Chocolate Praline Decadence

Chocolate Praline Decadence

Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Rich Ganache

  • 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract

Praline Filling

  • 4 oz. butter
  • 3 1/2 oz. praline paste
  • 12 oz. rich ganache (recipe above), cooled and unwhipped

Rich Chocolate Mousse

  • 12 oz. semisweet chocolate
  • 4 oz. butter
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 3 oz. sugar
  • 1 fl. oz. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 fl. oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream® liquor
  • 15 oz. cream
  • 1 fl. oz. eggnog

Icing

  • 8 oz. chocolate
  • 5 oz. butter
  • 3 fl. oz. corn syrup

Stock Syrup

  • 2 cups water
  • 8 oz. sugar

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grind together the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and hazelnuts to a fine powder. Whisk together egg yolks, half the sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer until pale, fluffy and lemon-colored, approximately 3 minutes.

Whip egg whites and salt until white and opaque. Add the sugar in a steady stream and whip to form stiff peaks. Fold the egg yolks into the whites in thirds. Fold in dry ingredients to egg mixture in thirds.

Scrape batter into a 9 inches round cake pan, buttered and paper-lined. Bake 30 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. Cool. Slice the cake horizontally to form 3 layers. Set aside.

Rich Ganache

Bring cream to boil. Stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in vanilla extract.

Praline Filling

Beat butter until smooth and softened. Beat in praline paste. Beat in unwhipped ganache and beat until light

Rich Chocolate Mousse

Melt chocolate and butter together over simmering water.

Combine yolks, sugar and liquor and beat over simmering water until thickened. Beat until cool and thickened

Beat cream until it holds its shape. Fold chocolate into beaten egg yolk mixture. Fold in whipped cream.

Icing

Melt chocolate. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Stock Syrup

Bring to a boil. Let cool.

To Assemble

Begin with a layer of the chocolate sponge cake. Brush with stock syrup until cake is moist, approximately 1/3 of the syrup should be used. Spread on a layer of the praline ganache followed by a layer of the chocolate mousse. Moisten the second cake layer and place on top of the fillings. Apply a second layer of both the praline ganache and the mousse. Top with last moistened cake layer. Spread the icing on top and sides of the cake. Apply garnish in the center of the cake.

Garnish

Place silpat on sheet pan/ Sprinkle with isomalt and ground hazelnuts scarcely. Top with a second silpat. Bake at high temperature (approximately 400 degrees F.) Let set. Gently remove pieces from the silpat and place on cake as desired.

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Rich Ganache

  • 340 g bittersweet chocolate
  • 240 ml cream
  • 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract

Praline Filling

  • 115 g butter
  • 100 g praline paste
  • 340 g rich ganache (recipe above), cooled and unwhipped

Rich Chocolate Mousse

  • 340 g semisweet chocolate
  • 115 g butter
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 85 g sugar
  • 30 ml Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 30 ml Bailey’s Irish Cream® liquor
  • 430 g cream
  • 30 ml eggnog

Icing

  • 230 g chocolate
  • 140 g butter
  • 90 ml corn syrup

Stock Syrup

  • 470 ml water
  • 230 g sugar

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Grind together the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and hazelnuts to a fine powder. Whisk together egg yolks, half the sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer until pale, fluffy and lemon-colored, approximately 3 minutes.

Whip egg whites and salt until white and opaque. Add the sugar in a steady stream and whip to form stiff peaks. Fold the egg yolks into the whites in thirds. Fold in dry ingredients to egg mixture in thirds.

Scrape batter into a 23 cm round cake pan, buttered and paper-lined. Bake 30 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. Cool. Slice the cake horizontally to form 3 layers. Set aside.

Rich Ganache

Bring cream to boil. Stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in vanilla extract.

Praline Filling

Beat butter until smooth and softened. Beat in praline paste. Beat in unwhipped ganache and beat until light

Rich Chocolate Mousse

Melt chocolate and butter together over simmering water.

Combine yolks, sugar and liquor and beat over simmering water until thickened. Beat until cool and thickened

Beat cream until it holds its shape. Fold chocolate into beaten egg yolk mixture. Fold in whipped cream.

Icing

Melt chocolate. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Stock Syrup

Bring to a boil. Let cool.

To Assemble

Begin with a layer of the chocolate sponge cake. Brush with stock syrup until cake is moist, approximately 1/3 of the syrup should be used. Spread on a layer of the praline ganache followed by a layer of the chocolate mousse. Moisten the second cake layer and place on top of the fillings. Apply a second layer of both the praline ganache and the mousse. Top with last moistened cake layer. Spread the icing on top and sides of the cake. Apply garnish in the center of the cake.

Garnish

Place silpat on sheet pan/ Sprinkle with isomalt and ground hazelnuts scarcely. Top with a second silpat. Bake at high temperature (approximately 200 degrees C.) Let set. Gently remove pieces from the silpat and place on cake as desired.

This Recipe Uses

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract