Cara’pop – Popcorn, Vanilla, and Caramel Pecan Entremets
A delightful, multi-layered entremets featuring a vanilla sponge, creamy caramel pecan insert, infused vanilla-popcorn crémeux, popcorn bavarian mousse, and a whipped popcorn ganache. Finished with a velvety white chocolate spray and caramelized popcorn pecans.
Ingredients
🟠 Popcorn Whipped Ganache
- 50 g white chocolate Valrhona Ivoire 40%
- 60 g heavy cream for infusion
- 20 g popped popcorn
- 1 g gelatin ½ sheet
- 133 g cold heavy cream for whipping
🟡 Vanilla Sponge Biscuit
- 45 g egg yolks 2–3 yolks
- 75 g whole eggs
- 50 g sugar 1
- 90 g egg whites
- 25 g sugar 2
- 50 g all-purpose flour T55
- Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
🟤 Creamy Caramel with Pecan
- 100 g sugar
- 165 g heavy cream
- 33 g butter
- 1 pinch fleur de sel
- 2 g gelatin 1 sheet
- 60 g pecans toasted and roughly chopped
⚪ Vanilla-Popcorn Crémeux
- 180 g heavy cream
- 45 g egg yolks about 3 small eggs
- 30 g sugar
- 2.3 g gelatin powder or 1 sheet
- 13.8 g water for blooming
- ½ vanilla bean
- 30 g popped popcorn
🟢 Light Vanilla-Popcorn Bavarian Mousse
- 250 g milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 60 g sugar
- 8 g gelatin powder or 4 sheets
- 48 g water for blooming
- 300 g heavy cream infused overnight with popcorn
- 100 g popcorn 50 g for the cream, 50 g for infusion
- ½ vanilla bean
🟣 Caramelized Popcorn & Pecan Mix
- 25 g popcorn
- 25 g pecans
- 50 g sugar
- 16 g butter
- 1 pinch fleur de sel
🔴 Decoration
- 140 g white chocolate Valrhona Ivoire 40%
- 60 g cocoa butter
Instructions
Popcorn Ganache (Day Before)
- Heat 60 g cream with 20 g popcorn. Infuse for 30 min.
- Blend, strain, and remeasure to get back to 60 g. Reheat.
- Add gelatin, then emulsify with chocolate in 3 additions.
- Add cold 133 g cream, mix and blend. Cover and chill overnight.
Vanilla Sponge Biscuit (Day Before)
- Whip eggs, yolks, sugar (1), and vanilla seeds until foamy.
- Whip egg whites with sugar (2) until firm peaks.
- Fold into egg mixture, then fold in sifted flour.
- Spread into a 30×40 cm rectangle. Bake at 170°C for 12 min.
- Once cool, cut out two 16 cm rounds. Reserve.
Creamy Caramel with Pecans (Day Before)
- Toast pecans at 150°C for 15 min.
- Bloom gelatin in cold water.
- Make a dry caramel with sugar. Deglaze with hot cream.
- Add butter, salt, and gelatin. Stir in chopped pecans.
- Pour over one sponge round in a 16 cm ring. Chill.
- Add second sponge round on top and gently press. Chill.
Vanilla-Popcorn Crémeux (Day Before)
- Heat cream, popcorn, and vanilla seeds. Infuse 1 hour.
- Bloom gelatin. Blend infused cream and strain. Reheat.
- Whisk yolks and sugar, temper with hot cream, and cook to 83°C.
- Add gelatin. Cool slightly.
- Pour over the insert (on top of second sponge layer). Freeze overnight.
Bavarian Mousse with Popcorn (Same Day)
- Cold infuse 50 g popcorn in 300 g cream overnight.
- Heat milk, second 50 g popcorn, and vanilla seeds. Infuse 1 hr.
- Blend, strain, reheat to 250 g total.
- Whisk yolks and sugar. Temper with hot milk.
- Cook to 83°C. Add gelatin. Cool to 30°C.
- Strain cream infusion, whip to soft peaks, and fold into base.
Assembly
- Line a 18 cm ring with acetate and cling film.
- Fill ¾ with mousse, spreading up the sides.
- Place the frozen insert (crémeux-side down) in the center.
- Add more mousse if needed, level, cover, and freeze overnight.
Caramelized Popcorn & Pecan
- Make dry caramel, deglaze with butter and salt.
- Add popcorn and crushed pecans, coat well. Cool on parchment.
Velvet Spray Decoration
- Melt white chocolate and cocoa butter. Strain.
- Pour into spray gun and spray onto frozen entremet at 30–40 cm distance.
Final Decoration & Serving
- Whip the ganache to medium peaks.
- Pipe domes on top of the entremet.
- Scoop small cavities in every other dome and fill with caramel.
Garnish with caramelized popcorn and pecans.
- Defrost in the fridge for 6–7 hours before serving.
I’m Chef Mimo, a passionate pastry chef with over 17 years of experience in the world of fine desserts. I specialize in French-style entremets, refined cakes, and creative chocolate work. Pastry is not just my profession—it’s my lifelong passion. Through PastryCrafted.com, I love sharing my recipes, techniques, and inspirations with anyone who dreams of mastering the art of pastry. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned pro, you’re welcome in my sweet world.