Ingredients
Almond-chocolate sponge
egg yolk
raw cane sugar (1)
water
egg white
table salt
raw cane sugar (2)
almond flour, de-oiled
apricot kernel flour
cocoa powder (22–24% cocoa content)
Coffee buttercream
egg white
sugar (1)
water (1)
sugar (2)
butter
instant coffee (e.g. Nescafé)
water (2)
Chocolate cream
heavy cream UHT
sugar
egg yolk, pasteurized
couverture Piccoli Excellence 54%
couverture Rondo milk 36%
Coffee-Baileys syrup
water
coffee beans, roasted
Baileys Irish Cream (17% vol.)
Chocolate Chantilly
heavy cream UHT
couverture Rondo Arriba 72%
Couverture flakes and decoration ingredients
couverture Piccoli Excellence 54%
couverture Maracaibo 65%, grated
cocoa nibs
couverture Opus Blanc
Production
Almond-chocolate sponge
Beat the egg yolks with the raw cane sugar (1) and water until frothy. Whip the egg whites with salt and the raw cane sugar (2) until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture, then gently fold in the dry ingredients (almond flour, apricot kernel flour and cocoa powder). Finally, carefully fold in the remaining egg whites.
Baking
Lightly grease a 24×44 cm baking tray with 1 cm high edges and line only the bottom with parchment paper.
Spread the batter evenly to a 1 cm thickness and bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C for about 12 minutes. Let cool completely.
Note: Replacing wheat flour with other dry ingredients may reduce the height and stability of the sponge.
Coffee buttercream
Whip the egg whites with the sugar (1) until stiff. Boil the water (1) with the sugar (2) to 120°C and slowly pour into the egg whites while whisking.
In a separate bowl, whip the butter until frothy. Dissolve the instant coffee in water (2) and add to the butter.
Gently fold the cooled meringue into the buttercream.
Chocolate cream
Bring the cream and sugar to a boil and gradually temper the egg yolks with the hot liquid. Heat while stirring constantly to 82°C. Add both couverture chocolates and mix until smooth. Cool the cream to about 24°C and process immediately.
Coffee-Baileys syrup
Brew the coffee as usual and stir in the Baileys.
Chocolate Chantilly
Heat the cream and pour it over the couverture, stirring until completely melted. Mix finely and let rest overnight in the refrigerator. Process further or freeze in portions.
Notes: Avoid overwhipping, as the cream may separate, and do not fill large amounts into piping bags, since hand warmth can cause the mixture to curdle.
Couverture flakes
Pass the couverture through a grater. Repeat several times, gradually tightening the rollers. The slight warming during grating makes the flakes easily shapeable.
Assembling
- Spread a piece of almond-chocolate sponge with slightly warmed, liquid couverture.
- Evenly spread 280 g of coffee buttercream on top.
- Sprinkle with couverture flakes.
- Place the second sponge on top, moisten with coffee-Baileys syrup and spread with buttercream again.
- Finish with the third sponge.
- Spread the warm chocolate cream evenly over the surface and smooth.
- Freeze the slices.
Finishing
After freezing, cut the pastry to size:
- trim the edges cleanly
- halve the cake lengthwise
- cut into strips approx. 3 cm wide
Pipe the Chocolate Chantilly on top, sprinkle with cocoa nibs and decorate with couverture flakes.
Evaluation