Chocolate Spiral Dessert Recipe
So pretty yet so simple to make, the chocolate spiral takes this dessert from beautiful to stunning in just a few seconds.
Inside the dessert are layers of chocolate cake, salted caramel, caramel creme brûlée and chocolate mousse. I had to draw you a picture because they had all been eaten before I remembered to take a photo.
To make this chocolate spiral dessert you will need:
Chocolate cake
makes enough for 12 desserts
2 egg whites or approx 72g (2.54 ounces)
20g (0.71 ounces) or 1.5 Tbsp sugar
5 medium egg yolks or approx 75g (2.65 ounces)
80g (2.82 ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 2 tsp sugar
30g (1.06 ounces) or 1/4 cup cocoa powder
40g (1.41 ounces) or 1/4 cup flour (all purpose)
30g (1.06 ounces) or 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp margarine or butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
Add the first amount of sugar to the whites and whip them until you get soft peaks. Add the other sugar to the yolks and whip them until they are pale and fluffy. Fold in about one third of the whites then sift the flour and cocoa over the top. Start to fold then add the rest of the whites and fold together.
Take a quarter of this mixture and combine with the melted butter. Then add this back into the rest folding gently until just combined.
Pour into a lined baking tray, spread out and bake for around 10 minutes or until firm.
Vanilla Syrup
75g (2.65 ounces) or 1/3 cup sugar
110ml or 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla
Combine all the ingredients and heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Caramel Creme Brûlée
makes enough for 12 desserts
40g (1.41 ounces) or 3 Tbsp sugar
100mL (3.38 fluid ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp full (4% fat) milk
100mL (3.38 fluid ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp cream (35% fat)
6 egg yolks or approx 90g (3.17 ounces)
25g (0.88 ounces) or 2 Tbsp sugar
2 sheets of gelatin
Soak the gelatin sheets in water to soften
Brown the sugar to form a caramel the add the milk and cream, stir until the caramel is dissolved.
Whip together the yolks and remaining sugar. Then whisk in a small amount of the hot milk mixture. Add this back into the pan and heat until you an see it is just starting to cling to the base of the pan. Add the gelatin and remove from the heat. Pour into a lined tray and freeze overnight.
Salted Caramel Recipe
(makes enough for 12 desserts with plenty left to eat)
200g (7.05 ounces) or 1 cup less 1 Tbsp sugar
100g (3.53 ounces) or 1/2 cup less 1 Tbsp cream (35% fat)
120g (4.23 ounces) or 1/2 cup plus 1 tsp margarine
1g (0.04 ounces) or a pinch of sea salt
Make a caramel with the sugar. Add the salt and cream. Stir in the margarine then continue to heat until a small amount dropped into a glass is sufficiently thick to form a soft blob.
Chocolate Mousse recipe
(makes enough for 24 desserts)
15g (0.53 ounces) or 1 Tbsp water
90g (3.17 ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp and 1 tsp sugar
3 egg yolks or approx 45g (1.59 ounces)
2 whole eggs
210g (7.41 ounces) dark chocolate
300mL (10.14 fluid ounces) or 1¼ cup less 1 Tbsp cream (35% fat)
Beat the eggs and egg yolks on high until they become fluffy and pale. Place the sugar and water into a pan and heat until 244F (117.78 degrees Celsius) on a candy thermometer. Then pour that into the egg mixture with the mixers running, until the side of the bowl feels cool. Whip the cream to soft peaks, fold in your melted chocolate, then add your egg mixture and fold it all together.
Chocolate mirror glaze recipe
Makes more than you need, store the excess in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
20g (0.71 ounces) or 1Tbsp and 1tsp powdered gelatin bloomed in 90g (3.17 ounces) or 1/3 cup cold water
200g (7.05 ounces) or 3/4 cup plus 1Tbsp and 1tsp cream (35% fat)
300g (10.58 ounces) or 1 1/3 cup plus 1Tbsp sugar
90g (3.17 ounces) or 1/3 cup additional water
100g (3.53 ounces) or 3/4 cup plus 1Tbsp and 1tsp cocoa powder
250g (8.82 ounces) or 2/3 cup plus 2tsp glucose syrup
Pour the gelatin into the water, stir in and set aside to bloom. Put the sugar, additional water and cream into a bowl and heat until sugar is dissolved. Sift in the cocoa powder, making sure there are no lumps, then whisk in really well. Add the bloomed gelatin, stir until it has melted in. Lastly add the glucose syrup and stir in. Allow the glaze to cool down before pouring it on top of the dessert.
My Cookbook
Stores that sell my book listed by country: http://bit.ly/ARcookbook All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.
Hi
This looks absolutely super!!!!
Can I ask? Can I freeze the finished semi circle moulds in advance. I.e. can I make them in November, then get them out to coat with the mirror glaze the day before we eat them??? I.e xmas day boxing day etc.
Many thanks in advance xxxx
Do you need gelatin for this recipe? Also can I use pasteurized eggs if serving a pregnant women?
Hi. This recipe unfortunately needs to be reworked and the proportions are off. I suspect you adapted this from a larger recipe but didn’t do it correctly. Six egg yolks for 2/3 cup of liquid for a brûlée? Wanted this to work but had to scrap and move on after realizing this wasn’t right.
Hi Ann, Please disregard my first question because I re-watched the video and you called for butter. I do have another question… what size baking sheets do I use for the chocolate cake and cream caramel?
Thanks again ?
Hi Ann! For the cream caramel portion do I have to use margarine? I only have butter in my house. To be honest I don’t like the flavor of margarine. Thank you ?
Hey I was wondering if instead of making the chocolate cake from scratch if I could just do a regular chocolate cake recipe.
I am trying to make the creme brûlée portion and am having a hard time getting the consistency the same as yours. Do you keep it on a high heat while adding the cream, milk, and eggs? My egg yolks just cooked really fast and came out super clumpy 🙁 any advice?
Hey Taylor, I know this is a month late, but I figure I’ll answer just in case. When adding the egg yolk/hot milk mixture back to the stovetop, keep it on low heat until it begins to cling to the bottom of the pan. Similarly to how you would make custard, or any time you are adding eggs to a dessert recipe that you are cooking, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and have the heat too low (you’ll simply have to cook/whisk it longer) rather than too high, as eggs can quickly cook and give a curdled appearance and texture to your work– no one wants scrambled eggs in their dessert! Also, make sure to remove the pan from the heat the second you see the mixture begin to cling. The gelatin in the recipe will ensure that it will set. You can’t really come back once you’ve gone too far. If worst comes to worst, you could strain or sieve the cooked egg bits out and use the rest, if it’s just slightly begun to cook. I hope you give/gave it another go and that it goes well! Good luck! 🙂
Hi Taylor!
Wow, I’m late but, try making the creme brulee on the lowest heat. As we all know, eggs cook really fast, and try watching the video while or before you are making it. For me, it helps so much because she also says the instructions so you don’t get distracted!
Good Luck!
How do I use powdered gelatine in the brûlée? How much liquid do I soak it in?
Hi Pauls, use 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin, mix it with 50mL of the milk from the recipe, stir quickly and set aside for it to soak it up.
I’m currently making my own version of a dome dessert using bits and pieces of other recipes, and I thought I’d use the creme brulee part from this one – only thing was, when I made it, it just tasted beefy and eggy and not nice :/ I did use powdered gelatine (just over 2 tsp from a conversion chart I googled) and may have possibly overcooked it slightly after adding the egg, could either of those be responsible? I love your other recipes, this is the first time something hasn’t turned out great. My favourite one I’ve made is the giant Snickers bar – the look on my friend’s face when I gave it to him was great!
You are a good friend to make a giant snickers for a gift. Some gelatine can have a beefy flavour – to test if it was that make up a batch of plain set gelatin (follow the amount on the packet to set the water and add some sugar to sweeten). Obviously this won’t taste great it’s just sweetened water – but you’re testing does it taste beefy?
Can you tell me how much powdered gelatin to use it the creme brûlée as I don’t have any sheets here in Mexico. Thank you
You dont explain how to put the cake together.
hi ann
this is samaya
i wanted to know what cream is used for making salted caramel…
as we know only fresh cream.. and can fresh cream can be used for making caramel
Hi Samaya, when Ann lists cream in her recipe she is referring to fresh pure cream with a fat content 30% or higher. See the cream link above for more info.
Does anyone know that how to make spiral garnish?
Hi Manmeet!
I am sorry this is late, but in her video, Ann states to use either a cake turntable or a lazy susan and while it’s turning slowly move outward and then you would have a spiral. But if you’re like me, and don’t have one, you can make a spiral by drawing it out under the baking or parchment paper and simply following that sketch that you made.
best regards!
P.S. so sorry this is late but I had just seen this
Hi Ann,
How can u tell if the sugar syrup is hot enough to pour without a candy thermometer?
Thanks a bunch
Hi Mushina, We recommend using a candy thermometer.
I used the chocolate cake recipe (minus an egg yolk due to not checking the fridge before starting) on it’s own to make a gluten free chocolate sponge. While it came out rather low, in a 23cm pan, the top was surprisingly level and the cake amazingly spongey, light and delicious! I feel like I’ve stumbled across THE winning recipe for true gluten free sponge cake! I used Doves Farm (available in the UK) plain gluten free flour. Thank you Ann 🙂
Also added a chocolate ganache and glaze!
THat is great Matt!