, gelatin in a small saucepan, heat in medium heat until gelatin fully dissolved. Remove from heat.
2. Add raspberry puree in the sauce pan, mix well. Wait for it cool before use.
3. Pour cooled raspberry mixture on the mousse cake from the day before, then put the cake back to refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or until the jello surface is set.

4. Remove the mousse ring. Pipe some letters and decorations on parchment paper using melted white chocolate and then place on cake when they are harden.