Sea Buckthorn Honey Mousse Cake
Sea Buckthorn is one of the fruits that one grows up with as a Romanian. It is considered to be very healthy and kinda stimulating for one’s immune system and we store it in honey for the winter and eat it in the morning on an empty stomach for its health benefits during the cold winter days. So I am very familiar with the taste of sea buckthorn and its smell as well. To say I was not a fan as a child would be an understatement. However, if there is something I learnt in the last couple of years is to never let my dislike for a certain ingredient stand in the way of creativity. So I was set to include sea buckthorn in a dessert. Little did I know that it would become one of my all time favorites! Because this sea buckthorn honey mousse cake is so delicate, so fresh and refreshing that I was hooked! The flavor infused by the sea buckthorn puree is incredible. It is what the French call a je ne sais quoi, its aroma is special, combined with the honey, apricots and a touch or orange.
This sea buckthorn honey mousse cake contains a soft honey sponge cake, a delicious and fragrant honey mousse, an intense and refreshing sea buckthorn apricot marmalade and a very delicate Greek yogurt whipped ganache. Now that’s a delicious mix of flavors and all these layers work so well together! And it feels like more than just a dessert, it feels like a whole experience, ideal for those looking for special projects to bake, for those loving special flavors and unique and memorable desserts.
The foundation of this dessert is a honey sponge, which provides a great base for our cake, infused with the natural sweetness of honey. The sponge is light yet flavorful, setting the stage for the luxurious layers to follow. Feel free to use any honey you like, but keep in mind that the honey you use will set the undertones in terms of flavors, so choose a honey with a great flavor. Now is the time to use the best honey you can get as it really shines through! Orange blossom honey is a great one to use in this dessert. Next, there’s the honey mousse, a velvety layer that adds a creamy texture and enhances the honey’s floral notes. Same honey as in the sponge would make such a great addition for this dessert!
But the heart of the cake lies in its layer of sea buckthorn and apricot marmalade. Sea buckthorn, known for its tart and tangy profile, pairs beautifully with the sweetness of apricot and a touch of orange zest, freshly grated. This marmalade is an explosion of flavor and tanginess and it blends perfectly with the sweetness and mellowness of the honey mousse. To top it all off, the cake is finished off with a beautiful layer of yogurt whipped ganache. It adds a fresh, slightly tart note that complements the other layers so well!
Other honey desserts on the blog
Sea Buckthorn Honey Mousse Cake
Ingredients
Honey Sponge Cake
- 200 g whole eggs
- 140 g light brown sugar
- 70 g honey
- 5 g orange zest
- 200 g all-purpose white flour
- 8 g baking powder
- 2 g salt
- 180 g butter (melted at 45°C)
Honey Mousse
- 210 g milk
- 80 g honey
- 65 g egg yolks
- 5 g gelatin + 30 g cold water
- ½ vanilla bean
- 260 g whipping cream (lightly whipped)
Sea Buckthorn and Apricot Marmalade
- 160 g sea buckthorn puree
- 210 g apricot puree
- 30 g honey
- 40 g light brown sugar
- 10 g pectin NH
- 6 g gelatin + 36 g cold water
- 2 g orange zest
Yogurt Whipped Ganache
- 130 g whipping cream A
- 3 g gelatin powder + 18 g cold water
- 15 g glucose
- 15 g honey
- 150 g white chocolate
- 105 g full-fat Greek yogurt
- 380 g whipping cream B (cold)
Instructions
Honey Sponge Cake
- Combine the whole eggs, sugar, honey, and orange zest in the mixer bowl and mix for a few minutes until you get a firm foam.
- Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
- Using the mixer at medium speed, incorporate the dry ingredients into the egg foam.
- Gradually add the melted butter while mixing.
- Spread the mixture into a 40×20 cm pan.
- Bake at 160°C for 15-18 minutes or until it turns golden brown and if you touch it on the surface, it springs back up.
- Cool in the pan and then cut out a piece measuring 38×20 cm.
- Remove the crust from the top of the cake with a knife.
- Place the cake in a frame lined with acetate foil.
- Put it in the freezer.
Honey Mousse
- Bloom the gelatin in water.
- Combine the milk, honey, egg yolk, and vanilla pod in a cooking pot.
- Heat over low heat and cook, stirring continuously, until it reaches 80-82°C.
- Remove from heat and add the bloomed gelatin. Remove the vanilla pod.
- Cool the mixture to 26-28°C.
- Fold in the lightly whipped cream.
- Pour the mousse over the frozen honey cake.
- Return it to the freezer.
Apricot and Sea Buckthorn Marmalade
- Bloom the gelatin in water.
- Combine the purees with the honey in a cooking pot. Heat gently.
- Mix the brown sugar with the pectin NH, then add it to the purees.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 minutes over medium heat.
- Remove from heat and add the gelatin and orange zest.
- Cool for 15 minutes in the pot, then pour over the frozen mousse.
- Freeze again.
Yogurt Whipped Ganache
- Bloom the gelatin in water.
- Heat whipping cream A with the bloomed gelatin, glucose, and invert sugar.
- Pour over the chocolate and blend with an immersion blender.
- Add the Greek yogurt and blend, then add in the cold, unwhipped whipping cream B, continuing to blend with the hand blender.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- Whip before use until stiff peaks, then pour over the sea buckthorn and apricot marmalade using a piping bag and a round nozzle. Feel free to be creative at this step of the process and decorate the dessert any way you like.
- Freeze for a few hours, then cut the cake into 12×3 cm pieces.
- For a glossier finish, you can apply a layer of neutral glaze using a spray or gun.
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Fridge
- Freezer
- Cooking stove
- Bowls
- Mixer
- Spatulas
- Spoons
- Knife
- Baking frame – 40×20
- Acetate sheet
- Baking paper
