Raspberry & lingonberry cake with chocolate mousse

The calculation is for a 18 cm (7 inch) cake.

For the biscuit:

• 250 g flour | 8.80 oz
• 90 g eggs | 3.15 oz
• 280 g sugar | 9.90 oz
• 60 g alkalized cocoa | 2.10 oz
• 9 g baking powder | 0.30 oz
• 7 g baking soda | 0.25 oz
• a pinch of salt | 0.00 pinch
• 175 g milk 2.5% | 6.15 oz
• 175 g boiling water | 6.15 oz
• 90 g sunflower oil | 3.15 oz

For the chocolate mousse:

• 200 g milk chocolate | 7.05 oz
• 220 g cream 33% | 7.75 oz
• 40 g butter 82.5% | 1.40 oz
• 60-70 g Nutella | 2.45 oz
• 9 g gelatin | 0.30 oz
• 40 g cold water | 1.40 oz

For the raspberry & lingonberry confit:

• 350 g fresh raspberries | 12.35 oz
• 55 g lingonberries | 1.95 oz
• 1 tsp lemon juice | 1.00 tsp
• 100 g sugar | 3.55 oz
• 12 g NH pectin | 0.40 oz

For the crème:

• 450 g cream cheese | 15.85 oz
• 200 g mascarpone | 7.05 oz
• 110 g cream 33% | 3.90 oz
• 110 g powdered sugar | 3.90 oz

For the decoration custard:

• 400 g cream cheese | 14.10 oz
• 120 g butter 82.5% | 4.25 oz
• 80 g powdered sugar | 2.80 oz
• 2 tbsp raspberry & lingonberry confit | 2.00 tbsp

For the cake layers soaking:

• 100 g cream 20% | 3.55 oz
• 1 tbsp raspberry & lingonberry confit | 1.00 tbsp

All the ingredients should be at the room temperature. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a separate container, and mix thoroughly. Place the eggs and the sugar in a mixer bowl, and whip at the maximum speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mass increases. Then, reduce the whipping speed to a little less than average, and add the milk, the vegetable oil and all the dry ingredients; mix well until smooth, and add the boiling water at the end. Prepare 2 molds, lined with the parchment and foil. Hit the baking sheet with the dough filled molds on the table. Bake the biscuits at 175C (347F), using the convection mode (the baking time depends on the oven).

Remove the finished biscuits from the molds, and cool them on a wire rack. Wrap the completely cooled biscuits in a plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge overnight to stabilize.

Place the cream in a mixer bowl, and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes. Pour the gelatin with cold water, and wait until it swells (it will take from 10 to 12 minutes). Melt the chocolate with butter in a water bath; add the Nutella, and mix well. Then, add the swollen and squeezed gelatin. Pour the gelatin base into the chocolate mass, and mix quickly and thoroughly until combined. Cool the mousse for 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, whip the cream until firm peaks, and add the chocolate mass; stir the mousse gently from the bottom to the top until combining. You should get a fluffy mass. Pour it into a 18 cm (7 inch) mold (pre-wrap the bottom of the mold with several layers of the cling film). Place the mousse in the fridge overnight to stabilize.

Place fresh raspberries and lingonberries in a saucepan with a thick bottom, and heat to 40C (104F). Mix the sugar with pectin, and add to the berry mass a thin stream, stirring constantly. Bring the mix to a boil, and boil for another 2-3 minutes (from the moment of boiling), stirring constantly. At the end, add the lemon juice, and stir. Transfer the confit to another container, and cover it with the cling film in contact. Cool the confit, and then refrigerate it for 1 hour.

Place the chilled cream cheese, mascarpone, the cream and the powdered sugar in a mixer bowl. Whip at the maximum speed until combined; you should get a fluffy, but stable consistency.

Mix the cream with 1 tbsp. confit in a separate container, until smooth.

Cut the biscuit into equal cakes, and cut off the "cap" from the smaller biscuit. The biscuit is very delicate, so you need to work carefully. Soak the cake layers. Leave 2 tbsp. of the confit for decoration.

Follow the next assembling order: the biscuit + soaking + 150 g (5.30 oz) of crème + the chocolate mousse + 80 g (2.80 oz) of confit (in the center) +180 g (6.35 oz) of crème (sides for the confit) + the biscuit + soaking + crème (be sure to make the sides!) + the confit + the biscuit + soaking.

Wrap the cake in a plastic wrap, and place it in a high split form; refrigerate for 2 hours. After 2 hours, decorate the cake with the custard. To make it, place the chilled cream cheese, the room temperatured butter and the powdered sugar in a mixer bowl; whip the custard at the maximum speed until combined. At the end, add the confit, and whip again until combined. Decorate the cake, and place it in the fridge overnight. Decorate at your discretion. 

Bon Appetit!