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Whipped Cream Cakes, Sweet Pastries, Layer Cakes

My Mini Caramel Cakes, Velvety Little Entremets

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Mini caramel cakes with a glossy caramel mirror glaze and a hazelnut dacquoise base

5.0 (3)out of 5, 3 ratings

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Prep
1 hr
Bake
9 hr
Total
10 hr
Makes
6 pieces

This is one of those recipes I really worked on for a long time, until it finally gave me neat little mini caramel cakes with a smooth mirror glaze. Three components come together: dry caramel for the mousse, a crisp dacquoise base and a glossy caramel mirror glaze on top. Honestly, it takes some effort, but the result when you cut into it, with the shiny surface and the velvety mousse underneath, makes up for every minute. I tested the recipe several times with agar, and in the end I stayed with classic gelatin sheets, because the texture is simply the best fit.

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My pastry chef trick is in the mousse: I use a real caramel chocolate instead of unsweetened cocoa powder or caramel syrup, which gives the cream a deeper flavor. For the dry caramel, it is important that you melt the sugar in batches and only stir once everything is liquid, otherwise the whole mass will clump up on your spoon. Here is my complete recipe for these mini caramel cakes:

Ingredients

Makes 6 pieces

Mousse

  • 5 tbsp60 ggranulated sugar
  • ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp200 mlheavy creamGerman cream for whipping has about 30 to 32 percent fat. In the US use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; in the UK, whipping cream (double cream also works but whips faster, so watch it).
  • ¾ oz20 gcaramel chocolatefrom Valrhona
  • 2 sheetsgelatinGerman recipes usually mean gelatin sheets of about 1.7 g each. In the US use unflavored powdered gelatin, about ½ tsp (1.7 g) per sheet, bloomed in cold water; in the UK, leaf gelatine, weighed (about 1.7 g per German sheet), or powdered gelatine.

Dacquoise

  • ½ cup plus 1 tbsp140 gegg whitesabout 4
  • ¾ cup150 ggranulated sugar
  • 4 tbsp30 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp85 ghazelnutsground

Caramel mirror glaze (glaçage au caramel)

  • ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp170 ggranulated sugar
  • ½ cup plus 2 tbsp150 gwater
  • 1 ½ tbsp12 gcornstarchA fine starch, usually made from corn, used to thicken creams and lighten cakes. In the US use cornstarch; in the UK, cornflour.
  • ½ cup plus 2 tbsp150 mlheavy cream
  • 6 sheetsgelatin
  • ⅓ oz10 gcaramel chocolateValrhona (Dulcey)

Questions and answers

Why shouldn't you stir caramel?
As long as there are undissolved sugar crystals in the pan, stirring pulls them together into a lump on your spoon. Then you more or less have a solid lollipop on a stick, and the rest burns. Only once the sugar has completely melted and is liquid can I stir safely. I work with dry caramel, meaning without water, and at the start I only swirl the pan gently.
How do you caramelize sugar properly?
I add the sugar to a preheated pan in several batches. First a thin, even layer, wait until it melts, then add the next batch. That way I keep the heat under control and don't get any pockets of crystals. The color should be a lovely amber, no darker, otherwise the caramel turns bitter. When the cold cream goes in, everything seizes for a moment, and that is normal. Keep stirring over low heat for a few minutes and it will all be nice and liquid again.
What kind of pan is best for caramelizing?
I use a heavy-bottomed pan with a light-colored interior, ideally stainless steel. A light interior, because otherwise I can't judge the color of the caramel: a dark pan fools you into seeing an amber caramel that is actually far too dark already. A heavy bottom, because the heat spreads evenly and the sugar doesn't burn in spots. If the pan is too small, the cream will boil over when it goes in, so go one size bigger.
How long does the mousse need to be frozen before glazing?
I freeze it at least overnight, so eight to twelve hours. The little cakes have to be frozen rock hard all the way through, otherwise the warm mirror glaze melts the surface away instead of leaving a clean shine. Even when I'm in a hurry, I plan it so the mousse is done in the evening and gets glazed the next day around lunchtime or in the afternoon. Honestly, there is no faster way, I'm afraid.
What should I do if the mirror glaze gets too thick?
When the glaze cools down, the gelatin starts to set and it becomes as stiff as Jell-O or slime. Then you can't pour it cleanly anymore. I warm it briefly in the microwave or in a warm water bath, stir it gently and test the consistency with a spoon. It should run off the spoon in a thin stream but still lightly coat the back of the spoon. I pour any leftovers into a clean screw-top jar and freeze them, and they easily keep for a few months.
Can I replace the caramel chocolate with regular chocolate?
Yes, that works without a problem. I use a special caramel chocolate in this recipe because it gives the mousse a deeper caramel flavor. But it is fairly expensive. If you don't have it on hand or don't want to splurge on it, use a good milk couverture chocolate (chocolate with a high cocoa butter content that melts smoothly; in the US, good-quality baking chocolate bars or couverture wafers, not chocolate chips; in the UK, couverture chocolate or a good-quality cooking chocolate bar). The mousse won't taste quite as caramelly, but it will still be really delicious. Just don't confuse caramel chocolate with caramel-filled chocolate: that has liquid caramel inside and gives a different texture.