Dark Chocolate and Espresso Demi Spheres

Have you ever seen these Demi Sphere Cakes at your local patisserie? They may look like very difficult to make, but as soon as you have the patience and time, you can definitely make them like a pro! What you really need is a hemisphere silicone mold to make the shape. Then, use any cake batter will result with this beautiful cake dome. Today, we want to introduce a slightly more challenging recipe by Hint of Vanilla, which is a baking blog run by Megan.

It is called "Dark Chocolate and Espresso Demi Spheres." The recipe is consisted of chocolate cake, Espresso Bavarois, dark chocolate mousse, and finally, a beautiful ganache.

Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

2-1/2 tablespoons (20 g) cocoa powder

1 cup (220 g) all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda

1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt

1/2 cup (150 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cup (266 g) icing sugar

1 extra large egg or 1.5 medium eggs or 2 small eggs (66 g)

2/3 cup (163 g) buttermilk

Espresso Bavarois Ingredients:

3.5 oz (100 g) heavy cream

2 tablespoon (30 g) whole milk

2 tablespoon (22 g) sugar

1 large egg yolk (25 g)

~2 tablespoon (10 g) freshly brewed espresso

180 g espresso anglaise

3/4 cup (180 g) heavy cream

Dark Chocolate Mousse Ingredients:

1 large egg (60 g)

2 tablespoon (25 g) sugar

1/2 cup (80 g / 3 oz) good quality dark chocolate (70-73%), finely chopped

1/2 cup (131 g) heavy cream

Ganache Ingredients:

1-1/4 cup (150 g) good quality dark chocolate (70-73%), finely chopped

1/2 cup (150 g) heavy cream

Chocolate Cake Instruction:

1. Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

2. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper, then spray the borders of the sheet pan. Set aside. 3. Preheat the oven to 325 F. 4. Cream the butter and icing sugar together in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

5. Add the eggs in 2 additions, scraping the sides of the bowl and the paddle between each addition. 6. Add half of the sifted dry ingredients and mix for a few seconds, until combined.

7. Add half of the buttermilk and mix for a few seconds. Repeat with the other half of the dry ingredients and the remaining half of the buttermilk. 8. Pour the batter onto the prepared sheet and spread evenly with an offset spatula. 9. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

10. Once it has cooled, lift the cake and parchment off of the sheet pan and flip it upside down. Carefully peel off the parchment. Line the sheet pan with a new sheet of parchment and gently place the cake on that.

11. Freeze until hard, about 20 minutes. 12. Cut out 6 rounds of cake measuring 2.75 inches in diameter. Reserve in the freezer.

Espresso Bavarois Instruction: 1. Place a 1-inch diameter demi sphere silicon mold on a half sheet pan. Set aside. 2. Combine the cream and milk in a saucepan and place over medium-low heat.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and the egg yolks until paler in color. 4. Once the cream mixture has just come to a boil, pour a small amount into the egg yolks while whisking constantly.

5. Pour the remaining cream into the yolks, then return to the saucepan.

6. Over medium-low heat and stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, cook the anglaise until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.

7. Remove from heat and immediately strain into a clean bowl set over an ice bath.

8. Bring to room temperature, stir in the espresso, then refrigerate until cold. 9. Whip the heavy cream to medium peaks.

10. Once the espresso bavarois has cooled completely, add half of the heavy cream and fold in. Add the remaining half and fold.

11. Pipe into the 1-inch demi spheres and freeze until completely hard, about 2 hours. 12. Place a 2.75 inch diameter demi sphere silicon mold on a half sheet pan. Set aside.

Dark Chocolate Mousse Instruction:

1. Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a hot water bath while whisking constantly until it reaches 60 C/ 140 F.

2. Remove the mixture from the heat and place it in the stand mixer. Whip on high speed until it cools to about 35 C/ 95 F and creates ribbons, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over the hot water bath. Let it cool to 35 C/ 95 F.

4. Once both the egg mixture and the chocolate are at the correct temperatures, whisk the egg into the chocolate until evenly combined. Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining half.

5. Transfer to a piping bag.

Building the Demi-Spheres Instruction:

1. Pipe the 2.75 inch demi spheres half full with chocolate mousse.

2.. Take out the frozen bavarois demi spheres from the freezer and unmold them.

3. Place one demi sphere of bavarois into each demi sphere of mousse, pressing down to ensure the bavarois demi sphere is will be in the middle of the mousse.

4. Pipe the remaining mousse into the demi spheres and smooth with an offset spatula.

5. Top with a round of cake and freeze until completely hard, about 4 hours.

Ganache Instruction:

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

2. Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil.

3. Pour over the chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute.

4. Using a heatproof spatula, stir the ganache in tight circles in the middle of the bowl until the cream and chocolate start to emulsify.

5. Slowly enlarge your circle until the ganache is completely emulsified.

6. Cool to room temperature.

Final Steps:

1. Line a sheet pan with plastic wrap and place a wire rack on top.

2. Remove the frozen 2.75 inch demi spheres from the freezer and place on the wire rack.