This particular form of Gâteau nid de Pâques is made with two layers of chocolate Génoise; soaked in a rum syrup; a filling of coffee mousse; which also enrobes the top and sides; the sides are further covered with crushed hazelnut pieces; and there is either a crushed buckwheat cracker nest fitted on top; or a nest made with coffee mousse piping (both are catered for).
The gluten-free chocolate Génoise recipe is based upon the Gluten recipe of Bruce Healy and Paul Bugat (The Art of the Cake, (New York, William Marrow and Company, Inc, 1999), yet with a modified method that is influenced both by Shirley Corriher in, BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking with Over 200 Magnificent Recipes, (New York, Scribner, 2008) and Sherry Yard in The Secrets of Baking, (New York, Houghton Mifflin, 2003).
The rum brushing syrup is based upon recipes given in both the books of Bruce Healy and Paul Bugat (The Art of the Cake, (New York, William Marrow and Company, Inc, 1999) and Shirley Corriher in, BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking with Over 200 Magnificent Recipes, (New York, Scribner, 2008).
The crushed buckwheat cracker nest is based on a recipe by Cassie Best, given in BBC goodfood (bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easter-nest-cake), that uses crushed salted pretzels and shredded wheat biscuits, chocolate, marshmallow as its base. Here the gluten pretzels and shredded wheat are replaced by shredded buckwheat crackers.
The coffee mousse is made with Hemp milk Mascarpone cream cheese, which is considered a store item, so if it is not available, it will need to be made beforehand. As will be the rum syrup, which uses heavy syrup, which is also store item.
Ingredients:
Chocolate Génoise
Rum syrup
Coffee mousse
Nest
Crunchy Hazelnut pieces
Chocolate eggs, bunny, hen, fish, etc., (for placing in the nest of the finished cake)
Hemp milk Mascarpone cream cheese
If normal Mascarpone cream cheese is used, skip this section. Hemp milk Mascarpone cream cheese is best made a day or so ahead, as the process involved takes a little time to complete.
Ingredients: (yields approx. 620g)
Butter (82% fat) 465g (sliced)
Hemp milk 180g
Gelatin 4g (1 sheet (Silver))
Cane sugar 4g
Salt 1/4tsp
Lemon Juice 2 Tbsp plus 1/4tsp
Method:
Place 465g sliced butter in the top bowl (1) of a double boiler, gently heat until three quarters of the butter is melted, stirring and further chopping with a spoon.
Remove from the heat and melt the rest of the butter with a spoon. Set aside to cool.
Warm the milk in a saucepan (2) to finger warmth (36 -38°C) and then remove from the heat.
Pour a quarter of the cooling melted butter (bowl 1) into the warmed milk (bowl 2), and combine with a whisk.
Pour the butter-milk mix (bowl 2) back into the butter (bowl 1) and combine with a whisk.
Soak one sheet of Silver gelatin in a bowl (3) of water for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the bowl of butter-milk mix (1) over a saucepan (4) of simmering water and heat to 85°C.
Meanwhile, drain off the excess water from the gelatin, then melt in a microwave oven with 2 – 3 x 10 sec bursts on full power.
Add the Lemon juice, cane sugar, salt, and melted gelatin to the butter-milk mix (bowl 1) and combine, stirring gently with a metal spoon for 1 minute.
Then, take the saucepan off the heat; remove the bowl (1) from the top of the saucepan and pour the becoming Hemp milk Mascarpone cream cheese into a tall storage jar and allow to cool for 20 – 30 minutes at room temperature.
Blend the becoming Hemp milk mascarpone cream cheese with an immersion, hand, or stick, blender for 5 minutes, to disperse the Hemp milk fully into the butter.
Cover with a tea towel and cool in a refrigerator for 3 hours.
Line a colander, or large sieve, with several (4) layers of cheesecloth, and place and place it over a deep bowl (5). Pour the becoming Hemp milk Mascarpone cream cheese onto the cheesecloth lined colander. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and tightly tie off. Allow it to drain for 1-2 hours (for producing a traditional Mascarpone cream cheese texture), checking each hour for the required consistency, and retightening the cheesecloth; or, cover and drain for up to 12 hours in a refrigerator (for producing a Cream cheese type texture), checking on the consistency from time to time.
Transfer the Hemp milk Mascarpone cream cheese to a bowl (6), cover airtight with clingfilm, and store in a refrigerator until ready to use. It will keep in the refrigerator for 5 - 7 days. When ready to use bring it up to room temperature.
Rum syrup
The rum used for this particular syrup is Lagra, which has an alcohol content of 40% by volume; it is a rhum des Antilles (West Indian rum).
Ingredients (rum syrup):
Heavy syrup 120g
Rum 60g
Water 60g
Ingredients (Heavy syrup):
Cane sugar 200g
Water 120g
Method (Heavy syrup):
In a saucepan, add 200g cane sugar to 120g water and bring to a boil, stirring to fully dissolve the sugar. Once the syrup comes to the boil remove it from the heat.
Pour the syrup into a storage jar and place a lid on top, loosely. This will allow the steam to rise up and hit the lid and condense; the condensed steam will fall back on to the surface of the syrup, forming a thin layer of water that will prevent the syrup from crystallizing. Allow the heavy syrup to cool, at room temperature, for 2 hours; then seal the lid.
It will keep at room temperature for six months or even more.
Method (Rum brushing syrup):
Measure 120g heavy syrup into a glass container, add 60g rum and 60g water; and stir together to combine.
Chocolate Génoise
Ingredients: (makes two 23cm (9in) round Génoise layers)
Gluten-free flour mix* 180g
Cocoa powder (alkaline) 45g
Butter (optional) 45g (sliced and cubed)
Cane sugar 220g (11 + 209g)
Eggs 398g (7 Large plus 3 yolks)
*Gluten-free flour mix: 440g Brown Rice flour, 125g Sweet Rice flour, 45g Potato starch, 95g Tapioca starch, and 55g Arrowroot. Total weight: 760g
Method:
Lightly grease two 23cm (9in) round cake pans (3.5cm (1 3/8in) high) with softened butter. Line the bottom and the sides up to the top of the pan with parchment paper, and then lightly grease with softened butter.
Adjust a rack to the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 190°C for 45 minutes.
Sift the gluten-free flour mix and cocoa powder into a medium sized bowl (1), add in 1Tbsp (11g) cane sugar, and whisk to incorporate. This is to help later when folding in the flour with the whipped egg mixture; it will make it easier. Set aside.
If adding the optional butter, fill a medium saucepan (2) with about 5cm (1in) of water and over medium heat bring to a simmer. Place a small bowl (3) on top containing the sliced and cubed butter. Using a metal dessert spoon, melt the butter, when it is approximately three quarters melted, remove the bowl from the heat and continue to stir to completion. Set aside.
Rinse a stand mixing bowl (4) with hot tap water to warm it, then dry well.
If not already done so, fill a medium saucepan (2) with about 5cm (1in) of water and over medium heat bring to a simmer.
Add the eggs and yolks to the warm mixing bowl (4) and break the yolks with either a fork or a whisk; add the rest of the cane sugar and whisk to combine for a minimum of 30 seconds. Then, place the warm, filled mixing bowl (4) on top of the saucepan (2) containing the simmering water; turn the heat to low. If whipping by hand, tilt the mixing bowl forward, almost horizontal, and sweep the whisk around the bottom of the bowl, with each revolution lifting the whole of the mass of egg mix to incorporate air into the process. If using a hand-held mixer, use a similar process. Whisk continuously for 3 – 4 minutes, or until the egg mix reaches a temperature of 40°C and the mix is frothy and pale yellow.
Remove the filled mixer bowl (4) from the double boiler and wipe the bottom dry. Place the filled bowl on a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use an electric mixer. Whip at medium speed for 12 – 17 minutes, until the egg-sugar mixture is three times the original volume, is thick, is almost white in colour, and is completely cool to a finger dipped in it. During the last 4 – 5 minutes of whisking stop from time to time to check the ribbon thickness when dropped from the whisk. There will be some definition of it in the filled bowl, it will initially stay on top of the mixture before spreading slightly and slowly flattening as it dissolves into the mass of whipped egg-sugar mix.
Turn the speed down to the lowest, then drizzle in the cooled, yet liquid, melted butter (bowl 3) and mix for 15 seconds until incorporated. If the butter has cooled too much and it is no longer liquid, place it in a microwave oven and briefly heat to liquify.
Sift a quarter of the Gluten-free flour mix over the top of the whipped egg-sugar mix, avoiding the edges of the bowl. Imagine a clockface. Gently immerse a whisk vertically into the foam, facing forward at the 12 o’clock position and drag it across the bottom of the bowl. At the 6 o’clock position, lift up the whisk, and with it a large dollop of the mix, turn it over and spread it across the top of the sifted flour, folding the flour into the mix. Rotate the mixer bowl one quarter turn, sift another quarter of the flour mix and fold again. Repeat with the third batch of flour, and again with the last quarter of sifted four mix and folding that in to fully incorporate the flour into the cake batter.
Pour and scrape the cake batter into the prepared cake pans, filling them to between one third and three quarters of their height. Tap each pan lightly on the worksurface a few times to eliminate any air bubbles. Then, smooth the surface of the batter with a spatula, pushing it out to the sides to make a slight depression in the centre.
Place the filled cake pan on a baking sheet on the middle shelf of a preheated oven and bake for 16 – 20 minutes, or until the chocolate génoise starts to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan, and is firm to the touch. As an additional test, place the tip of a paring knife in the centre of the cake, and if it comes out wet yet clean, the chocolate génoise is done. If it doesn’t, bake for a further 5 – 10 minutes.
Remove the chocolate génoise from the oven, place it on a wire cooling rack, and slide the tip of a paring knife between the edge of the chocolate génoise and the cake pan; to fully loosen the edge. Let the chocolate génoise cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Unmould the chocolate génoise on to another wire cooling rack covered with a sheet of parchment paper. Remove the parchment paper that the chocolate génoise was baked on and cool right side up for at least 2 hours before using. When the chocolate énoise is completely cool, place it in a fridge for 20 minutes, and then it can be sliced level if required.
Chocolate génoise may be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days, or covered airtight in a fridge for 2 days too. Alternatively freeze for up to 2 weeks in a freezer. If frozen, defrost overnight in a refrigerator, then unwrap the chocolate génoise for at least 2 hours before using.
Coffee mousse
This will be used for the filling, topping and sides (also for the nest if that option is taken).
Ingredients:
Instant coffee granules 6Tbsp
Water (hot) 5Tbsp (75g)
Gelatin 7.5g (3 sheets (silver), or 20g powdered gelatin)
Mascarpone cream cheese 620g (or Hemp milk equivalent)
Egg yolks 144g (8 large)
Eggs 100g (2 large)
Cane sugar (superfine) 175g
Method:
Remove the Mascarpone cream cheese or equivalent from the refrigerator and bring up to room temperature before use.
In a small saucepan (1), half full of water, over medium heat bring the water to a simmer (91°C). Pour off 75g into a small porcelain bowl (2) and add 6Tbsp instant coffee granules; stir and mix to a paste.
Soak 3 sheets of Silver gelatin in a bowl (3) of water for 10 minutes.
Drain off the excess water from the gelatin, then melt in a microwave oven with 2 – 3 x 10 sec bursts on full power.
Add the melted gelatin to the coffee paste (bowl 1) and combine, stirring gently with a metal spoon for 1 minute to combine.
In the top bowl (9) of a double boiler that is over a pan of gently simmering water, at low heat, add the eggs, yolks, and cane sugar. Whisk, keeping it moving, especially over the bottom surface and the sides, whisk until the foam produced starts to subside and thicken, approx. 10 minutes. However, watch the temperature of the mixture to avoid the eggs setting, or scrambling, so before the temperature reaches 83°C pour the egg-sugar mixture into the bowl (7) of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Whip the mixture at medium-high speed for approximately 8 minutes, or, until on lifting the whisk attachment the mixture falls in a steady stream.
If necessary, to liquify the cooled coffee-gelatin mixture warm it in a microwave oven with 2 – 3 x 10 sec bursts on full power.
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the cooled creamed coffee-gelatin mixture (bowl 1) to the egg-sugar mixture (bowl 7) and whisk until the bowl is cool, or, more importantly, until the mixture, itself, reaches room temperature.
Take a spoonful of room temperature Mascarpone cream cheese, or substitute, and add to the coffee–egg sugar mixture (bowl 7) and incorporate. Repeat, and whisk until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
Depending on the consistency of the mousse, it may help to place in a fridge for 15 minutes for it to firm up a little before using. Otherwise, use the coffee mousse, immediately, before it sets.
Assembly 1
This assembly is to do with: syrup; mousse filling; topping and coating the sides with coffee mousse.
If not done so, remove the cake rounds from the cake pans. The first one, place on a flat serving surface, or plate, with the top on the bottom. For the other cake round, level the top with a kitchen knife.
Pour a few tablespoons of the rum syrup into a small bowl; using a silicone brush, either sprinkle or brush the top surface of each cake round with the rum syrup.
After making the coffee mousse, measure out a one fifth (or 1/3rd if using the buckwheat cracker/marshmallow nest) of the mousse; to act as the filling. Spread the mousse filling generously over the cake surface, starting around the outer perimeter, finally, place any mousse left into the centre of the cake surface. Spread the cream evenly over the top of the cake layer with a thin metal spatula, smoothing the cream in towards the centre. Then, place the other cake round, centrally, flat side down, on top of the layer of coffee mousse filling. Use a set square to check that the two layers are central. The weight of the cake will press down and the mousse may ooze out to the sides, this is OK. If there is any mousse that has escaped from the pressure of the top cake layer, use a small spatula to smooth the mousse into the side of the cake, or if necessary, to fill in any gaps and smooth.
Place the cake in a freezer for 15 minutes to set the mousse.
Measure out 3/5th of the original amount of mousse made (or use the rest if using the buckwheat cracker/marshmallow nest). Spread the coffee mousse over the top, going right out to the edges; and then spread coffee mousse up the sides of the cake using a thin, offset metal spatula. The layer of topping does not need to be too thick, just level and even. Tidy up the sides and round the top edge, using a small thin offset spatula, so that the mousse is smooth.
Place the cake in a freezer for 15 minutes, or overnight, to set the mousse.
Nest
The Nest may be made in one of two ways: one based on a mixture of crushed buckwheat crackers and marshmallows; and the other using piping coffee mousse.
Marshmallow/buckwheat cracker version
Ingredients:
Marshmallows 200g
Butter 100g (cubed)
Cocoa powder 2Tbsp
Sea salt 1/4tsp
Crushed buckwheat crackers 165g (place in a bag, and crush with a mallet)
Method:
Clean one of the previously used 23cm (9in) round cake pans (3.5cm (1 3/8in) high). Lightly grease with softened butter. Line the bottom and the sides up to the top of the pan with parchment paper, and then lightly grease with softened butter.
In a saucepan (1) add the marshmallows and cubed butter; over medium heat, cook gently until both are melted and the mixture is runny. Add the cocoa powder, salt, and crushed buckwheat crackers; and mix with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until well combined.
Tip the mixture into the prepared cake pan; using the back of the spoon or spatula to create a nest shape; a thin layer on the base and shaped up the sides. Note that the mix is quite stiff to move around.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature (approx. 1 hour), or place in a refrigerator to speed up the process.
Once cool, remove from the cake pan, and set aside.
Piping version
Ingredients:
Coffee mousse 1/5th of original amount (or, what is left)
Method:
In a piping bag fitted with a cake decorating tip (e.g., such as that used for placing cream in puff pastries), scoop in some of the coffee mousse. Initially, pipe circumferentially around the edge of the cake; pipe, say five lines, each one inside of the previously piped line to form a base for the piped nest. Then pipe lines, each 5 - 8cm (2 – 3in) long, haphazardously (they do not have to be straight) all over the top of this piped nest base (these new lines emblematically to represent the twigs making up the nest). Interweave the lines back and forth, at any angle; to weave the lines (twigs) together. There is no right or wrong way to do this; just pipe without rhyme or reason to form what looks like a nest, or pipe in such a way as to make the desired effect. Refill the piping bag as required.
Crunchy Hazelnut pieces
These are used to cover the sides of the cake. The amount made is more than enough to cover the sides.
Ingredients:
Hazelnuts 300g (blanched and roasted)
Method:
Place one third of the hazelnuts in a coffee grinder, or equivalent and blitz the hazelnuts, to a mix of coarse and fine. Place the crunchy hazelnut pieces in a small container and set aside. Repeat with twice more.
Alternatively, place the hazelnuts in a large plastic bag; using a mallet, smash the nuts to a mixture of coarse and fine.
Place in the crunchy hazelnut pieces in container until ready to use.
Assembly 2
This concerns placing the nest on top; coating the cake sides with crunchy hazelnut pieces, and filling the nest with chocolate eggs, etc.
If the crushed buckwheat cracker/marshmallows option is used, place a small blob of coffee mousse centrally on top of the cake, and spread it out slightly. Place the nest centrally on top of the cake, pressing lightly into the spread mousse blob.
Remove the cake from flat serving surface, or plate; place four strips of overlapping parchment paper on each side; place the cake back on top, centrally. It may help if the serving surface is placed on cake turntable.
Pour the crunchy hazelnut pieces into a large bowl; scoop out a handful of the hazelnut pieces and pat the them over the sides of the cake. If the ganache becomes too hard, and the hazelnut pieces do not stick; warm a tea cloth in a microwave oven, and then place it on the cake side, a small area at a time, to soften the ganache, or use a hot icing spatula; then continue to apply the hazelnut pieces. When complete, use a pastry brush to sweep up the excess crunchy hazelnut pieces that are lying on the parchment paper and place them back into the container. Gently ease out the strips of parchment paper.
Finally, just before serving, fill the nest with as many chocolate eggs, (and chocolate hen, bunny, fish, etc.), as it will hold.
To serve (for the Marshmallow/buckwheat cracker version), it may be easier to cut the cake if the nest is removed. Then, the nest can be chopped into chunks and served alongside the cake. Otherwise, cut as normal.
