Hi everyone! Last week, the French version of the Great British Bake Off started. This year, I’ve decided to challenge myself and try to make each week my version of the challenge given to the participants. For this first show, they had to make a dessert with an animal look on the outside. So I made a Marbled Cake with a Zebra look.
Composition: French Butter Cookie base, Marble Cake, Vanilla Mousse and Chocolate icing.
This dessert has become one of my favorite dessert of all time! The combination of the cake and the mousse is so delicious.
For a 25,5x13cm Cake:
Marble Cake:
- 75g of butter
- 165g of granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2g of salt
- 110g of full liquid cream
- 140g of flour
- 3g of baking powder
- + 5g of cocoa powder (+ a bit of cream) for the cocoa side
- + 2 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1g of vanilla powder) for the vanilla side
French Butter Cookie:
- 1 egg yolk
- 43g of sugar
- 50g of butter
- 60g of flour
- 5g of cocoa
- 1 pinch of salt
- 4,5g of baking powder
Vanilla Mousse:
- 150g of full liquid cream (to heat)
- 150g of full liquid cream (cold)
- 84g of white chocolate
- 1 vanilla bean or 1g of vanilla powder
- 3,12g of powdered gelatin (or sheets)
- 4 tsp of vanilla extract
White icing:
- 115g of sugar
- 100g of water
- 120g of full liquid cream
- 100g of white chocolate
- 8g of powdered gelatin (or 4 sheets of 2g)
Dark icing:
- 4g of powdered gelatin (or 2 sheets of 2g)
- 33ml of water
- 55g of sugar
- 16g of cocoa powder
- 30ml of full liquid cream
We’ll start with the ganache (you must make it a day before the assembly):
1. Hydrate the gelatin in 6 times its weight in cold water. Let it sit for 10min.
2. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie.
3. Bring to boil 150g of full liquid cream with the vanilla bean (or vanilla powder) and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the boiling cream over the melted chocolate in 3 times and mix vigorously.
5. Add the hydrated gelatin as well as the 150g of cold cream.
6. Wrap with cling film (it must touch the surface) and refrigerate overnight.
For the marble cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/302°F fan-assisted.
2. Whisk the butter with the sugar until it becomes very creamy.
3. Add the egg and whisk.
4. Add the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Combine using a spatula.
5. Then, add the cream little by little and mix.
6. Divide the batter in half.
7. In one half, add the vanilla extract and vanilla bean (or vanilla powder). In the other, add the cocoa powder as well as a little bit of cream if the batter is too thick.
8. Grease and flour a mold.
9. Fill the mold alternating the two batters.
10. Cook for ~30min. When you prick the middle with a knife, the blade should come out clean.
11. Let it cool down before unmolding.
For the French butter Cookie:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°C fan-assisted.
2. Cream the softened butter with the sugar.
3. Add the egg yolk and mix.
4. Finish off by adding the sifted flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
5. Spread this mixture between two baking sheets and make sure that you can cut a 18x6cm rectangle.
6. Cook for ~10min. The edges should be golden.
7. Immediately cut a 18x6cm and then let it cool down.
For the assembly:
1. I will be using a cake mold, but you can use an entremet mold. You just need to wrap the bottom with cling film.
2. Add a strip of rhodoid inside (or plastic sheet).
3. Take te ganache out of the fridge and whip it by increasing the speed gradually. Whip until it forms soft peaks, the cream should not be too firm.
4. Pour half of the cream inside the mold.
5. Cut your marble cake into a 18x6cm rectangle. Also remove the top crust (of course keep them and eat them secretly??)
6. Slightly press the cake into the mousse and cover with the rest of the ganache.
7. Add the layer of French butter cookie.
8. Freeze overnight.
For the white glaze (must be made a day before):
1. Hydrate the gelatin.
2. Melt the white chocolate.
3. Heat the water and sugar until it reaches 103°C. Between 102 and 103°C it takes some time, but be patient.
4. When you reach 103°C, add the cream and heat again until 103°C.
5. Pour over the white chocolate in 3 times and mix. Add the hydrated gelatin.
6. You can mix with a hand blender for a couple of seconds but make sure not to incorporate too much air. This step is not essential.
7. Wrap with cling film (it must touch the surface) and refrigerate overnight.
For the cocoa glaze:
1. Hydrate the gelatin.
2. Bring to boil the water and sugar.
3. Add the cocoa powder and let it melt perfectly.
4. Then, add the cream and bring to boil again.
5. Off the heat, add the hydrated gelatin.
6. You can also mix using a hand blender.
7. Filter the glaze, wrap with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
It’s time to finish the entremet!
1. Heat both icing in a bain-marie until there are no lumps left. Remove them from the pan from time to time to prevent the icing from overheating.
2. Wait until the white glaze goes down to ~25°C. The cocoa icing must be used around 35°C. You can refrigerate or freeze the white glaze to speed the cooling process.
3. Unmold the entremet and smooth the edges.
4. Once the white glaze is at the right temperature, filter it and pour it over the entremet. Make sure that the edges are perfectly coated.
5. Put the cocoa icing in a pastry bag and cut the end of the bag to create a very small hole. Pour the cocoa icing rapidly over the white glaze to make thin lines.
Your Zebra Cake is ready! Let it defrost in the fridge for 2-3 hours or at room-temperature for 1h.
Don’t forget to send an email to partage@justonemorecake.com to share your pictures of the recipe and your opinions! I will add them at the bottom of this article. If you have any questions please leave a comment!
