Gluten-free Dark Chocolate Mousse Bombe Dessert Cake

[Ollie]

This gluten-free recipe is inspired by Sherry Yard’s gluten recipe given in Desserts by the Yard, (New York, Houghton Mifflin, 2007), for a Chocolate Velvet, which is a dome-shaped dark chocolate glazed mousse, or what is in effect, a chocolate mousse bombe dessert cake. Her recipe itself is based upon a recipe made by Albert Kumin, who was an executive pastry chef (trained in Switzerland before arriving in America), and who worked for many prestigious hotels and restaurants, as well as in the White House. He was a father, in many ways, of American pastry making.

Bombe refers to a frozen dessert moulded in a smooth-sided container. The original containers were round and smooth, and resembled bombs, hence the specific name bombe. The name often refers to a frozen ice cream dessert (bombe glacée). The idea of moulding can be attributed to the French. By the 18th century, the French discovered how to make ice cream, and one cook froze the ice cream in a round mould resulting in the first bombe dessert. Auguste Escoffier, the famous French chef, is credited with simplifying the original bombe recipe. His famous 1903 restaurant cookbook, Le Guide culinaire, contained over 30 different recipes for making a bombe. Although Escoffier used round moulds, other chefs used bowls to create half round, or inverted bowl ice cream desserts. One of the first mentions of this dessert cake was in The Harvest of Cold Months, by Elizabeth David in 1994. Sometimes a layer of sponge cake is added to the open side of the bombe upon unmoulding to provide a base for it to stand on.

This Dark Chocolate Mousse Bombe Dessert Cake forms part of a birthday dessert, the chocolate part (for the chocoholics). A non-chocolate version was made too, using Raspberries. Both dessert cakes came about as a result of a birthday celebration, that was due to take place when many guests were visiting, and as a result the original birthday cake idea (much more complex) was abandoned, although that specific cake did include some of the components used here.

In Sherry Yard’s, version, a layer of white cake was used as a base. In this gluten-free recipe the white cake is replaced by a chocolate Génoise sheet cake layer, also, the chocolate mousse used is different (it is a cake component that has been used before), and the original plain ganache glaze is replaced by a glace à l’eau (which is a thin chocolate glaze). Instead of having a decoration of balls of piped chocolate ganache glaze (on top and around the base), these are replaced by Raspberries (to maintain the theme), which are added as a ring on top, and, around the base of the Dark Chocolate Mousse Bombe dessert cake.

It should be noted that this is an updated version of the original recipe; learning from the lesson that went with making it. Specifically, this was the use of the wrong type of bowl (ceramic) to mould the stiff chocolate mousse and the ensuing difficulty in getting the bowl to release its contents: the bowl shell was too thick to use a hot, damp tea towel for this purpose. Using a heated microwave to get the bowl to release its contents proved to be the wrong thing to do as well: the filled bowl was too heavy to move on the glass turntable; this meant the heat was applied to one side only.

When, through various means, the bowl did eventually release, the resultant dark chocolate bombe dessert cake had a tilt on the top of one side due to the excessive heat that the microwave oven applied to just one side. Hence the absence of a photograph. The original ‘made’ recipe became a ‘test’ cake. However, the bombe dessert cake was perfectly edible. In fact, one of the recipients remarked that it was a ‘great mousse’.

Due to the fact that it is best if the chocolate Génoise sheet cake is frozen overnight before cutting, and the fact that the moulded dark chocolate mousse needs 4 – 6 hours to set in a freezer (or preferably overnight), the dessert cake will take two days to make.

This recipe makes one 4 pint (2 quart, or 2 litre) Dark Chocolate Mousse Bombe dessert cake, and it serves 12 people, depending on appetites, note that it is very rich.

Components:
Chocolate Génoise sheet cake
Stiff chocolate mousse
Glace à l’eau glaze

Day 1
This is concerned with making the Chocolate Génoise sheet cake and the Stiff chocolate mousse.

Chocolate Génoise sheet cake
Just as the Génoise is the basis of many different types of cake, so too is the chocolate version; it is a building block for many different assembled cakes. Again, the key to success in making this Chocolate Génoise is in gently folding in the flour to the beaten and whipped egg foam.

This gluten-free recipe is for a sheet of Chocolate Génoise. It is based upon the gluten recipes of Bruce Healy and Paul Bugat (The Art of the Cake, (New York, William Marrow and Company, Inc, 1999), and 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).

It will be noted that in the recipe below that extra egg yolks are added to the whole eggs (a Génoise normally calls for just whole eggs). This is to obtain the stable egg foam needed to produce a successful Génoise. The reasoning as given by E J Pyler in Baking Science and Technology (as quoted in BakeWise) is that modern eggs may be deficient in yolk proteins so it is common practice to add 20 – 50% more yolks to improve both aerating ability and foam stability. Also, E B Bennion states in The Technology of Cake Making (again quoted in BakeWise) that the best quantity of yolks to add is 20% for similar reasons. On top of this there are two approximate rules for Génoise recipes: the weight of the flour (including cocoa powder) and sugar to be close to equal; and the amount of sugar to be less than 1.25 of the weight of the eggs. This recipe falls within both guidelines, with the ratio of sugar to eggs being 0.52; well below the 1.25 limit.

The recipe makes one 8mm (1/4 in) thick, rectangular chocolate Génoise sheet cake, approximately 41cm (16in) by 29cm (11.5in).

Ingredients: (makes one layer (sheet) of chocolate Génoise)
Gluten-free flour mix* 136g
Cocoa powder (alkaline) 28g
Cane sugar 163g (15 + 148g)
Eggs 286g (5 Large plus 2 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 the sides and long diagonal of a half sheet pan, or baking tray (33 x 45cm (13in x 18in)), and two perpendicular lines the other two corners with softened butter; cover with parchment paper and lightly grease with softened butter. Ensure that no parchment paper bends over, or encroaches into the pan.

Adjust a rack to the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F) for 45 minutes.

Sift the Gluten-free flour mix and Cocoa powder into a medium sized bowl (1), add in 1Tbsp (15g) 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 (104°F) 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.

Sift a quarter of the Cocoa powder-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 mix, 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 Cocoa-flour mix, 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 half sheet pan, filling evenly to a depth of 1cm (3/8in). The batter will contain lots of 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 half sheet pan on a baking sheet on the middle shelf of a preheated oven and bake for 10 - 14 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 2 - 4 minutes.

Remove the Chocolate Génoise sheet cake 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 sheet cake and the sheet pan; to fully loosen the edge. Let the Chocolate Génoise sheet cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Unmould the Chocolate Génoise sheet cake on to another wire cooling rack covered with a sheet of parchment paper. Remove the parchment paper that the Chocolate Génoise sheet cake was baked on and cool right side up for at least 2 hours before using. When the Chocolate Génoise sheet cake is completely cool, place a silmat, or a sheet of parchment paper, on top of the cooled cake and carefully flip over on to the worksurface. Remove greased parchment paper on the bottom of the cake. Then cover the Chocolate Génoise sheet cake with two layers of overlapping clingfilm. Place the cake back in the sheet pan; place it in the freezer for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, as freezing makes it easier to cut.

A clingfilm wrapped Chocolate Génoise sheet cake may be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days, or covered airtight in a fridge for 2 days too. Alternatively wrap completely in at least two layers of clingfilm and 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.

Stiff Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate is made from the fruits of the Theobroma Cacao tree, which is native to the Amazon Basin. The fruit is contained within a fibrous pod, and consists of between 20 – 50 seeds, or beans, embedded in a flavoured pulp. Chocolate use is ancient, the Mayo-Chinchipi people were cultivating Cacao trees as far back as 5300 years ago, and the Mayas used it to make a chocolate beverage. However, it wasn’t until the 16th Century that chocolate was introduced to Europe.

Mousse, in a baking sense, is an edible foam, originating from France where it was most commonly eaten as a dessert. The word mousse means foam or lather in French. A mousse can be simply defined as any soft or creamy dessert that is made light and fluffy (or it may be thick and fluffy too), that incorporates air bubbles to give it a light and airy texture. This is done by the addition of whipped cream or beaten eggs of some description, or both, to the base dessert.

Mousses, originated in the 1700s. Various desserts, consisting of whipped cream in pyramidal shapes with coffee, liqueurs, chocolate, fruits (either in the mixture or poured on top), were called Crème en mousse (foam cream), Crème mousseuse (foamy cream), and mousse (foam), amongst other names, and these were made as early as 1768. The first known recipe for chocolate mousse was documented by Menon, a French writer in 1750, in his book, La science du maître d’hôtel confiseur (which translates as, The science of a master confectioner). Later, such books as: The Book of Household Management, by Mrs Beeton, 1888, and Tante Marie’s book, La Véritable cuisine de famille, comprenant 1.000 recettes et 500 menus (original written in the 1800s, exact date unknown) gave mousse recipes. The mousses made today are a continuation of these types of desserts.

Mousse is made up of just a few ingredients: a base; the aerator(s); a flavouring or sweetener; and a thickener, stabilizer, or binder. The latter is optional, as it depends upon the base, and it may be eggs, gelatin, or just the base itself. In its most basic form, mousse is made by folding the aerator(s) into a base. The base for this mousse is melted, slightly cooled chocolate. Aerators have various forms of stability. Whole eggs and/or yolks are the most stable aerator, and is what is used here. From the name of the mousse, chocolate, is the flavouring. Gelatine is used to add further stability to the mousse.

This recipe is based upon a modified Mousse à Paris, as given in Bruce Healy with Paul Bugat’s book, Mastering the Art of French Pastry, (New York, Barron’s, 1984), which is made as a filling for the classic French cake ‘Paris’, as well as a recipe for a Chocolate Marquis (which once set can apparently be sliced with a knife (like bread) for eating), given in Medrich A, Cocolat, (New York, Warner Books Inc., 1990), both of which use two aerators: whipped egg yolks and whipped egg whites. Passing reference is also given to a recipe for a chocolate mousse component (part of a Nelusko mousse cake), as given in Bruce Healy and Paul Bugat’s book, The Art of the Cake, (New York, William Marrow and Company, Inc, 1999), this uses whipped egg yolks and whipped Heavy cream as the aerators, and is the only recipe to use gelatin as a stabilizer. After due consideration it was decided to use just one aerator, whole eggs and yolks, with especial attention paid to their aeration; to produce a light and airy texture, full of bubbles, yet the texture remaining thick and stable, as is characteristic of a mousse foam. The use of gelatin adds stability to a cut slice of, in this case, mousse bombe.

Ingredients:
Dark chocolate 440g
Butter (sliced) 253g
Eggs 460g (8 large plus 3 large yolk)
Cane sugar (superfine) 143g
Gelatin powder 15g

Method:
Finely chop the chocolate and place in a small bowl (1), and set aside.

Place the sliced butter in the top, large, bowl (2) of a double boiler, gently heat until three quarters of the butter is melted, constantly stirring with a dessert spoon. Remove from heat and melt the rest of the butter with the spoon.

Return the bowl (2) of melted butter back to the heat source, medium; add the chopped chocolate to the warm butter (adding it in this order will greatly reduce any chance of the ganache splitting), and allow the chocolate to sit for 1 minute, then using a silicone, spatula, slowly stir the mixture in circles, starting in the centre and moving outwards to the side, and taking care to avoid incorporating air whilst stirring. Stir for a minimum of 2 minutes to ensure that all of the chocolate is incorporated. This is the base ganache. Take the bowl on and off the heat source as necessary to fully incorporate. Continue stirring until the Ganache is fully emulsified. Set the bowl (2) of Ganache aside.

Place 15g of powder into a small bowl (3), add 350g of cold water, whisk quickly so that all of the granules are surrounded by water, or clusters will appear. After 5 minutes of whisking, the mixture should bloom and become spongy; then allow to thicken for 5 minutes. To melt, either melt the bloomed gelatin in a microwave oven for 2 – 3 x 10 secdond bursts on full power, or, stand the bowl in another, larger bowl (4) of hot water and stir until all the gelatin is dissolved. Cool slightly.

Drizzle the melted gelatin into the Ganache (bowl 2) and whisk until well-mixed.

It is best to use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip the eggs. Although a hand-held mixer fitted with a beater can be used, it will just take longer to get to the ribbon thickness. Or, use a hand-held wire whisk, and that will take even longer.

Rinse a stand mixing bowl (3) with hot tap water to warm it, then dry well.

If not already done so, fill a medium saucepan (4) with about 5cm (1in) of water and over medium heat bring to a simmer.

In the bowl (3) of a stand mixer, or other bowl, add the eggs and superfine sugar. Break up the yolks with a wire whisk and whisk continuously for a minimum of 30 seconds to fully combine, this is because, otherwise, the egg yolks will burn due to the acid in the sugar. Then, place the bowl of combined egg-sugar mixture on top of a saucepan (4) containing a low level of simmering water. If whipping by hand, tilt the bowl forward, almost horizontal, and sweep the whisk around the bottom of the bowl, with each revolution lifting the whole of the mass of eggs to incorporate air in the process. When using a hand-held mixer, use a similar process. Whisk continuously for 3– 4 minutes or until the batter reaches a temperature of 40°C and the batter is frothy and pale yellow.

Remove the bowl from the double boiler and wipe the bottom of the bowl dry. Place the filled bowl on a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use an electric hand mixer. Whip at medium speed for 12 – 17 minutes, until the egg-sugar mixture is three times the original volume, is thick, and almost white in colour, and is completely cool. Whipping at a higher speed would produce a relatively small number of large air bubbles, and result in a coarse textured mousse. Note that if the eggs are not whipped for long enough, the ribbon formed will not hold. Similarly, whipping for too long of a time, will produce a dense mousse. Whip until it has tripled in volume, and produces a thick ribbon. Take the time to achieve this. The mix will be almost white in colour, and completely cool. During the last 4 – 5 minutes of whisking, stop from time to time and check the ribbon thickness. The whipped egg-sugar mix is ready when the whisk is lifted and the mix falls very slowly back, in a thick ribbon, into the mixing bowl of egg-sugar mix. There, it will initially stay on top of the mix before spreading slightly and slowly flattening as it dissolves into the mass of egg-sugar mix. However, the ribbon will still have some definition to it in the bowl. At the end, the egg-sugar mix will feel cool to a finger dipped in it, and will coat it thickly.

Cool the Ganache to just above room temperature. Placing the bowl in a refrigerator will speed up the process. Periodically whisk and check the temperature.

Scoop between one quarter and one third of the whipped eggs (to initially lighten) and place on top of the ganache, and then fold in using a silicone spatula. Place it vertically into the far side of the Ganache, drag it forward and rotate the bowl at the same time, then lift up the spatula, to turn a dollop of the ganache over on top of the whipped eggs, and spread it over, incorporate it by folding it into the mix. Note that the more the mousse is mixed, the more each aerator is deflating the existing mousse. So, it is important to quickly, yet gently and minimally. Then repeat moving the bowl a quarter turn with each third. This is to minimise the folding required for a light mousse. Finally, add the remaining whipped eggs to the lightened Ganache, and fold in as before, until all streaks of whipped eggs have disappeared.

As a filling, once made, it is important to use the Stiff chocolate mousse before it sets.

Take a 2 quart (approx. 2 litres) domed bowl (metal (stainless steel (if glass or ceramic is used, it will be difficult to release the mousse after it is frozen))); lightly grease the inside surface with room temperature butter; drape a length of clingfilm over the top of the bowl, and press down onto the inner surface, starting at the bottom and spreading up the sides and then folding over the sides, pressing it to the surface; then repeat with another length of clingfilm at right angles to the first, so that all of the inside is covered.

Scoop and pour in the Stiff chocolate mousse, and fill to the top. Cover the top, airtight with clingfilm, and rolling it back on itself, so that it is separate from that covering the inside of the bowl (and can be removed separately).

Place the filled bowl in a freezer for 4 – 6 hours, preferably overnight, for the mousse to fully set.

Once set, the Stiff chocolate mousse will keep for a few days.

Day 2
This is when the Glace à l’eau glaze is made and the Dark Chocolate Mousse Bombe is assembled.

Glace à l’eau glaze
This recipe, Glace à l’eau (literally, water ice, in French) for a chocolate mirror glaze came about as a result of wanting a glaze that was thinner than the usual chocolate glazes used. Research suggested that there were several options to follow. The first was to use a tempered chocolate that was twinned with a very small amount of butter: a chocolate cream ration that went way, way beyond the norm for a firm ganache (2:1); it was almost just chocolate. A good reason was not forthcoming to go to all the trouble of tempering chocolate just to make a glaze. The second option arising from the research was to make, what was in essence, a chocolate sugar icing, that was stabilized with gelatin; this would be much too sweet and hard. The third option was, essentially to make a conventional firm ganache and thin it down with water. This third option was the route chosen for this chocolate mirror glaze: Glace à l’eau.

A glaze in a culinary sense, is a coating applied to the outside of foods. It is usually glossy, often sweet and sometimes savoury. A glaze can be as simple as egg white, or it can be made from fruits, such as apricots, combined with fruit juice and gelatine. The culinary concept of glazing goes back to medieval times, particularly during the Elizabethan era, where in England, chefs would glaze, predominately, pastries with a mix of beaten eggs and melted sugar.

Mirror glaze (Glaçage miroir) refers to the melted mixture used to decorate entremets, mousses, and pastries.

The recipe is based upon that given in Alice Medrich’s book, Seriously Bitter Sweet, (New York, Artisan, 2013).

Ingredients: (makes approximately 950g)
Dark chocolate (min 72%) 535g
Butter 272g
Water 120g
Light corn syrup (Glucose syrup) 41g (2Tbsp)

Method:
Finely chop the chocolate and place in a small bowl (1), and set aside.

Place the sliced butter in the top, large, bowl (2) of a double boiler, gently heat until three quarters of the butter is melted, constantly stirring with a dessert spoon. Remove from heat and melt the rest of the butter with the spoon.

Add the water to the melted butter and stir to incorporate.

Return the bowl (2) of diluted melted butter back to the heat source, medium; add the chopped chocolate to the warm butter (adding it in this order will greatly reduce any chance of the ganache splitting), and allow the chocolate to sit for 1 minute, then using a silicone, spatula, slowly stir the mixture in circles, starting in the centre and moving outwards to the side, and taking care to avoid incorporating air whilst stirring. Stir for a minimum of 2 minutes to ensure that all of the chocolate is incorporated.

Add the Light corn syrup (glucose syrup) and stir to incorporate.

This is the base Ganache glaze. Take the bowl on and off the heat source as necessary to fully incorporate. Continue stirring until the ganache glaze is fully emulsified. Set the bowl (2) of Ganache aside.

Using an immersion blender, mix until the Glace à l’eau is shiny and smooth.

Strain half of the glaze through a fine mesh sieve into a cold pouring jug (3). This is so as to remove as many air bubbles as possible. Strain the other half into a medium sized mixing bowl (4) and set aside.

Place the filled jug (3) in a larger bowl (5) of cold water, and cool the glaze, stirring occasionally to redistribute the heat throughout, until it reaches the working temperature of 35 - 32°C for pouring (if the temperature of the glaze is above 38°C (100°F), the poured glaze will melt the frozen filling of the cake, and the glaze will simply slide off); it has minimum viscosity.

To bring the other half of the glaze back up to temperature, place the filled bowl (4) over the top of a saucepan (6) filled with simmering water (2.5cm (1in) deep) and gently stir until the glaze temperature reaches between 35 - 32°C (95 - 90°F), when it is ready to pour. If the temperature goes too high, take the bowl off the top of the saucepan and continue to stir off-heat until the temperature again reaches 35°C (95°F).

The Glace à l’eau can be stored, tightly covered, in a refrigerator for up to two weeks, or in a covered container in a freezer for up to 6 months. To use, soften or defrost in the bowl of a double boiler and reheat as above. If the glaze seems too thick, add 1Tbsp of water and rewarm.

Assembly
Cut a round from either a sheet of parchment paper or from a cardboard cake board (this will be needed anyway); the diameter being such that it just fits inside the rim of the bowl, this will be uses as a cutting guide.

Remove the Chocolate Génoise sheet cake from the freezer, and unwrap.

Using the guide, and a paring knife, cut a round from the sheet cake. The trimmings can be cut too.

Melt 115g of dark (72%) chocolate in a bowl (1), set aside to cool. Then spread it over the bottom of the cut Chocolate Génoise cake round with an offset spatula or a pastry brush. Set aside to cool and harden.

If the Stiff chocolate mousse filling is not ready for filling the dome shaped bowl, place the cut and coated Chocolate Génoise sheet cake on a baking tray, back in the freezer until the Stiff chocolate cream mousse filling is ready for using. The cake round will freeze in about one hour.

Line a sheet pan, or baking tray, with a sheet of parchment paper, and place a wire cooling rack on top of it.

Remove the bowl of Stiff chocolate mousse from the freezer. Remove the top layer of clingfilm.

Place the cut and coated (coated side face upwards) round of sponge cake on top of the frozen mousse. Place the cut cardboard cake round on top.

Place the thumbs on top of the cut cardboard cake round, and the fingers of each hand on the sides of the bowl; invert the filled bowl onto the wire cooling rack filled baking tray; flip the mousse filled bowl over.

Warm the outside of the bowl with a warm tea towel wrapped and moved around it; until the bowl is ready to (just begins to) lift off. Or even better, soak a flannel, or face cloth, in hot water, wring it out, and then wrap it around the bowl. Repeat until the bowl is ready to (just begins to) lift off. Gently remove the bowl, and then the clingfilm.

If the glaze has yet to reach its ideal pouring temperature (35 - 32°C (95 - 90°F)), place the Dark Chocolate Mousse back in a freezer until it is ready. When the glaze reaches its ideal pouring temperature, remove the Dark Chocolate Mousse from the freezer.

Start pouring the Glace á l’eau glaze just in from the edge, going around the cake in one smooth motion. Allow the glaze to flow down the sides and into the centre of the cake to fully coat. Watch, all of the time, to ensure that the entire top and sides of the cake are coated, to see that all exposed areas of the cake are glazed. If there are a few bubbles, prick them with the top of a wooden skewer. Also, tap, tip, the baking tray against the work surface to distribute the glaze evenly. Work quickly, before the glaze starts to set. Let the cake stand for about 5 minutes so that the glaze can set, and until the dripping has stopped.

Using a large, wide, oiled spatula (or two thin), or a cake lifter, transfer the Dark Chocolate Mousse Bombe to a serving plate, or surface. Take care, as the chocolate glaze wants to stick, hence the need for an oiled spatula. If there are any drops of glaze adhering to the bottom of the cake, carefully scrape them against the cooling rack to remove them.

Use a silicon spatula to scrape off the pooled, dripped glaze from the baking tray into a container, cover, and then place it in a refrigerator, or freezer, for later use.

Decorate the cake as required. For instance:

Use fresh Raspberries to decorate in a circle on top of the Bombe dome. Also, place fresh raspberries around the perimeter of the Bombe, on the serving plate or surface. Alternatively, allow the remaining glaze to cool and thicken, and then using a pastry bag fitted with a small star, or round, tip, pipe balls of chocolate in a similar pattern.

Place the finished Dark Chocolate Mousse Bombe Dessert Cake in a freezer, until a few hours before serving, then place it in a refrigerator; this is to allow it to thaw slowly.

To serve slices of the use a long, thin knife. Dip the blade in hot water (this is so that it will cut through the chocolate bottom coating of the Génoise sponge).

Slice the cake, cleaning the cake after each cut, and rewarm. It helps to cut the Dark Chocolate Mousse Bombe Dessert Cake in half first. This will ease subsequent transfer of the cut slices.

Use a palet knife, or cake server, to transfer each slice to a plate. A knife, or metal spoon will be required to cut through the dark chocolate coating in order to eat it.

Enjoy!!!