Pistachio and orange blossom cake
– a pistachio praline crisp,
– a pistachio biscuit
– a pistachio mousse
– an orange blossom mousse,
– and a mirror icing.
Material used
– Square frame 12X12x4.5 cm
– Ancel 210 bloom gelatine
– Tefal baking tray
– Baking paper
Ingredients
Pistachio praline (the day before)
✔150g pistachios
✔75g sugar
Pistachio biscuit (the day before)
✔35g sugar
✔1 egg
✔35g pistachio powder
✔10g butter
✔7 g flour
✔50g egg whites
Pistachio praline crisp (the day before)
✔40g pistachio praline
✔30g white chocolate
✔30g crêpes dentelles
Pistachio mousse (the day before)
✔30g single cream
✔40g white chocolate
✔70g cold liquid cream
✔30g pistachio praline
✔2g gelatine
Orange blossom mousse (the day before)
✔60 g full cream
✔60 g white chocolate
✔3 g gelatine
✔110 g whipping cream
✔18g orange blossom
Pistachio praline mirror icing
✔45 g sugar
✔45 g glucose
✔25 g water
✔45 g white chocolate
✔30 g pistachio praline
✔30 g 30% minimum fat liquid cream
✔4g gelatine
The recipe
For 4 people
Pistachio biscuit (the day before)
✔35g sugar
✔1 egg
✔35g pistachio powder
✔10 g butter
✔7 g flour
✔50g egg whites
In a bowl, add the pistachio powder, sugar and whole egg. Mix well. Add the sifted flour. Mix well. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the caster sugar. Incorporate a third of the egg whites and mix to loosen the mixture, then gently fold the remaining egg whites into the mixture using a pastry blender. Pour the biscuit dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and smooth out the dough. Bake the biscuit for 8 to 10 minutes at 180°C.
Remove the biscuit from the oven and leave to cool before peeling it from the paper and cutting out a square using your 12x12cm frame.
Pistachio praline crisp (the day before)
✔40g pistachio praline
✔30g white chocolate
✔30g crêpes dentelles
In a bowl, pour the praline, the previously melted white chocolate and add the crêpes dentelles. Mix gently. Spread between two sheets of baking paper using a rolling pin. Place in the freezer for a few minutes. Cut out a 12x12cm square and place it at the bottom of your frame.
Place the biscuit on top of the crisp and keep in the freezer until ready to assemble.
Quickly make the two mousses in parallel.
Orange blossom mousse (the day before)
✔60 g full cream
✔60 g white chocolate
✔3 g gelatine
✔110 g whipping cream
✔18g orange blossom
Place the gelatine leaves in a large bowl of cold water for at least 10 minutes. Heat the 60g liquid cream in a small saucepan. Pour over the melted white chocolate. Mix well. Add the gelatine, well wrung out and previously softened in a bowl of cold water, and the orange blossom. Set aside. Whip the cold cream (110g) with an electric mixer. Using a spatula, gently fold in the previous mixture. Set aside. Quickly assemble the cake.
Pistachio mousse (the day before)
✔30g single cream
✔40g white chocolate
✔70g cold liquid cream
✔30g pistachio praline
✔2g gelatine
Place the gelatine leaves in a large bowl of cold water for at least 10 minutes. Heat the 30g of liquid cream in a small saucepan. Pour over the melted white chocolate. Mix well. Add the gelatine, well wrung out and previously softened in a bowl of cold water, and the pistachio praline. Set aside. Whip the cold cream (70g) with an electric mixer. Using a spatula, gently fold in the previous mixture. Set aside.
Assembly
Assemble the mousse quickly, otherwise the gelatine will start to set.
Pour 80 to 85g of orange blossom mousse into the frame. Place in the freezer for a few minutes to allow the mousse to set a little. Pour in 80 to 85g of pistachio mousse and place in the freezer for a few minutes. Pour another 80 to 85g of orange blossom mousse, place in the freezer and finish with the remaining pistachio mousse (80 to 85g). After a final few minutes in the freezer, pour in the remaining orange blossom mousse. Place in the freezer overnight.
The next day, make the pistachio icing.
Pistachio icing
✔45 g sugar
✔45 g glucose
✔25 ml water
✔45 g white chocolate
✔30 ml cream
✔30g pistachio praline
✔2 x 2g gelatine leaves
Place the gelatine leaves in a large bowl of cold water. In a saucepan, heat the sugar, water and glucose to 110°C. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine, wrung out and softened. Pour this mixture over the melted white chocolate. Stir well. Add the liquid cream and praline. Use a Bamix hand blender without a bell at the end to avoid air bubbles and ensure a smooth mixture.
Remove the cake from the freezer and apply the icing, which has been cooled to 35°C. Leave in the fridge for a few minutes until the icing has set.
Carefully remove the frame. Cut into individual slices or serve whole, then defrost in the fridge before serving.
I decorated with caramelised unsalted pistachios.