cloud
cake
GLUTEN FREE
makes 16 slices — keeps very well for several days if refrigerated must be allowed to come up to room temperature. Best not refrigerated.
12 extra large room temperature eggs (61g minimum)
500g unsalted butter, yery soft but not melted
375g fine caster sugar or pure sieved icing sugar, roughly divided into two
400g dark chocolate coverture, Callebaut K811 or Haigh’s dark chocolate, melted but not hot
to serve
Imported cocoa powder for dusting or you might like to glaze the top….click here
crème fraiche or rich cream
fresh fruit raspberries are great….fruit is optional
essential equipment
28cm seamless cake tin
baking paper
deep baking dish large enough to hold the cake
all cooking
is
chemistry
Using a little of the softened butter, butter the tin and line the base and sides with baking papaer making sure that the paper comes at least 4cm above the tin as the cake rises and falls.
Place the eggs in your mixing bowl and cover them with hot water from the tap and let it stand for 5 minutes. This achieves two things warms your bowl and your eggs.Tip out the water out and dry the bowl. Add the butter and whisk on high speed for a couple of minutes, then add one half of the sugar and whisk at high speed until the sugar is dissolved then reserving the whites; add the egg yolks one at a time until they are all incorporated.
Scrape the chocolate into the bowl and combine well, then transfer the chocolate mix to a large mixing bowl and carefully wash the mixer bowl and whisk.
heat oven to 160°C
Put the egg whites into the bowl of the mixer and whisk them at high speed until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar a little at a time and whisk well. Fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture and then scrape it into the prepared tin.
Sit the cake in a baking dish that has at least 4cm boiling water in it and bake for two hours. During the last half hour check that the top is not colouring too much and if it is cover the top with foil.
When then time is finished stand the cake on a rack and allow to cool for at least four hours. Very carefully remove the paper from the edges and invert the cake onto a large flat serving plate. Dust the top with cocoa or glaze.
"
follow this
egg whites
correctly whipped
temperatures
are the secret
We have served this marvellous cake in so many ways it is impossible to remember even half of the ways, however, I do especially love a glazed Cloud Cake covered with edible gold or silver.
all cooking is chemistry
chocolate
glaze
200g clarified unsalted butter, molten but not hot
200g Callebaut K811 or Haig’s dar chocolate coverture, finely chopped or calettes
4 x 68g egg yolks – warm the eggs in hot water before separating them
50g very strong espresso warm but not hotor your favourite liqueur
This can be a bit tricky and sometimes splits and the consequence of the splitting is that it looses all its sheen and no amount of experimenting has given us a totally perfect way of salvaging the ingredients. Observing the temperature suggestions is very important.
Weigh the chocolate and clarified butter into a metal bowl and melt the chocolate over a saucepan of hot water that is on very low heat. When the chocolate is half melted remove from the heat and whisk together.
If the chocolate is still not completely dissolved sit it over the hot water but to not turn on the heat. Mix together the egg yolks and espresso together, and then working a little at a time whisk in the chocolate and butter and continue whisking until it is incorporated and very glossy.
Use to mask the cake immediately because on a cool day it will set quite quickly.