Can’t believe how fast time flies, this was made in May 2007… THREE freaking years ago!! I know you must be wondering, why am I digging out all the old post, don’t I ever make anything new. You see, I sometimes (almost ALL THE TIME) misplace loose recipes papers. Paper 1 may be stuck in between Book X and Paper 2 may be stuck in between Book Y and the rest probably in the old mathematics books. Lol kidding but you get the idea. I am not the best keeper. I probably have 5 different note books with funny recipes here and there, good ones, bad ones. I am just too lazy to read my old messy (it still is messy now) handwriting. Blogging and putting them in a proper index folder makes things so much easier and neater 😉 And this was one of the first few cakes I made after coming back to Malaysia.

So this cake was influenced by Bernd Siefer’s Sweet Gold and a cake that I saw in aaplemint’s which was a apple mousse with passionfruit mousse. In Bernd Siefer’s Sweet Gold, there was a layer of walnut dacquoise, creme brulee, caramelized apple jelly with rum raisins and with very nice decorations on the top – with white chocolate and tiny puffs. So, I thought, I SHOULD make this cake. But with less components.

Caramelized Apple Jelly

Handful of peeled, cored and diced apples.
8g gelatin
50g sugar
100g apple juice (skim the scum if using freshly squeezed juice)
liquor (I used Kirsch)
25g sugar

Make dry caramel with 50g sugar on a pan. when it’s brown (but not burnt yet) add in the diced apples. Stir them for about 3 minutes till they’re somewhat soft, but not too mushy. Meanwhile, dissolve 25g sugar in apple juice and dissolve gelatin in it as well. Add in liquor if using now. Pour in caramelized apples into the juice. Stir, and pour onto mould. For the mould, I just used a thick aluminium foil and make a circle mould that would fit in the cake. Put in freezer if u need it straight away. Otherwise, keep in fridge till it sets.

*pardon the overdose of green colouring.

Apple Mousse

(with some modifications) (yields a 20cm cake)

200g apple puree
12g sugar
160g semi-whipped cream
50g egg white
50g sugar
12g gelatin (powdered) – If using gelatin leaves, use about 4 sheets
liquor (I used kirsh, but if there’s apple-flavour liquor, use it!)

First, peel, core and dice apples to small pieces. Boil them in a pot of water which I added half a pinch of salt in it. Meanwhile soak gelatin in some water (about 2-3 tbsp). When the apples are soft, drain them and blend with 12g sugar. When they’re pureed, add in gelatin and stir till it dissolves. Add in liquor to puree if using. Whisk egg whites to medium peak and gradually adding in 50g sugar. Whisk cream to semi whipped as well. When both are ready, fold in puree to egg whites. Then fold in whipped cream. Do not overmix. Use straight away.

I had a layer of joconde outside and bottom obviously. The I spreaded the mousse at the bottom but just a lil, then put in the apple jelly, another layer of mousse, then I added in puff pastry, then the final layer of mousse to cover it up. Although it might be wise to switch the positions of puff and jelly to ease cutting, or use joconde instead.

My idea of puff came about when I was reading Bernd Siefer’s book. But I decided to do it as an inverted napolean or a bit of mille-feuille-ish.. I kinda wanted the puff to still be crispy, so I have like 4 diff kind of textures, mousse, jocondde, jelly and abit of crunchyness in it. But even though I knew it would be soft because of the moisture, I added in as well. Haha, well, just to try u know. If it was slightly crispier, it would be great. The apple mousse was ok, not too much of apple taste in it really, thats why I was told to use apple liquor or flavourings. But because I did a layer of caramelized apple jelly in it, the apple flavour came out (to show that.. It’s a damn apple mousse)

As for the top layer of jelly, well, lets just say, it was badly done. The gel was stilll kinda hot when I poured it ontop of the mousse hence the little bits of floating fats. And, the colouring was just overdosed -.-”It turned out to be florescent green. Dude. wth…(Maybe I should skip it).. And the one I did actually had slightly too much of gelatin in it as well. Bummer* But all in all, it was a pretty enjoyable cake. Not too creamy because, really, there’s only 50% of mousse in it.

Ok, 1 down. Not too sure how many more to go. Haha