Are you ready for a dessert challenge? Do you have some good baking and pastry skills? If so, you may want to delve into the world of entremets. This Cooking Tip is not meant to be an in-depth tutorial on how to make an entremet. Instead, it will give you an overview of what they are, the individual components, and how they are assembled and decorated. This should give you an idea about whether you wish to attempt one of these impressive desserts.
Imagine slicing into a stunning cake with a glossy finish only to see multiple layers of different textures, colors and flavors. That is an entremet.
In old French, the word entremet meant “between courses,” and it referred to little bites served between dishes. Later, it came to mean sweet treats served at the end of the meal. Today, it refers to multi-layer desserts containing a myriad of other elements of various flavors and textures. I like the words of one expert who advises that we should think of this dessert as a collection of separate recipes that you make individually rather than as one overall recipe.
At the bottom of this cake is a light but sturdy short layer of sponge cake. Another standard component is a mousse filling. The mousse surrounds all the other internal layers and serves as the body of the cake. Those internal layers are what are called inserts. They might be a gelatin layer, a cream layer, a fruity layer (a coulis or a compote), a praline or something else. These layers add creaminess, nuttiness, fruitiness or richness.
The cake is then enrobed in a glaze or coating that is usually very smooth, glossy and reflective, sometimes called a mirror glaze. It might be the color of chocolate or other colors. The finishing touch and what draws one’s eyes to the entremets are decorations on the top and sides of the cake, such as chocolate shapes, tuiles, flowers, caramelized nuts, meringue shards and more.
Apart from the sponge cake layer, no baking is involved. Rather, all the individual parts are made, and then the entremets are assembled. Each cake element is created in individual rings or molds before being assembled into layers. These individual elements are then placed in another mold to build the cake. The mousse layer is used to surround these “inserts”, thus forming the body of the dessert. Finally, the mirror glaze or coating is applied to the exterior. All of this assembling requires plenty of time in the freezer. Your home freezer is fine, but professionals often use a blast freezer.
To prepare an entremet properly, you will need certain equipment.
- Silicone molds and cake rings – These are used to define the body and shape of the cake. Whereas cake rings will give you a classic cylindrical shape, silicone molds come in many more shapes.
- Stand mixer – This is used to make the different individual elements. Although you may use a hand mixer, a stand mixer will make your life easier.
- Hand/immersion blender – This is used to emulsify mixtures such as ganache, cremeux (crème anglaise emulsified with chocolate) and mirror glazes.
- Other hand tools – You will want items such as whisks and spatulas (regular and offset), a thermometer, piping bags/tips, and a food scale.
- Baking sheets – These are used to bake the elements as well as holding them as they are placed in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Mixing bowls
- Saucepans
You should expect that it will take two to three days to make these desserts. Much of that time is the chilling time. You can make more than one entremet during this time if you have enough refrigerator and freezer space. Because these items take quite a bit of time, many prefer making these in larger batches rather than a one-off.
Storage
If you do decide to scale up your recipe, realize that not only the completed cake but the individual components can be frozen for up to a month as long as they are tightly wrapped.
Does an entremet sound like something you want to try? If so, do your research and plan carefully. If you have never made one before, use a tested recipe. After you get a feel for the ingredients and techniques, then you can consider branching out from the recipe.
Culinary Journeys, LLC 