An iconic Paris cake created by master pâtissier Gaston Lenôtre in 1968. This rich and decadent layered cake features crispy meringue discs, macaron succès, chocolate mousse, and is finished with delicate chocolate fans.
cream of tartaror a few drops of lemon juice to stabilize egg whites
sugaradded in stages: one-third initially, then remaining amount gradually
powdered sugarsifted before folding into meringue
almond mealequal ratio with powdered sugar1
powdered sugarequal ratio with almond meal1
milka dash, combined with sugar and almond mixture to form paste
dark chocolatemelted for brushing meringue discs and decoration
cocoa butter or oiladded to melted chocolate
butteradded to melted chocolate for mousse
egg yolksfor chocolate mousse
Steps
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1
Begin whipping egg whites with cream of tartar and one-third of the sugar at medium speed until soft peaks form.
2
Increase mixer speed to high and gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
3
Fold in the sifted powdered sugar gently into the meringue.
4
Pipe the meringue into two identical circles onto parchment, making them slightly smaller in diameter than the cake ring. Optionally pipe a third disc as backup.
5
Bake the meringue discs at 220°F (100°C) for one hour, then turn off the oven and leave them inside for 30 minutes more.
6
Make the macaron succès by combining equal parts powdered sugar and almond meal in a 1:1 ratio, then mix with a dash of milk to form a paste.
7
Whip egg whites to stiff peaks to create a stiff meringue.
8
Incorporate about one-quarter of the meringue into the almond-sugar paste, mixing fully, then gently fold in the remaining meringue to maintain the fluffy texture.
9
Unlike the meringue discs, the succès disc should be slightly taller. Bake at 265°F (130°C) for one hour or more.
10
Brush the two meringue discs with melted chocolate (mixed with a bit of cocoa butter or oil) to prevent them from breaking or softening later.
11
Make the chocolate mousse by slowly melting dark chocolate in a water bath, add butter, and keep it at 104°F (40°C).
12
Whip egg whites to stiff peaks, add egg yolks, and mix until just incorporated.
13
Mix about one-third of the egg white-yolk mixture into the warm chocolate, then fold in the remaining meringue mixture to create the mousse.
14
Assemble the cake by piping chocolate mousse around the edge of the cake ring and coat with a spatula or spoon.
15
Add the first layer of chocolate mousse, then top with the macaron succès disc.
16
Add more mousse and enclose with the second meringue disc, smoothing the top with remaining mousse.
17
Freeze the cake overnight. One day before serving, remove from the freezer, take off the cake ring and plastic acetate, and keep refrigerated until ready to decorate.
18
Prepare chocolate fan decoration: place three clean baking trays in the freezer a couple hours ahead. Melt dark chocolate and maintain it at around 122°F (50°C) throughout.
19
Spread warm chocolate onto the frozen tray to create thin pliable chocolate strips and wrap around the sides of the cake.
20
Using the same technique, create thin chocolate strips on the frozen tray and arrange each chocolate fan artfully on top of the cake.
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