Mini Chocolate Gateaux Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter and line a 30 x 35cm (or thereabouts) Swiss roll tin. Using an electric hand-held beater, whisk the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale and the mixture leaves a trail when the beaters are lifted. This will take about 5-6 mins.
• Sift the cocoa powder and flour over the mixture, then fold in using a large metal spoon. Drizzle over the butter, then fold this in, too. Pour the mixture into the tin and gently level and smooth out with a palette knife. Bake for 10-12 mins, until the cake feels firm to the touch and springs back when lightly pressed.
• Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and peel off the paper. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, select and reserve 6 cherries with stalks (to decorate), then stone the remainder. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape.
• Cut 12 rounds from the cake using a 7-8cm cutter or a glass, then sprinkle each with a tsp of kirsch. Set 6 cakes on a large plate or stand, spread with cream, then arrange the stoned cherries on top. Top with a second circle of sponge. Spread with the rest of the cream, sprinkle with chocolate, then set a cherry on each cake and serve.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the cake: Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 6-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with oil then line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together the egg, sugar, oil, sour cream, coffee and vanilla in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake starts to pull away from the sides, 29 to 32 minutes. If you under bake the cake, it will slightly sink, so check it!
• Remove the cake from the pan by carefully running a paring knife along the edge to loosen, then tilting it into one hand and peeling off the parchment from the bottom; place it on a small cake stand.
• For the ganache: Combine the chocolate, cream and corn syrup if using, in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl fitted over a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. (Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate and cream in the microwave on low in 25-second intervals, stirring between each.)
• Pour the ganache over the cake, and garnish with the pomegranate arils.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment.
• Melt the butter and pour it into a heatproof bowl, leaving the milky solids behind. Set aside somewhere warm.
• In a stand mixer or using handheld electric beaters, whisk the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add the sugar and the salt and continue to whisk until they form firm, but not dry, peaks.
• In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks until homogenous. Add the chocolate extract, if using. Pour this mixture over the egg whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold to incorporate. Set a sieve over the mixing bowl and sift the cornstarch, cake flour and cocoa powder onto the eggs. Fold these in until no streaks remain. Fold about half a cup of batter into the melted butter, then fold this butter mixture back into the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until the surface springs back when touched and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before unmolding.
• Bring the water and sugar to a simmer over low heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add the mint leaves. Allow to steep for around 20 minutes before removing the mint.
• Place the egg whites in one bowl and the confectioners' sugar in another. Dip each mint leaf into the egg whites, then hold the leaf above the bowl for a few seconds to let any excess egg drip off. Next, dip the leaf into the sugar. Give it a little shake to let any excess fall away. Place the leaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside to dry. If your kitchen is hot or humid, place in an oven on the lowest setting and turn off the oven. Let the leaves dry out as the oven cools.
• In a stand mixer or using handheld electric beaters, whip the cream until it is billowy. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar and whisk to incorporate. Drizzle with whatever source of mint you are using and whisk to incorporate.
• Bring ¾ cup of the cream to a boil and immediately pour over the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to melt for a minute, then whisk to create a smooth ganache. Set aside to come to room temperature. This shouldn't take more than about 10 minutes. If it gets too cold, it will start to solidify, which you don't want. If that happens, warm it up a tiny bit-just enough that it stirs easily.
• In a stand mixer or using handheld electric beaters, whip the remaining cream until you see soft, but structured, peaks. Stir a third of this whipped cream into the ganache to lighten it, then fold the remaining ganache into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Use immediately.
• Slice génoise into two horizontally. Brush both halves of the génoise with the mint syrup. Allow to absorb. Repeat. And repeat a third time. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Slather the bottom layer with the whipped chocolate ganache. Cover with the top layer. Ice this with ganache. Decorate by creating a border of candied mint leaves.
• Serve with a generous dollop of the mint Chantilly.

Steps:

• Break the chocolate and butter into small pieces, melt them on the microwave under"defrost" for about two minutes, Don't let it stand too long on the microwave to avoid burning the chocolate.
• With a spoon mix the melted chocolate and butter until smooth.
• Reserve.
• On a separate bowl, mix the eggs, egg's yolks and sugar.
• Beat the mixture on a mixer until almost doubled its size and has a firm consistency.
• Get the melted chocolate and butter mixture and start pouring it in small bits into the bowl with the beaten eggs and keeping beating it gentle and slowly, until it forms one smooth uniform mixture.
• While you still beating the mixture (in a low speed), sprinkles the flour on it and stop the beating after the flour gets incorporated in the mixture.
• turn off the mixer and stir in the cointreau.
• Reserve.
• Get the muffin baking sheet with 6/8 holes, rub a little bit of butter and sprinkle flour on the sides of each hole, It will help to get the mini cake out of the mold later(use induvidual muffins sheets, it gives a little bit of more work to do but it is much easier to take the muffin out of the mold).
• Pour the mixture into the mold almost to the top(leave 1cm or so, just for precaution of spelling the dough.
• Pre-heat the oven for about 15 minutes.(low temperature, around 180C.
• On the low heat(180c) put the muffin sheet for about 5 minutes, 7 on the most.(Keep trying to find out the perfect timing that works for you)
• After taking the baking sheet out of the oven let it rest of 2 to 3 minutes and then turn it upside down on a plate (The mini cakes should be hard on the outside enough to hold its original shape and all creamy and melted inside)Get each little cake with caution for not breaking them and put on individual plates.
• Put a ball of vanilla ice-cream on the side, Serve while it is hot!
• P.S.when you spoon the mini cake it will open and a rich creamy filling will pour out.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180C, fan 160°C Grease and line a 20cm round tin. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in 50g sugar until glossy.
• In a separate bowl, beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until thick and creamy. Sift in the flour and 25g cocoa powder, add the egg whites and fold all the ingredients together. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 20 minutes. Cool, then remove from the tin.
• Using a pastry cutter, mark out 6 x 6cm rounds in the top of the cake. Press 5 circules around the edge and one in the centre of the cake - keep the outer circles as close to the edge as possible to allow space for the centre circle. Use a sharp knife to cut out the rounds, then put in the freezer for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Put the cream in a bowl. Sift over the icing sugar and the remaining cocoa powder. Using an electric hand whisk, beat until stiff peaks form.
• Remove the cakes from the freezer and cut through each twice, horizontally, so that you have 3 layers per cake. Fill a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle with the icing. Sandwich the layers with a piped spiral of filling, then pipe little stars around the edge of the tops. To serve, scatter with the grated chocolate.