Biscuit Joconde Imprime/Entrement Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

My 4th Daring Bakers Challenge and counting, also wondering why I signed up for this bakers challenge anyway! Oh yeah, it was for fun and to be a better baker.  First, I had no idea what the heck Joconde Imprime/Entrement was by name, then when I saw the pictures I thought “yeah right”. I stressed over it the whole month and researched it too, then I finally came to the conclusion it was time to go for it and get it done.

Biscuit Joconde is French and it is a light thin sponge cake that is used to hold delectable fillings. Entrement(French baking term)- an ornate dessert with many different layers of cake and pastry creams in a mold, usually served cold.  If anyone has been on a cruise or to a all-inclusive resort they whip these desserts out like crazy.

When we Americans think of biscuits we think of flakey things that you put butter & jam on not a cake.  If you are French you think of sponge cake.  I have made many cakes but never a sponge cake and wondered how it would turn out and taste.  What I was most worried about was getting a thin cake to bend in a circle without breaking and making a design in the cake.  After much research I found a recipe that I wanted to use and it was actually in one of my cookbooks called The Art of the Cake by Bruce Healy and Paul Bugat.  I compared the recipe that our hostess Astheroshe from the blog accro suggested and the one I had, and they were very similar but mine was for a smaller dessert.  I liked the idea of a smaller dessert because I wasn’t convinced it was going to turn out and I hate wasting ingredients.

If you are willing to stretch your abilities a little try this dessert out, it really wasn’t as difficult as it looks.  I will probably try it again. There are couple of places on the internet that I suggest you view for help in taking on this challenge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca4eLDok-4Q

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/recipe/joconde-cakes

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/recipe/pate-a-cigarette-batter-chocolate-piping-batter

Here we go the recipe and directions are as follows:

Tools needed:

Silpat
large cookie sheet
mixer
parchment paper or wax paper
frosting comb
bowls
spatulas
small 6 in. cheesecake pan

Cigarette cookie batter (no idea why its called cigarette)

Ingredients:

2 T. unsalted butter at room temperature
2 T. superfine or extra fine granulated sugar
2 T. of almond flour
1 large egg white at room temp.
1 T. + 1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 T. + 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

Step 1: Put butter in small stainless steel bowl and beat with a wooden spatula warming it over a double boiler (if needed) to make it smooth, white and creamy.

Step 2: Beat in the sugar and almond flour with whisk, when smooth beat in the egg white.

Step 3: Sift flour and cocoa powder over the batter and whisk until smooth.

Step 4: Place the sheet of Silpat or a lined baking sheet with parchment paper on counter. Put all of the cookie dough onto the Silpat and spread out evenly over entire surface.(this is where I messed up and had to make up for it later)

Step 5: Take your frosting comb and make a design in the dough by pressing firmly and dragging. If it doesn’t look right just put it back on and smooth out and try again until you like the design. Put cookie sheet with design into the freezer.

Pre-heat Oven to 425 degrees

Joconde Batter:
2 large eggs at room temp.
3/4 cup of almond flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 T. all purpose flour
2 large egg whites at room temp.
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2 T. extra find granulated sugar
1 T. melted unsalted butter

Directions:Step 1: Combine the whole eggs with the almond flour and powdered sugar, whip at medium speed in the mixer until cream colored and light.

Step 2: Sift the flour over the beaten eggs mix in and set aside.

Step 3: In a separate clean bowl whip the egg whites on low speed until they start to froth.  Add cream of tartar then gradually increase speed to med-high and whip until whites form very stiff peaks and just begin to slip and streak around the side of the bowl.  Add the superfine sugar and continue whipping at high speed to incorporate the sugar and tighten the meringue.

Step 4: Scoop out one third of the meringue into the bowl of the the egg and four mixture and stir with spatula, then add the remainder of the egg whites gently folding into the batter.  Now slowly pour melted butter over the batter and continue to fold gently until is fully incorporated.

Step 5: Get the cookie sheet from the freezer and pour the batter over the frozen dough and spread over entire cookie sheet lined with the Silpat.  If the batter over flows onto the side of the pan make sure it is greased other wise it will stick.  Spread the batter as evenly as possible.

Step 6: Bake until lightly browned about 7-9 minutes at 425 degrees.

Preparing the cake for molding:

Step 1: When cake comes out of the oven cool for five minutes then put a piece of parchment paper or wax paper the same size over the cake.  Take cooling rack and put on top of cake and flip cake with pan over onto the cooling rack.  Lift the pan off.   The reason the wax paper is between the cooling rack and the cake, is so the cake it will not stick to the cooling rack when you are ready to move it.

Step 2: Gently loosen the Silpat from the cake with a small cake spatula going around the edges.  Gently peel the Silpat off the cake.

Step 3:Get a piece of wax paper long enough to go all the way around the outside of the cheesecake pan.  Cut 2 strips the width of the sides of the pan, then put the strips on the inside of the pan and measure the strips and cut to fit.

Step 4: Take the strip and lay on  top of the cake and cut to size.

Step 5: Take the one strip of wax paper and put in the inside of the pan, then take cake that you cut and gently put the cake design side facing out in the pan.  The remainder of the cake will be your bottom so cut the pieces to fit your pan.

Cheese Cake Filling and Ganache

Ingredients:

3 oz. softened cream cheese
2 T. of powdered sugar
8 oz. bittersweeet chocolate
2 1/2 cup  heavy whipping cream divided

Directions:

Step 1: In a small bowl whip the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.  Whip 1 1/2 cups cream with 2 T. of sugar and a splash of almond extract.  Fold 3/4 cup of whipped cream into the cream cheese.

Step 2: In a small saucepan heat 1 cup of cream almost to the boiling point and simmer 2 min.  In another small bowl put  broken chocolate in and pour hot cream over chocolate.  Stir until chocolate is all melted and smooth.

Step 3: Scoop cream cheese mixture into the cake pan and smooth out evenly.

Step 4: After the ganache has cooled pour almost all over the top of the cream cheese mixture.  Beat the remainder of the chocolate ganache  until lighter brown and fluffy.  Scoop the rest of the chocolate ganache over the top and refrigerate.

Step 5: Put the remainder of whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe rounds all over the top.  Garnish with fresh raspberries.  Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.  Let cake stand at room temp for half hour before cutting.  Enjoy!

Tagged as: cake, Daring-Bakers-Challenge, dessert