Love Cake with Blackcurrant and Chocolate

A Detailed Guide to Making the Love Cake

This is an advanced, show-stopping dessert featuring eight distinct layers of texture and flavor, ranging from crunchy almonds to fruity mousse and silky glaze.

Serves: 8

Part 1: Crunchy Base

The foundation of the cake, providing a necessary textural contrast.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Caramelize Almonds: Gently melt the sugar to a golden caramel in a saucepan. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the roasted almonds. Pour onto parchment paper to cool. Once hard, chop them finely.
2. Melt Chocolate: Melt the dark chocolate and almond butter together in a bowl over a bain-marie (simmering water). Remove from heat.
3. Combine: Stir in the feuilletine, the chopped caramelized almonds, and the salt.
4. Roll and Chill: Roll the mixture out thinly between two sheets of parchment paper. Freeze for about 5 minutes.
5. Cut: Remove from freezer and cut out a circle using a hot 14 cm cake ring. Return the disc to the freezer.

Part 2: Flourless Chocolate Base

A rich, fudgy cake layer.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Melt: Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl over a bain-marie. Remove from heat.
2. Mix: Add the sugar and mix in the egg until combined.
3. Bake: Spread the batter into a 14 cm cake ring lined with parchment paper. Bake at 175°C for 12–15 minutes.
4. Cool: Let the cake cool completely.
5. Stack: Place this cooled cake layer on top of the frozen Crunchy Base (from Part 1), keeping them inside the 14 cm ring.

Part 3: Blackcurrant Compote

A sharp, fruity layer to cut through the richness.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Prep: Mix the sugar and pectin together in a small bowl.
2. Heat: Heat the blackcurrant purée and lemon juice to 40°C.
3. Combine: Stir in the pectin-sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.
4. Cool & Spread: Remove from heat and cool slightly. Spread a thin layer over the Flourless Chocolate Base (which is sitting on the crunchy base).
5. Freeze: Place the assembly in the freezer while you make the ganache.

Part 4: Blackcurrant Ganache

A creamy, fruity chocolate layer.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Melt Chocolate: Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a bain-marie. Remove from heat.
2. Boil Liquids: Bring the blackcurrant purée, cream, and lemon juice to a boil in a small saucepan.
3. Emulsify: Pour the hot liquid over the chocolate while stirring in the center to create an emulsion. Continue until glossy.
4. Blend: Smooth with a hand blender.
5. Layer: Spread approximately 160 g of the ganache (about 1 cm thick) on top of the frozen compote layer.
6. Freeze: Return to the freezer.

Part 5: Blackcurrant Mousse

A lighter fruity layer to top the insert.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Prep: Soak gelatine in cold water. Melt chocolate over a bain-marie.
2. Heat Purée: Bring blackcurrant purée and lemon juice to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. Combine: Dissolve the soaked gelatine in the hot purée. Pour this over the melted chocolate and stir to combine. Blend with a hand blender.
4. Whip Cream: Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.
5. Fold: Fold the whipped cream gently into the chocolate fruit base.
6. Layer: Spread approximately 120 g of the mousse (about 1 cm thick) on top of the frozen ganache layer.
7. Freeze Insert: Return the ring to the freezer until all layers are completely frozen solid. This is your “insert.”

Part 6: Milk Chocolate Mousse & Assembly

The outer casing of the cake.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Prep: Soak gelatine in cold water. Melt milk chocolate over a bain-marie.
2. Heat Milk: Bring milk to a simmer. Remove from heat.
3. Combine: Dissolve gelatine in the hot milk. Pour over the chocolate and stir to create an emulsion. Blend with a hand blender.
4. Cool: Let the mixture cool to 36–38°C.
5. Whip Cream: Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into the chocolate base.
6. Assembly:
   • Pour the milk chocolate mousse into a 16 cm silicone mold.
   • Take the frozen insert (Parts 1-5) and press it gently into the mousse, upside down (so the crunchy base is facing up and is flush with the top of the mold).
   • Freeze the entire cake overnight.

Part 7: Glaze

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Prep: Soak gelatine. Chop chocolate and place in a tall pitcher.
2. Boil Syrup: Boil cream, water, sugar, and glucose syrup. Remove from heat.
3. Combine: Dissolve gelatine in the hot liquid. Pour over the chocolate.
4. Color & Blend: Add food coloring. Blend with a hand blender until smooth.
5. Cool: Cover with cling film and cool to 35°C.
6. Glaze: Place frozen cake on a ring/stand. Pour glaze over it. Let set, trim drips, and move to a platter.

Part 8: Chocolate Decoration

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Temper: Melt and temper the chocolate.
2. Belt: Spread a thin layer on an acetate strip (51 cm x 2 cm). Let set slightly, then wrap around a 16 cm ring. Let harden.
3. Spire (Gravity Method): Stick a large sheet of acetate to the underside of a tray (balanced on boxes so it hangs). Put a dollop of tempered chocolate on the bottom of a pot/flat object and press it onto the acetate, pulling away to create texture. Let gravity pull the “spire” down as it sets.
4. Cut Spire: Once set, remove the chocolate spire and use a warm 12 cm ring to cut a circle out of it.

Part 9: Final Assembly

Ingredients:

• Small chocolate pearls
• Red wood sorrel

Method:

1. Place the chocolate belt around the glazed cake.
2. Place chocolate pearls on top of the cake.
3. Balance the chocolate spire circle on top of the pearls.
4. Decorate with wood sorrel.

Tip

If this cake feels too complex, you can simplify it! It works very well even if you omit a layer, such as the blackcurrant mousse.