To accompany the fragrance review on Goutal’s Ce Soir Ou Jamais perfume, I’ve created a decadent rose-inspired dessert recipe. As the perfume has a very vintage feel to it, I thought I’d play with a contrasting mix of modernity and tradition. This Rose & Raspberry Mousse Cake with Caramelised Pear is just that. It celebrates the two most prominent notes in the perfume: rose and pear. A hint of raspberry is added for an additional flavour boost and also balances the rose. This dessert is light yet indulgent, and has a very French feel to it. For some reason I see it fitting nicely at a Marie-Antoinette tea party…
In all honesty, it’s not the quickest dessert to make. There are four parts to this dessert: the almond cake (base), caramelised pear (centre), rose & raspberry mousse (body), and mirror glaze. The time breakdown for each of these is as follows:
• Almond cake – 1 hour
• Caramelised pear – 15 minutes
• Rose & raspberry mousse – 15 minutes
• Mirror glaze – 10 minutes
The cakes are assembled into silicone moulds (minus the mirror glaze), which go into the freezer overnight. It’s a crucial step and cannot be missed otherwise the glazing won’t work as well. It’s a bit of a process but don’t let this discourage you as in the end it’s SO worth it.
After doing some research on the mirror glaze, many of the recipes call for condensed milk and sugar in addition to white chocolate. Since the mousse is already made with mascarpone and whipping cream, I was keen on finding a lighter glaze. I stumbled upon a Youtube tutorial for a vegan mirror glaze recipe and simply swapped out the sugar for Stevia. The texture of the glaze is more gel-like than regular glaze so it’s important to only add a thin layer of it onto the cake. It also won’t shine as much but it still looks beautiful. If you prefer to use regular glaze, please feel free to do so, there are lots of great tutorials on Youtube.
I hope you will all enjoy this recipe!
Rose & Raspberry Mousse Cake with Caramelised Pear
Makes 6 cakes (using 6.55 cm silicone spheres)
Ingredients
Almond Cake
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 tbsp Stevia
• 3/4 cup ground almonds
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp orange blossom extract
• Pinch salt
Caramelised Pear
• 1 pear, washed, peeled and diced into small pieces
• 1.5 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 1/2 vanilla pod, scraped
Rose & Raspberry Mousse
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1.5 tbsp filtered water
• 3 sheets leaf gelatin
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 tsp Stevia
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp rosewater
• Pinch salt
Mirror Glaze
• 1/4 tsp Stevia
• 100g white chocolate
• 5g agar agar
• 200g coconut cream
• 100ml water
• Food colouring
Instructions
Almond Cake
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Separate eggs whites from the yolk.
3. Add Stevia, vanilla extract and orange blossom extract to the yolk. Combine using an electric whisk until lightened in colour and creamy.
4. Gradually incorporate the ground almonds into the egg yolk mix using a wooden spoon. It should have a dough-like consistency.
5. In a separate bowl, add egg whites and salt and beat the eggs until firm.
6. Fold eggs whites into the almond mix.
7. Pour the batter into a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes then cut into 6 x 6cm circles.
Caramelised Pear
1. Heat coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add pear, coconut sugar and vanilla.
2. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Rose & Raspberry Mousse
1. Add gelatin into a bowl and soak in cold water.
2. Add maple syrup and raspberries into a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Pass the pureed raspberries through a sieve to remove seeds.
4. Add raspberry purée into a saucepan and bring to a light simmer. Add the gelatin and mix until dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat and set aside to cool down.
5. Add the mascarpone, Stevia, salt and rosewater into a bowl, and mix together using an electric whisk. Transfer the raspberry purée into the mascarpone mix and whisk together until smooth.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until it forms peaks. Gradually fold the heavy cream into the raspberry mixture, making sure it’s fully incorporated.
Cake Assembly
1. Transfer the rose & raspberry mousse into silicone moulds. Add 1.5 tablespoons to each sphere. Using the back of the spoon, spread the mousse evenly along the sides.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of caramelised pear and cover with an additional tablespoon of rose & raspberry mousse.
3. Place almond cake on top and cover with remaining mousse.
4. Place cakes into freezer, and freeze overnight.
Mirror Glaze
1. Add water, Stevia and agar agar into a saucepan. Mix together and bring to a boil.
2. Add coconut milk to the mixture and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
3. Transfer mixture into a bowl with the white chocolate. Stir until all the white chocolate has melted and is fully incorporated.
4. Add food colouring to achieve desired color.
5. Remove cakes from freezer and pour a thin layer of glaze. Make sure to do this with a steady hand and quickly, as the glaze will solidify in a matter of seconds.
Bon appétit!
Disclaimer
All images are my own.