Alhambra

Question 1

What is the sacher sponge aux noisettes recipe?

Answer 1

30 g unsalted butter
40 g ground hazelnuts
25 g plain flour (T55)
25 g cocoa powder
40 g caster sugar
80 g (4) egg yolks
120 g (4) egg whites
60 g caster sugar

Question 2

What is the imbibage recipe?

Answer 2

70 ml water
30 g sugar
2.5 g coffee extract
20 ml rum

Question 3

What is the ganache recipe?

Answer 3

325 ml whipping cream
325 g dark chocolate
20g trimoline

Question 4

What is the glacage recipe?

Answer 4

200 g dark chocolate couverture
200 ml whipping cream
66 g butter

Question 5

What is the apricots vanilla recipe?

Answer 5

105 g apricot puree
140 g frozen apricot halves
25 g caster sugar
2.5 g Pectin NH
2 g vanilla bean paste

Question 6

What is the Sacher sponge aux noisettes method?

Answer 6

1.Prepare a small baking tray lined with silicone paper cut to size.

2. Melt the butter and allow to cool.
3. Sift the ground hazelnuts, flour and cocoa powder together.
4. Blancher 40 g sugar with the egg yolks.
5. Make a French meringue with the egg whites and 60 g sugar. Alternate folding the dry ingredients and meringue into the blanched yolks, starting, and finishing with the meringue. Carefully fold in the cooled melted butter.
6. Spread the sponge mixture 36 cm long by the full width of the tray onto the previously lined baking tray. Cook for 10 - 12 minutes at 180°C.

Question 7

What’s the ganache method?

Answer 7

• Melt chocolate.
• Heat the cream and trimoline to 55°C.
• Pour onto the melted chocolate to form a smooth ganache.

Question 8

What is the glacage method?

Answer 8

• Melt chocolate over bain-marie.
• Warm the cream to 50°C, then pour onto the melted chocolate and emulsify.
• Stir in the softened butter in two inclusions.

Question 9

What is the apricot vanilla compote?

Answer 9

1. In a pan, heat the purée, vanilla paste and apricot halves until the mixture begins to steam.
2. Mix together sugar and pectin, then whisk into the purée.
3. Bring back to a boil for 2 - 3 minutes then pour onto a silver tray to cool.

Question 10

What are the steps to assemble the Alhambra cake?

Answer 10

1. Cut a silver long cake card to 30 cm long (8 x 30 cm) to assemble the cake on
2. Cut the sponge 3 x 8 cm wide by 30 cm long strips. Chablon the base of 1 strip using melted pate a glacer, chill, place onto the previously cake card, then apply imbibage.
3. Pipe a line of ganache with plain piping tip No.10 around the 4 edges onto the base to create a border or frame. Apply the apricot compote. Place the sponge on top and soak with imbibage.
4. Apply ganache evenly down the length of the sponge and smooth the surface with a palette knife. Place the final sponge layer on top and soak with imbibage.
5. Mask the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of ganache (1st masking). Chill until firm, then remask and chill again. (2nd masking).
6. Ensuring the cake is very cold, enrobe with the chocolate glaçage. Allow to set. Apply ground pistachio nuts round the base edge.
7. Prepare a paper piping bag and pipe the word Alhambra adding the piped detail
8. Cut the whole green pistachio in half and arrange into a 5 petal flower design as per the photo, apply 1 half of pistachio as per the photograph.
9. Dice 3 small pieces of dried apricot and apply to the cake and leave the ends neatly trimmed.

Question 11

What is a Sachertorte?

Answer 11

Closely crumbed chocolate sponge with soft texture traditionally made with almonds created in 1832

Question 12

What is a compote?

Answer 12

A type of jam, the fruit is cooked with less sugar than found in jam.

Question 13

What is Glaçage?

Answer 13

French term for a glazed coating applied to cakes or mousses, generally shiny or reflective in appearance when set. Its literal translation from French to English is icing.

Question 14

What’s is a Ganache?

Answer 14

An emulsion of melted chocolate and liquid.

Question 15

Where did the name Alhambra cake come from?

Answer 15

Alhambra cake is named after the Moorish grand palace and fortress in the southern Spanish city of Grenada, famous for its intricate tiled walls, arched ceilings and secluded patios where flowers and fruits were grown.