Elderberry Torte (Holunderbeeren-Torte)
An elaborate mirror-glaze entremet with a flavored elderberry juice base, an apple-cinnamon fruit insert, a two-layer pastry-and-biscuit bottom, elderberry mousse and mascarpone-cream quenelles, finished with a purple/pink mirror glaze and white velvet spray.
Ingredients
| около 500 мл | Elderberry juice 100% (flavored juice), homemade or ready |
| 1 | Cinnamon stick (flavored juice) |
| — | Thin peeled lemon zest (flavored juice) |
| 230 г | Apple cubes, Elstar or Boskoop (fruit insert) |
| 1 с.л. | Lemon juice (fruit insert) |
| 2 ч.л. | Sugar (fruit insert) |
| 1,2 г | Agar agar (fruit insert) |
| 1 щипка | Cinnamon (fruit insert) |
| 90 г | Sugar, to caramelize (fruit insert) |
| 100 мл | Hot flavored elderberry juice (fruit insert) |
| 2 1/2 | Gelatin leaves (fruit insert) |
| 55 г | Soft butter (sweet pastry, base layer 1) |
| 20 г | Powdered sugar, sifted (sweet pastry, base layer 1) |
| 50 г | Flour, sifted (sweet pastry, base layer 1) |
| 1 щипка | Salt (sweet pastry, base layer 1) |
| 35 г | Beaten egg (biscuit, base layer 2) |
| 45 г | Sugar (biscuit, base layer 2) |
| — | Zest of 1/2 lemon (biscuit, base layer 2) |
| 22 г | Cream (biscuit, base layer 2) |
| 37 г | Flour (biscuit, base layer 2) |
| 0,5 г | Baking powder (biscuit, base layer 2) |
| 10 г | Butter (biscuit, base layer 2) |
| 30 г | Lemon juice (soaking liquid) |
| 20 г | Water (soaking liquid) |
| 20 г | Sugar (soaking liquid) |
| 260 г | Flavored elderberry juice (mousse) |
| 65 г | Sugar (mousse) |
| 4.5 | Gelatin leaves (mousse) |
| 185 г | Whipped cream (mousse) |
| 30 г | Cream (mascarpone quenelles) |
| 1 с.л. | Natural vanilla sugar (mascarpone quenelles) |
| 1 | Gelatin leaf (mascarpone quenelles) |
| 50 г | Mascarpone (mascarpone quenelles) |
| 50 г | Whipped cream (mascarpone quenelles) |
| 5 | Gelatin leaves (mirror glaze) |
| 125 г | Glucose syrup (mirror glaze) |
| 63 г | Water or flavored elderberry juice (mirror glaze) |
| 125 г | Sugar (mirror glaze) |
| 83 г | Sweetened condensed milk, e.g. Milchmädchen (mirror glaze) |
| 125 г | White couverture (mirror glaze) |
| — | Purple/pink food coloring, gel (mirror glaze) |
| — | White velvet spray (finishing) |
| — | White sugar pearls (finishing) |
| — | Gold leaf (finishing) |
Instructions
Molds used: silicone mold and Tortaflex 16 cm, cake ring or Springform 15–16 cm, Quenelle silicone mold, and "Eclipse" mold.
Flavored elderberry juice Bring the elderberry juice with the cinnamon stick and lemon zest to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes; let it simmer very gently.
Fruit insert Cut the peeled apples into small cubes and moisten with lemon juice. Combine the agar agar with 2 tbsp sugar and cinnamon (tip: use a spoon scale to weigh such small amounts). Soak the gelatin. Caramelize 90 g sugar in a pot over medium heat. Carefully deglaze with elderberry juice and stir until no lumps remain. Add the apple cubes and stir in the agar/sugar/cinnamon mix. Let simmer 2–3 minutes. Add the soaked gelatin and fill the mass into the Tortaflex mold (16 cm). Let cool and freeze. (Note: because some readers had problems with the firmness of the fruit filling, the amount of gelatin was increased.)
Base — two layers (C. Michalak) Layer 1 — Sweet pastry: Heat the oven to 180°C (top/bottom). First mix the butter with the powdered sugar, then add the flour and salt and make the dough. Place on baking paper or on a silicone mat. Spread evenly and bake light brown for 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the biscuit. Layer 2 — Biscuit: Beat the egg with the sugar and lemon zest until lightly foamy. Add the cream. Sift the flour with the baking powder and fold in together with the butter. Spread over the pre-baked pastry and bake at 170°C until light brown. Let cool completely. If the piece is uneven or thicker than 2 cm, trim it straight.
Soaking liquid Boil in a small pot for 3 minutes, then let cool.
Elderberry mousse Soak the gelatin in ice-cold water. Boil a quarter of the elderberry juice. Remove from heat and dissolve the gelatin in it, then add the remaining juice. Place in the fridge, stirring periodically. When the liquid begins to gel at about 20°C, whip the cream just to creamy. Fold one third of the cream into the elderberry juice and level. Then fold in the second and third thirds. If the mousse is still too runny, briefly chill before pouring into the mold (otherwise the frozen fruit layer sinks into it).
Assembly Fill about two thirds of the elderberry mousse into the "Eclipse" mold. Release the frozen apple/fruit layer and press it horizontally into the mousse. Cover with a layer of elderberry mousse. Brush the biscuit side of the base with the soaking liquid (not all of it is needed) and set the pastry base on top. Carefully fill all gaps with elderberry mousse. Cover with cling film and freeze overnight.
Mascarpone-cream quenelles ("knedli") Soak the gelatin. Heat the cream with vanilla sugar in a small pot and dissolve the soaked gelatin in it. Mix with mascarpone. Whip the cream to creamy and fold in. Spread the mass into six wells of the "Quenelle" mold, cover with film and freeze.
Mirror glaze Soak the gelatin in ice-cold water. Bring glucose syrup, water (or juice) and sugar to a boil (a little over 100°C). Remove from heat and stir in the sweetened condensed milk, then let the gelatin dissolve in it and immediately add the white couverture. Wait one minute, then stir again until no couverture lumps remain. Stir in the food coloring. Pour the glaze through a sieve to safely remove any last lumps. Cover the surface of the mirror glaze with film and refrigerate until use.
Finishing Warm the mirror glaze over a water bath or in the microwave to about 40°C to thin it again. Let it cool to about 32°C. Remove the frozen torte from the mold and place it on a rack or small bowl set on a tray to collect excess glaze. Pour the glaze evenly over the torte, making sure the whole surface and edges are covered. The glaze sets hard immediately on the frozen surface. Carefully wipe away the drips at the bottom with a small palette knife and place the torte on a plate. Release the frozen mascarpone quenelles from the "Quenelle" mold and spray with velvet spray (follow the bottle instructions). Use a toothpick to lift them onto the torte. Cover the resulting holes with a little gold. Scatter white sugar pearls between them. The torte should then defrost at least 2–3 hours (longer in the fridge). Like all mirror-glaze cakes, it should be served the same day.