Gateau! Gateau! Verrine!

The week before my spring break, was cake week! Throughout the week, we worked on three different cakes. Because were such a small group in February, we have grown to be very efficient, and we seemed to fly right through each recipe. So, because we had time left over at the end of the week, Chef gave us a couple hours to practice our piping skills, as he noticed they were not too good. It was a fun little side project!

All the cakes we worked on this week had some variation of mousse. Though I am not a huge fan of mousse, I must say the flavours we made them, were quite appetizing!

The first cake we worked on was the Charlotte Ananas Citron Vert.

A picture of the group of pastry students in February, with out completed Charlottes!

The first layer is a daquoise au coco. This is basically a meringue based cake.

Next is a layer of brunoise d'ananas au citron vert. (Diced pineapples in lime juice.)

A layer of mousse au citron vert.

Another layer of daquoise au coco.

Another of mousse au citron vert.

Topped and decorated with more brunoise d'ananas au citron vert.

All wrapped with what is called a "biscuit cuillère", a flat sponge type of cake.

mmm... how "country fresh" does that look!

Our second cake of the week is the Impulsion. Very rich. Very good. Fun to make. And it was quite the crowd pleaser. (This is the cake that surprisingly made it through the 14 hour train ride to Austria.)

Surprisingly enough, this cake was very easy to make!

Inside is a layer of a daquoise au noisette. (Hazelnut)

Topped with mousse au chocolat au lait et pamplemousse. (Milk chocolate and grapefruit mousse!)

Decorated with pâte sucrée, caramelized hazelnuts, a macaroon (to hold up the pâte sucrée), and chocolate dusted squares.

Me, spraying the cake with a finishing coat of chocolate.

The third cake, which is not really a cake, and I'm not too sure what category it would fall under. It's called Verrine au Mangue.

Chef's with his signature gold flakes.

The first layer is a Mango coulis.

Next is a chocolate biscuit.

Followed by a mousse au pain d'épices.

Then a chocolate jelly. 

All decorated with fun melted sugar decorations and a "chip pain d'épices."

Bottoms up!

xox