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🍊 Spekulatius & Mandarin Cake

A wintery layer cake with spiced chocolate mousse, soft mandarin gelée, vanilla mousse, and a rich speculoos sponge — all wrapped in a glossy chocolate glaze and delicate meringue sticks.
This festive torte brings together warm spices like cinnamon, anise, clove, and cardamom with bright citrus and smooth chocolate. The elegant centerpiece is built in layers over three days, making it the perfect project for a special occasion.
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

🍊 Mandarin Fruit Gelée

  • 150 ml mandarin purée or juice
  • Sugar to taste
  • 2½ gelatin sheets gold grade
  • A few mandarin slices

🍦 Vanilla Mousse

  • 1 gelatin sheet
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 20 g sugar
  • 18 g whole milk
  • 19 g cream
  • Vanilla powder to taste
  • 100 g heavy cream whipped

🍫 Spekulatius Sponge

  • 73 g marzipan
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 whole egg
  • 27 g sugar for egg mixture
  • 67 g egg whites
  • 27 g sugar for meringue
  • 20 g flour
  • 20 g cocoa powder
  • 20 g unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp each ground clove ginger, anise
  • Optional: Replace spices with a ready-made gingerbread spice mix.

🍫 Spiced Chocolate Mousse

  • 120 g whole milk
  • 30 g cream
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 25 g sugar
  • 2½ gelatin sheets
  • 80 g dark chocolate
  • 100 g milk chocolate
  • 280 g heavy cream whipped
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp each ground clove anise, cardamom
  • Optional: Use Lebkuchen spice blend instead.

☁️ Meringue Sticks

  • 2 egg whites approx. 70 g
  • Pinch of salt
  • 70 g granulated sugar
  • 60 g powdered sugar
  • Brown food gel coloring or cocoa powder

🍫 Chocolate Mirror Glaze

  • 6 gelatin sheets
  • 180 g sugar
  • 75 g water
  • 60 g glucose syrup
  • 150 g heavy cream
  • 60 g cocoa powder

Instructions

Mandarin Gelée

  • Bloom gelatin in cold water.
  • Warm mandarin purée/juice with sugar to taste.
  • Dissolve gelatin into warm juice.
  • Pour into Tortaflex mold, let cool slightly.
  • Add mandarin slices on top.
  • Freeze overnight.

Vanilla Mousse

  • Bloom gelatin in cold water.
  • Whisk egg yolk with sugar.
  • Heat milk + 19 g cream, then pour over egg mixture.
  • Return to stove, cook to 82°C while stirring.
  • Remove from heat, dissolve gelatin, transfer to bowl.
  • Cool to 30°C, stirring occasionally.
  • Whip remaining cream and fold in gently.
  • Pour over frozen gelée layer and freeze again.

Spekulatius Sponge

  • Preheat oven to 180°C.
  • Grate marzipan into bowl. Add eggs, yolk, sugar, and spices. Whip until creamy.
  • Melt butter.
  • Whip egg whites with 27 g sugar to stiff peaks.
  • Sift flour + cocoa, fold into egg mixture with meringue.
  • Mix 1 tbsp batter with melted butter, then fold back in.
  • Pour into an 18 cm springform pan. Bake ~30 min.
  • Cool overnight.

Spiced Chocolate Mousse

  • Bloom gelatin in cold water.
  • Melt dark and milk chocolate separately.
  • Heat milk + cream with spices.
  • Whisk yolk with sugar. Temper with hot milk mixture, then return to pot and cook to 82°C.
  • Remove from heat, dissolve gelatin.
  • Pour over melted chocolate in 3 additions, mixing well.
  • Cool to 40°C.
  • Whip cream to soft peaks, fold in gently to preserve light texture.

Meringue Sticks

  • Preheat oven to 80–90°C (fan).
  • Whip egg whites with salt and gradually add sugar.
  • Add coloring (or cocoa) if using.
  • Sift powdered sugar over meringue and fold in gently.
  • Pipe long, even sticks onto baking paper with a round tip.
  • Dry for 1–1.5 hrs with oven door slightly ajar.
  • Store carefully — they’re fragile.

Chocolate Mirror Glaze

  • Bloom gelatin in cold water.
  • Heat sugar, water, and glucose to 103°C.
  • Separately warm cream — do not boil.
  • Pour cream into sugar syrup off heat.
  • Sift cocoa into bowl, pour hot liquid over, let sit, then mix gently with spatula (avoid whisking).
  • Strain to remove lumps.
  • Cool, dissolve gelatin.
  • Cover with plastic wrap (touching surface) and chill overnight.

Assembly (Day 3)

  • Fill Universo mold two-thirds with chocolate mousse.
  • Unmold frozen gelée + vanilla layer and place in center, press lightly.
  • Cover with remaining mousse.
  • Top with speculoos sponge and press gently.
  • Ensure mousse reaches all sides.
  • Freeze overnight.

Finishing

  • Warm mirror glaze to ~45°C, then cool to 35°C for use.
  • Unmold cake and place on small bowl over tray.
  • Pour glaze in one motion. Let excess drip.
  • Trim edges cleanly with knife.
  • Transfer to serving plate.

Decoration

  • Cut meringue sticks to varied heights. Carefully press around cake base.
  • Optional: Pipe extra mousse into small silicone molds, freeze, and spray with velvet spray. Garnish with star anise, rosemary, and a dried mandarin slice for a festive look.

Notes

🕰 Thawing:
Refrigerate cake for 4 hours before serving.
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