Chocolate and Cardamom Croquembousche on Cake
Recipe by: Khensani Peters & Sohail Seegoobin
See more of Khensani’s creations: instagram.com/ntshovelo_cakes
Ingredients:
Choux Pastry
500ml Water (Note: Use bottled water as per mum)
250g Butter (Mum says it’s best at room temp)
400g flour
25g coco powder (Has to be dark)
500g Beaten eggs
Whipped Cardamom Cream
500 ml cream (fresh)
10 g Icing Sugar
5 g Elaichi cardamom
Chocolate Sponge
250ml sugar
2 Extra large eggs
1 ½ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
1 Cup buttermilk
1 Cup Canola Oil
1 Tbsp Vinegar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup cocoa
Ganache
500 ml Heavy Cream
½ cup Granulated sugar
75 ml Corn syrup or glucose
500g 61% Chocolate Coverture
7 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Method:
Choux Pastry
Boil: Butter, water
Add flour and coco powder (Sift twice- it gives a light pastry)
Lower heat and stir till a ball forms
NB: Cool completely then add in eggs
Add paste into a piping bag with a plain tip
Pipe choux paste into 2cm discs
Bake at 180° for 30 minutes & fill with whipped cardamom cream
Whipped Cardamom Cream
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whip until it makes stiff peaks.
Fill into baked choux buns
Chocolate Sponge
Preheat oven to 180°
Grease and line your pan
Sift flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt
Beat sugar and eggs very well until creamy and pale
Add oil, buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla essence and mix together until well combined Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time and gently mix
Bake for 45-60 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean
Remove from the oven and let it cool
Ganache
Combine cream, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan
Stir with a rubber spatula to combine and bring to a simmer over high heat
Put the chocolate in a bowl and put the butter on top of the chocolate and have your whisk ready.
Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Switch to a whisk and whisk until emulsified. (For best results, blend with a blender until shiny and emulsified)
Refrigerate until ganache reaches spreadable texture
