serves
8
prep
25 minutes
cook
1:30 hour
difficulty
Mid
serves
8
people
preparation
25
minutes
cooking
1:30
hour
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 7 egg whites
- 110 g (½ cup) caster sugar
- 7 egg yolks
- 400 g dark chocolate, melted (see Note)
- 50 g (⅓ cup) plain flour
- 300 ml double cream, lightly whipped
- 4 figs, cut in half
- caster sugar, to caramelise
Brandy snaps
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 75 g (⅓ cup firmly packed) brown sugar
- 90 g (¼ cup) golden syrup
- 50 g (⅓ cup) plain flour, plus 2 tsp extra
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
Honey cream
- 185 ml (¾ cup) milk
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 egg yolks
- 55 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1 leaf titanium-strength gelatine (see Note), softened
- 125 ml (½ cup) pouring cream, lightly whipped
Chilling time 1 hour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 20 cm springform cake pan. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding sugar, then whisk in egg yolks until combined. Fold in dark chocolate, flour and cream. Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool slightly, then refrigerate until cold.
While cake is baking, make brandy snaps. Melt butter with sugar and syrup in a pan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Whisk in 50 g flour and ginger. Cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour to firm mixture.
Increase oven to 200°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Place 4 teaspoon-sized balls of mixture, spaced well apart, on 1 tray. Bake for 5 minutes or until golden and flattened. Remove from oven and cool for 30 seconds. Working quickly, shape each disc around the handle of a wooden spoon to form a cylinder. Remove and allow to set. (If the brandy snaps become too hard to manipulate, return to the oven for a few minutes to soften.) Repeat with remaining mixture on second oven tray.
To make honey cream, bring milk and honey to the boil. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and 2 tsp flour until combined. Slowly whisk milk mixture into egg mixture. Return to the pan over low heat and whisk for 4 minutes or until thick and starting to bubble. Stir in gelatine until it dissolves, then strain mixture into a bowl. Cool, then fold in cream. Fill a piping bag with the honey cream and pipe into the brandy snaps.
Sprinkle figs with sugar. Using a kitchen blow torch, caramelise until golden. Alternatively, place under a grill on high heat.
Serve chocolate mousse cake with brandy snaps and caramelised figs.
Note
• To melt chocolate, place chopped chocolate in a glass or stainless-steel bowl and place over a pan of simmering water (don’t let bowl touch water) and stir occasionally until smooth. For small quantities, turn off the heat; the residual heat will melt the chocolate.
• Gelatine leaves are available from delis.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
