Triple Chocolate Ripple Joconde

source: http://cakecrumbs.me/2012/10/04/triple-chocolate-ripple-joconde/

Ingredients

Chocolate Ripple Cake 2 packets of Arnott's chocolate ripple biscuits 300ml thickened cream 1 tbsp dutch processed cocoa powder 1 peppermint crisp bar, finely grated 1 tbsp icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence Cocoa Décor Paste 100g unsalted butter, room temperature 100g icing sugar 100g egg whites (approximately 3 large eggs), reserve egg yolks 85g cake flour 30g dutch processed cocoa powder  Joconde Sponge 45g egg white (approximately 1 large egg), reserve egg yolk 5g caster sugar 40g almond meal 40g icing sugar 15g cake flour 15 unsalted butter, melted Chocolate Mousse 1 tsp powdered gelatin 1 tbsp tepid water 1/2 cup (125ml) milk 175g milk or dark chocolate, chopped 300ml thickened cream Chocolate Ganache 200g dark chocolate, chopped 100ml cream 20g butter, chopped

Method

Chocolate Ripple Cake Combine all ingredients except the biscuits in a bowl. Whip the cream to soft peaks.  To assemble to cake, place one biscuit in the centre of a cake board or serving platter, then place enough biscuits around it to form a complete ring of biscuits around your centre biscuit. Cover the biscuits with cream, and add another layer of biscuits. When placing the outer circle of biscuits, try to alternate the position of the biscuits between layers. [To visualise what I mean, imagine you are building a wall of bricks. Your centre biscuit won't be able to move position between layers, but by making this brick formation with the outer ring you'll give the cake stability] Repeat until the cake is as tall as you desire (mine was about 5-6cm), then cover the entire 'cake' with a thin layer of cream.  Cocoa Décor Paste Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add egg whites a little at a time, beating continuously. Fold in sifted flour and cocoa. Spread a thin layer of paste (around 5mm thick) onto a silicon baking mat (mine is 26 x 40cm). Pattern your paste as desired; freeze. Joconde Sponge Preheat oven to 250°C (475°F).  Whip the egg white and caster sugar to firm, glossy peaks. Set aside. In a separate bowl, sift almond flour, icing sugar and cake flour together. Gradually beat in reserved egg yolks. If mixture appears too loose, beat in an extra whole egg.  Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the rest until just combined. Fold in melted butter. Joconde Imprime Ensure your décor paste has set. If it is not solid, the pattern may shift. Once the paste is solid enough, pour sponge mixture over the top and spread evenly. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8 minutes. The sponge will cook very quickly, so keep a good eye on it. Sponge is baked when it bounces back when touched lightly. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Invert cake onto baking paper (so your pattern is facing upwards) that has been dusted with cornflour or icing sugar; remove silicon mat. Once completely cool, cut away burnt/dry edges. Measure the height of your chocolate ripple cake, then cut the joconde into strips approximately 1cm taller.  Chocolate Mousse Place gelatine and water in a heatproof glass and stand in a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until mixture becomes clear; set aside. Heat milk until warm (a minute in the microwave will do it); pour in gelatine and stir.  Put chopped chocolate into a bowl; pour milk/gelatine mixture over the chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted.  Whip cream to soft peaks. Fold 1/3 of cream mixture into the mouse to lighten; fold in the rest of the cream in two batches until just combined.  To assemble: Use a circular mould that is larger than your ripple cake. I used a springform tin (without the base). Place the mould around the ripple cake so that the cake is centered. Line the mould if desired [I didn't bother].  Take you strips of joconde imprime and place them, pattern side facing out, around the mould. Ensure your imprime is packed in tightly and won't shift.  Pour the mousse over the cake, making sure to work the mousse into any gaps. Ensuring that your mould won't move, you can gently tap the cake on your bench to get the mousse to fall into all the little nooks and crannies. Chill cake in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours. Overnight is preferred. The longer this cake sits, the nicer (and more cake-like) it becomes.  Chocolate Ganache Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just boiling. Pour this over the dark chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted. Stir in butter. Pour the ganache little by little over the top of your cake, making sure it spreads to the edges. Be careful not to pour so much that it will spill over the edges of your cake.  Decorate with chocolate garnishes.