Black Forest Gateau
Specialty Equipment: vacuum machine, water bath, digital thermometer, ice cream machine, home decorating tool, paint spray gun
Specialty Ingredients: glucose syrup, malic acid, yellow pectin, invert sugar syrup, gelatine 170 Bloom
Days: 2 (1 if you’re nuts, couple of hours if asking for trouble)
Dish as in The Fat Duck:
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Some time ago I made two dishes with a couple of friends. We didn’t have is too easy, but decided the next time we should make a crazy ass recipe, like the Black Forest Gateau or the lamb recipe. This week it was time for the next round. We had the same time frame, one day (actually a bit less, more on that later), but the party changed to two (me plus one).
On top of that I thought it would be fun to send out e-mails asking if anyone would like to taste our soon to be materialized cake. The result: 11 reviewers of our attempt. The stress kicked in (at least for me) when we started on judgment day at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon and only had 5 hours to finish the recipe without proper pastry equipment! The beers from the night before didn’t help. Luckily my friend has a couple of years of restaurant experience under his belt, and attacked the dish, pushing components out one after another.
Making it for a lot of people meant we made one big cake. What changed to the recipe is the kirsh cream or white chocolate mousse on the outside of the gateau. We just made a layer of the mousse, and didn’t let it enclose other layers as seen in the picture below. In one large ‘mould’ it is not doable.
Also, there a fewer pictures than normal. Sorry about that.
The first thing on the list was the kirsch ice cream, which had to mature for a couple of hours. It is made by beating together egg yolks and sugar for 5 minutes, bringing it to 70˚C, holding it there for 10 minutes, cool it and before churning it mix it with sour cream and kirsch.
The base of the gateau is a crumble mix, similar to the ones often used for cheesecakes bases, consisting of an almond paste, chopped almonds, milk chocolate, amarena cherries and caramelized puff pastry.
Rolling the base to the dimensions of the shoebox we used as a mould. Life would be so much easier with a couple of pastry moulds.
Weighing down on the base is a chocolate ganache. I usually heat cream and pour it over chocolate, but here we had to work very carefully, adding the cream in three stages with the use of a hand-held blender.
Between the base and the ganache lies a thin strip of apricot pâte de fruit. To make it ‘spreadable’ it has to be blitzed after it has set to create a smooth gel.
Next up was the aerated chocolate. The freaking aerated chocolate! During the Mandarin Aerated Chocolate recipe I had some problems making it, because I didn’t pay close attention to my siphon. This time we heated it from the inside, but only used 200g of chocolate, which is not enough. By far. It just sticks to the inside of the canister, leaving you with a tiny amount of chocolate to aerate. So after the first attempt we filled the canister to full capacity (500g), gave it two charges and released the chocolate in a plastic container in the vacuum machine. What do you think? It bubbled up like crazy, although we had to pull a vacuum below the instructed 250mbar. Success.
It looked like this. But. The dreaded but. We were pressed for time, to put lightly, and had to release the vacuum after about 1 hour. Although it is instructed in the book, we didn’t feel comfortable releasing the pressure, because the chocolate didn’t look entirely set. However there were 11 hungry eaters waiting for us, so we had to. And damn, the chocolate collapsed slowly, but surely. I hate working with chocolate! There always is something that goes pear-shaped.
While still oblivious to future chocolate failure we pressed on with the chocolate sponge, the mousses and the wood effect. Like I said before, it was a blessing to make the recipe with my friend, he really kept the momentum going. The chocolate sponge is finished with griottine cherries. I had some left from the foie gras dish, so we used frozen ones and added a bit of the syrup of the amarena cherries to sweeten them.
The white and dark chocolate mousses are made in the same way: melting chocolate, whisking egg yolks and sugar, combing the yolks with heated milk to create a thin custard, dissolve gelatine in the custard, mixing it into the melted chocolate and finishing the entire thing with lightly whipped cream.
I didn’t really prepare this recipe as I do others, check if something needs to made far in advance or if there are some hidden specialty ingredients or equipment, so it came as a surprise we needed a home decorating tool for the biscuit to make it look like wood. As a solution we used a (new) hairbrush, a funky fork and a regular fork. I must say some pieces looked quite good.
The day after we ate this dish I had no idea if we had pictures of everything. Unfortunately we didn’t take any of the gateau under construction. So, here it is in full, ready to be cut in pieces. The chocolate mousse on top was just set, so the entire thing was not frozen, making it hard to cut. There was also no time to finish it with the flocage (a chocolate and cacao butter layer sprayed on with a paint spray gun).
On to the gateau after some time to finish it properly, to do justice to the work we put in. I tried to finish it with the flocage using a plant sprayer to no avail. Instead of droplets of chocolate the sprayers spewed out rivers of chocolate (I checked the sprayer with water and it worked fine). With rock hard failure on my side I just coated the gateau piece in the chocolate mixture and finished it with cacao.
Wow, this stuff is heavy. We almost knocked everybody out with the dessert. With the first bite I knew I was never gonna be able to finish it. I think the two main reasons are the portion size of our gateau and the percentage of white chocolate mousse. We had just a layer of the stuff, while in the schematics of the recipe the mousse takes a more central role. Something to watch out for if anybody is going to make it.
It was however delicious. Everybody liked it, but I don’t think loved it. Maybe the sheer impact of the cake hindered a true appreciation of all the flavors.
Did you check temper on the chocolate? That may be the reason why the aerated chocolate collapsed.
Nope, the last two times I failed miserably, because without the proper equipment and/or know how it is next to impossible at home.
However, I don’t think it was the reason for the collapse. The chocolate had not hardened at all. The aerated chocolates from a while back did not collapse and I didn’t temper them (at least the second attempt), so it is still a mystery to me why the chocolate this time around was far from solidified (I heated the melted chocolate to the temperature specified in the book).
I think you should exercise tempering chocolate. Also, I don’t think melting chocolate sous vide for a long time is not a good idea (sorry Heston…).
Chocolate and water don’t mix and even a droplet of water can ruin the temper of a large amount of chocolate. Just use the method that is mentioned in various YouTube movies. Melt 3/4 of chocolate, cool down using the left 1/4, lower to 28deg C, then increase to ~32 deg C. Test temper using a spoon or knive and check is the chocolate gets hard in 5-10 min. (don’t put it in the fridge!!, water will condense and ruin). Also, hardening is more than just cooling down. Tempered chocolate will take time to ‘cristalize’.
If you have this under your belt, try the aerated chocolate again.
Oh, and not hardening is ‘the’ sign of chocolate not being in temper. So, I really think that that is the cause of the collapse.
Thanks for the input, but I disagree. When you don’t temper chocolate it will harden, it just has a lower melting point and doesn’t ‘snap’ when you break it.
With the mandarin chocolates I didn’t temper the second attempt and didn’t have problems with collapsing. Also in the series ‘In Search of Perfection’ the aerated chocolate layer of the BFG is made in a plastic mould with a vacuum cleaner and the chocolate is not tempered.
In my view the chocolate is tempered for a better texture not as a necessity.
S, have you had any luck tempering chocolate at home without professional equipment?
I guess you are right, untempered chocolate will still harden. From what I have learned in experimenting, the hardness (‘snap’) is pretty much gone, so it is quite soft and may not withstand the airpressure when you ‘vent’ the aerated chocolate (bring back to normal pressure).
Also, it may be the case if you slowly melt it at low temp (like in the 12 hr sous vide), you may not need to temper, but I am not sure. The plastic bag is prone to water getting in the chocolate either through a leak or just through the plastic or even when you transfer to the ISI.
Anyway, I still have to do the aeration. Got a dessicator but now need to hook up to the vacuumcleaner.
Yes, eventually I was successfull tempering chocolate (for couverture) using the au-bain-Marie method holding back 1/4. It takes time and a digital thermometer but the chocolate came out really snappy. It tool a couple of tries though…
I haven’t myself. When I gently heat the chocolate au bain marie it easily shoots a couple degrees over the target temperature. Very frustrating.
This is probably very simplistic, but according to Alton Brown (you guys familiar with this American food geek?), chocolate when purchased, like in chip or “coin” form is already in temper and what we need to do is make sure it does not lose that temper. So, I’ve been following his advise to gently heat/melt the chocolate to about 90F ~ 32C (if I am not mistaken) using a heating pad. At this point it should still be tempered and I have used it successfully in many confections where a good texture, snap and gloss is required. Thoughts?
Yeah, I think I saw some Good Eats episodes. I do remember I found him a bit annoying. Maybe you have to get used to his energy.
Anyway, I’ll definitely try your method Elie.
It is not really ‘au-bain’ as in submerging the upper pan into the hot liquid. If you have a layer of liquid in the bottom pan and place a bowl on the top of the pan, but not touching the liquid, all temperature changes are more managable. But yes, it is very easy to overshoot by a couple of degrees. Using more chocolate in a batch also helps.
Alton is annoying, but his advice is pretty good and insightfull… (welcome to fine, US television with all its subtlety and deepness!)
Hi S, when I tried to temper I ‘au bain-maried’ according to the classic rules: the bowl not touching the water. I think the bowl I used was not that great for tempering, because it warms up quickly and hangs on to heat a bit too much.
Did you ever watch the UK version of Kitchen Nightmares of Gordon Ramsay? It is, to me, one of the best cooking shows ever. Very personal, civilized and even funny. The US version however is the exact opposite, pure trash. Do you think the US audience wouldn’t watch the program if Mr. Ramsay or any of the participants didn’t flip out to the level of a cartoon character?
BTW, this is not an all-out attack on US television, because it also produced one of the best things of the last ten years in the world of media: tv-shows like the Sopranos, Dexter, Weeds, the West Wing, the Wire and the list goes on.
Tempering remains quite tricky… At the time I was tempted to take a class at a local chocolate maker, but never got to it.
Yes, I saw Ramsay’s UK show, and although he still is quite a character, he didn’t diminish himself and others to freakshow characters a la Jerry Springer.
Being reaised in NL, having spend a couple of years in the UK and now in the US, I think I have an understanding of cultural differences accross the pond. The US audience is definitely attracted to over the top freakshows in which it is very clear who is good (‘winner’) and who is bad (‘looser’). Having 200 channels without any content (and some having commercial breaks every 8 min…) made me decide to cancel cable and just watch DVDs.
Having said that, they are able to produce great quality shows, like the Soprano’s. But, so far for the off-topic bit…
This has just been repeated on Shy tv today , great programme and excellent help for any loony home cooks out there wanting to take the challenge.
Hestons Black forest cake….
Thx m8
When tempering chocolate at school we use heat guns to to bring the temperature up slowly. If you don’t have a heat gun you could always use a hair dryer. We found this method to be much more gentle than using a bain marie and you also have much more control being able to hold the heat as close or as far as you want away from the chocolate. It’s an added bonus if the heat gun has adjustable settings so you can heat it as fast or as slow as you want.
Also, you don’t get the residual heat in the bottom of the bowl that can lead to the temperature constantly increasing like you do when using a bain marie.
Thanks for the tip.
I might make the aerated chocolate again, but tempering chocolate is not something I look forward to.
Hi, I spoke with a pastry chef lately and he recommends using a microwave to melt chocolate. Set it in melt mode (or low level) and heat in bursts. Heat 3/4 of the chocolate until molten (~40deg for milk/white, 50deg for dark). Then chop up finely the 1/4 chocolate for seeding. Then add this seed to the molten choc and stir. At this point the temp is still in the lower 30s deg and you need to keep stirring and cooling (don’t use a ice bath) until about 28deg. This may take 10-15 minutes as cooling is slow due to ‘latent heat’ released by the formation of the type V cocoa crystals (this is what you are after, stable V crystals that give the snap/sheen). You will then notice the choc gets thicker and at some point does not run down the sides of the bowl by its own weight.
A good thermometer is essential when learning, I noticed a degree off makes a difference. After cooling to 28, heat in the microwave / double boiler until 33 (milk). Don’t overshoot. If you do, temper may be lost and you have to seed again.
What is also helpful in learning is to test temper at various stages using a cool knife (room temp). After dipping a thin layer (1mm), see what happens to the gloss. If it stays glossy / liquid after a couple of min. it is not tempered. When you see the gloss disappear across the surface and the shine becomes silky, and the choc hardens it is in temper. Note that after 5 min the choc is not as hard as the starting choc! I always thought it has to be very hard as the books say, but the chocolate just needs to set (i.e. you can easily make a dent with your nail). The hardening / crystallization takes ~24hrs to complete.
The other tip I got was to dab a small amount on your lip at every stage to test temperature. When doing this, you will develop yourself into a very accurate thermometer. Pros use this for temp testing.
Another thing to observe during cooling to 28deg is that at some point close to the 28deg, the choc will be less shiny when you stir it and immediately regain its gloss when stopping stirring. Its a bit like walking over a partly wet beach, where you step (stir), the sand is compacted and water is pulled down (capillary pressure) making it less shiny on the surface. When you step away, the water film gets bak on the surface. Also, if you listen closely, you can hear a noise when you scrape the choc against the bowl.
All this multisensory stuff point to type V crystals forming, which is what is needed.
I think I now have the tempering down and will try aerate some chocolate today (if I can attach my vacuum cleaner to the desiccator!)
Oh,
And for the flocage, you need a compressor fed spray painter (maybe you can get a cheapo one at the Gamma). It also helps to thin down the chocolate using cocoa butter. Melt choc at 40, separate melt butter at 40, add butter to choc until you get the viscosity you need (~10-20% butter to the choc). Then take this mixture through a tempering cycle (yes, I know you will look forward to this!).
Thinned choc is also preferred for dipping…
Got this wisdom from the book ‘Chocolates and confectionary’, by Peter Greweling.
He S, thanks for all the info, really appreciate it. I’m thinking of making the aerated chocolates again, but as you said I’m dreading the tempering of chocolate. Especially with your described steps it looks like you have to get a feel for the chocolate if you don’t have automated tempering equipment. Chocolate, the horror.
One thing by the way is that my microwave is pretty banged up: one heat setting and it doesn’t spin.
I saw your aerated mandarin chocolates came out well, so obviously the tempering went well.
I have been making chocolates during the winter and finally got a handle on tempering. I just use the microwave and melt about 80% of the chocolate and stir to melt the rest. Most of the times this works perfect and the temper is good. Once in a while the temperature is too high ( I also learned to test temp without using a thermometer) and then I throw in 10% of shaved chocolate. To make sure no chucks are left you can use a handheld blender (broke one yesterday doing this…). Finally, got it down. It took me many cycles. The good thing is is that if you don’t overheat above 60degrees you can retry the tempering cycle until it works. It just takes time to get a feel for it and fly blind so to speak.
Will soon start building this cake as well.