Gregoire Michaud's Chocolate and Yuzu Cake

Serves 8 to 10 people

Time: Will depend on the motivation.

Chocolate Sponge

100g egg yolks

250 g whole eggs

200 gm white sugar 

160 gm egg whites

80 gm white sugar

60 g cake flour

60 gm cocoa powder

Whip the egg yolks, eggs and sugar until you obtain nice foam. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white and sugar until medium peak. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder over the beaten eggs and add alternatively with the whipped egg whites.

Pour the biscuit dough onto a tray lined with baking paper into a layer of about 1 cm thickness. Bake at 200°C for about 12 minutes. Let cool and cut the rings of biscuit you need. 

Crispy Base

100 gm dark chocolate

50 gm milk chocolate

170 gm hazelnut paste 

110 gm feuilletine

Melt both chocolate and mix with the hazelnut paste. Add the feuilletine, mix and spread in a 1 cm thick layer, inside the cake ring. Allow to set.

Ganache

240 ml Milk

240 ml Cream

50 gm Glucose

320 gm Valrhona 66% chocolate

40 gm Valrhona 33% chocolate

25 gm Yolk

Boil the milk, cream and glucose and pour over the chocolates. Mix the yolk in the hot ganache. Mix well until smooth and allow cooling. Once cool, but not set, use in the making of your cake. 

Yuzu Crème Brûlée 

380 gm Liquid Cream

30 gm Frozen yuzu peel

100 gm Sugar

150 gm Egg yolks

60 gm Egg

Boil the cream with sugar and yuzu peel. Mix a little hot liquid in the eggs and pour back the eggs in the hot liquid. Mix well and pour into a cake ring lined with cling film to about 1 cm thickness. Choose a ring 3 to 4 cm smaller than the actual cake ring. Bake in a water bath at 170°C for 25 minutes, until set. Allow cooling and store in the fridge. 

Yuzu Juice

100 ml Yuzu juice

50 ml water

20 gm white sugar

Boil sugar and water and add the yuzu juice. Allow cooling. 

Glazing

50 gm milk

250 gm cream

35 gm glucose

250 gm dark chocolate

Boil once the milk, cream and glucose. Melt the chocolate in the hot liquid and allow setting. 

Reheat to 35-38°C to glaze the cake. 

Note: The plastic tape used to line the rings can be bought in Shanghai Street. 

Finishing the Cake

Insert a PVC sheet around your cake mould (for easier un-moulding later)

Place the crispy chocolate base on the bottom. 

Add a layer of chocolate ganache. 

Add a layer of chocolate cake soaked with some yuzu juice. 

Add a thin layer of ganache and place the frozen crème brûlée insert. 

Cover thinly with chocolate ganache and between brulee and pan. 

Add a layer of chocolate cake soaked with some yuzu juice. 

Finish the mould with chocolate ganache. 

Allow setting in the freezer for 1 hour. 

Unmould and glaze on a pastry grid. 

Decorate the cake as you wish! 

Images: All images by Tom Wan, chef de partie, Four Seasons Hotel (Hong Kong). Finished cake made by WOM's associate editor, Vicki, under Gregoire's instruction.

Note: Macaroons, marzipan rose, and gold leaf are not in the recipe and were chosen by Vicki for decoration.