Noisette Entremet
I’ve gone through many phases of preferences when it comes to desserts over the past few years, but entremets have always remained at the top of my list! I love the way they are constructed, the internal layering, the techniques used, and especially the final result when cut into an elegant cake just to reveal an even more elegant and breathtaking interior! So today, I’m presenting you a recipe for a hazelnut entremet, a true masterpiece in terms of aesthetics, but also a recipe that promises to be a delight to the taste buds after tasting the delicate layers of hazelnut mousse and chocolate, as well as praline mousse.
This hazelnut entremet follows an unwritten rule that I’ve been applying lately – simplicity and quality beyond everything! The cake itself consists of only 3 layers, and the exterior is wrapped in a velvet spray, so the impact on the taste of the exterior layer is non-existent. But from simplicity comes the flavor, as long as the technique used was correct!
The layers of the hazelnut entremet are:
- Cocoa sponge cake
- Praline mousse
- Chocolate mousse with hazelnuts
Praline paste is an flavoring agent that can be purchased as is, but can also be made at home with a powerful blender. The praline paste contains hazelnuts and caramelized sugar, so the final taste is heavily influenced by this aspect. The hazelnut paste, on the other hand, does not contain sugar at all. We’re talking about two different flavoring agents used in similar ways, with the notable difference being the quantities used, as well as the flavors and intensities of these agents.
Noisette Entremet
Ingredients
Chocolate sponge cake
- 90 g all-purpose flour
- 26 g invert sugar
- 85 g almond flour
- 85 g icing sugar
- 135 g whole eggs
- 14 g all-purpose white flour
- 14 g cocoa powder
- 1 g salt
- 22 g unsalted butter (melted at 45°C)
Praline mousse
- 65 g milk
- 35 g egg yolks
- 54 g praline paste
- 3.5 g gelatin + 21 g cold water
- 160 g heavy cream (whipped to soft peaks)
Dark chocolate hazelnut mousse
- 152 g milk
- 5 g vanilla extract
- 30 g egg yolks
- 20 g sugar
- 36 g hazelnut paste
- 150 g dark chocolate 70%
- 2 g gelatin + 12 g cold water
- 340 g heavy cream (whipped to soft peaks)
Instructions
Chocolate sponge cake
- Combine almond flour, icing sugar, and whole eggs in a mixer bowl and whip until light and foamy.
- Separately, mix flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Whip the egg whites and invert sugar/honey into a firm meringue.
- Combine the almond mixture with the dry ingredients, alternating with the meringue.
- Finally, add the melted butter.
- Spread the dough into a baking tray to 1cm thickness and bake at 190°C for 8-10 minutes.
- Let it cool.
- Cut a 14cm Ø disc from the cake. You will most likely get more discs of sponge cake from this portion, but you only need one for this recipe. You can wrap the remaining sponge in plastic wrap and freeze.
Praline mousse
- Bloom the gelatin in cold water.
- Heat the milk with praline in a saucepan.
- Add the egg yolks, stirring continuously, then return everything to the heat and cook over low heat until it reaches 82°C.
- Set aside and add the gelatin, then cool the mixture to 28°C.
- Add the whipped cream with a spatula.
- Pour the mousse into a 14cm Ø mold.
- Freeze.
Dark chocolate hazelnut mousse
- Bloom the gelatin in cold water.
- Mix the egg yolks with sugar.
- Heat the milk with vanilla over low heat, then pour it into gradually over the egg yolks.
- Return to low heat and cook until it reaches 82°C.
- Set aside and add the gelatin.
- Pour into a tall jug over the chocolate and hazelnut paste.
- Blend with a hand blender.
- Cool the mixture to 35°C, then add the whipped cream.
Assembly
- Pour the dark chocolate mousse into a silicone mold (I used Silikomart’s Mistery1100) until halfway up.
- Place the insert of praline mousse in the center, then complete with chocolate mousse.
- Gently press in the disc of sponge cake.
- Chill for at least 12 hours.
- Apply velvet spray effect immediately after removing from the mold.
- Let it chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.
Notes
- You can get more cake discs from this recipe’s batter, but we will only use one for this recipe. The rest of the cake can be used for other recipes or stored in the freezer.
- The mold used for making this cake is Silikomart’s Mistery1100 – it has a volume of 1100ml, a diameter of approximately 17cm, and a height of approximately 5.5cm.. If not, use a mold with similar volume/dimensions or a cake ring.
