Chocolate passion

Even in the summer, our palate needs the rich and craveable taste of chocolate. To enjoy it in the best possible way, it is necessary to think of fresh and aromatic recipes. As in the case of this cake, made with a new Cru by Valrhona called Itakuja, which Gianluca Fusto and I recently presented at Expo Milano 2015, inside the French pavilion. This new product, on sale as of the end of September, allows us to taste a special double-fermented chocolate. It is made with a cocoa from Brazil characterised by an aroma that is similar to passion fruit. During the first fermentation made to produce the chocolate, passion fruit, or maracuja, pulp and juice are added, thus leading to a second fermentation. Therefore, this is the result of the continuous experiments and research conducted by Valrhona: thanks to this, we pastry chefs can have fun with this chocolate that is very rich in taste and aroma. The cake I prepared pairs this chocolate with a soft amaretto, aromatised with lime and orange zest, and a gelatine made with passion fruit and orange.

Chocolate passion

INGREDIENTS
For the amaretto biscuit with orange and lime
412 g egg white
150 g white sugar
16 g dehydrated egg white
240 g almond flour
290 g white sugar
90 g flour
1 g orange zest
1 g lime zest

For the custard
500 g cream
500 g whole milk
200 g egg yolks
100 g white sugar

For the Itakuja Cremoso
1100 g custard
1000 g Itakuja icing

For the passion fruit and orange jelly
500 g passion fruit pulp
500 ml orange juice
100 g white sugar
20 g gelatine

For the Itakuja mousse
2100 g Itakuja cremoso
250 g whipped cream

METHOD
For the amaretto biscuit with orange and lime
Sieve the flours and the second part of the white sugar. Whisk the egg white with the first part of the white sugar and the dehydrated egg white and mix delicately with the flours and the citrus fruits zests. Roll out evenly on a 60x40 baking tin. Bake for 10 minute.

For the custard
Bring the milk and cream to the boil and pour them on the egg yolks – previously whisked with the sugar. Bake at 82/84°C. Mix.

For the Itakuja Cremoso
Warm up the custard at 45°C and pour a third on the melted chocolate. Create an elastic knot in the middle, which is the sign of a good emulsion. Add the remaining cream in two parts. Mix.

For the passion fruit and orange gelatine
Take a part of the pulp and warm it up and melt the sugar inside with the gelatine, previously soaked in water. Add the remaining cold pulp.

For the Itakuja Supreme
Bring the Itakuja cremoso to 30 °C. Add the whipped cream (it should be rather stiff).

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

In a 18 cm round cutter, place on the base a disc of amaretto and orange and lime biscuit, and put in the fridge. Meanwhile, prepare the gelatine and drip it on top of the biscuit. Place a second disc of biscuit and put it in the freezer for about one hour. Remove the cutter and place everything in a 20cm round cutter. Put back in the freezer and meanwhile prepare the Itakuja Supreme and pour it in the mould until it is full. Put in the freezer. Remove from the mould and decorate as desired.