Nyiragongo

Here is a cake which hides its game well under its theatrical dress of chocolate which falls like a curtain. Underneath its classic chocolate cake appearance, there is a mix of flavors and textures. Crunchy hazelnuts, a milk chocolate cream, a cookie soaked in cocoa syrup, a bitter chocolate mousse-ganache and finally a thin layer of ganache make up this little chocolate bomb! It may seem complicated, but Nyiragongo does not present any major difficulty! It just takes a little time for all the steps.

Here are the promised layers of Nyiragongo! The cake is easy to make, but you have to make it the day before or even two days before to space out the steps. For example, if the cake is to be ready for a Saturday night, start by making the praline layer on Thursday. On Friday, you can finish the cake and freeze it in the evening, then on Saturday morning pour on the frosting and let it thaw in the fridge all day!

Nyiragongo recipe for 10-12 people:

Crunchy hazelnut praline:

-180g of
hazelnut praline in paste

-180g of milk chocolate

-180g of unsalted roasted hazelnuts without their skin

Creamy milk chocolate:

-160g of milk chocolate

-200g of whole milk

-70g of whipping cream

-25g of sugar

-100g of egg yolk

-1+1/2 sheets of gelatin

Flourless cookie:

-150g of egg whites

-150g of sugar

-80g of egg yolks

-40g of unsweetened cocoa

Cocoa syrup:

-180g of sugar

-60g of unsweetened cocoa

-260g of water

Mousse-ganache

-240g of dark chocolate with 65% cocoa

-80g of milk

-300g of whole cream

Chocolate icing:

-250g of dark chocolate

-100g of milk

-150g of whipping cream

-20g of butter

Start by preparing a paste of
hazelnut praline
(click on the word to get the recipe) with 100% hazelnuts.

Melt the milk chocolate with the hazelnut praline paste. Mix well and add the toasted hazelnuts without their skin and crushed (in a plastic bag by crushing them with a rolling pin!). Mix well.

Pour the preparation into a 20cm diameter by 4.5cm high circle placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. A layer of about 1 to 1.5 cm thick is required. There may be a little praline left over (it will be eaten quickly!!).

Prepare the milk chocolate cream:

Soak gelatin sheets in cold water.

Heat milk and cream and bring to a boil.

Place the chocolate in pieces in a large bowl.

Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and mix well.

Mix sugar and egg yolks without whitening.

Pour the chocolate cream over the previous mixture.

Return to a saucepan over low heat. While mixing, cook the cream at 85-86°C exactly like a custard!

Once the temperature is reached, add the wrung out gelatin leaves and mix well.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes then pour into the circle over the praline. Place in a cool place.

Prepare the cocoa syrup by putting the sugar, water and cocoa in a small saucepan and bringing it to a boil while stirring. Let cool and set aside.

Prepare the cookie without flour.
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Mix the sugar and egg whites until stiff.

Add cocoa powder while continuing to beat with electric whisk.

Add the yolks and whisk to incorporate. As soon as everything is homogenized, do not insist on mixing for too long!

The cookie is ready.

You can bake this cookie on a 30X40 baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Even if the dough doesn’t fill the plate, don’t panic! We will cut the cookie to the size of our cake, so it is not necessary to get a perfect plate. In the photo, my baking sheet is filled with dough, but I had 40% too much dough. Pour the dough onto the baking sheet and spread with a spatula to obtain a thin layer.

Place in oven for 15 minutes. Remove and cool by removing the parchment paper from the hot baking sheet.

Once the cookie is completely cooled, peel it off the paper in the same way as the Mona Lisa cookie in the opera! That is, like a decal.

Cut out a circle from the cookie the size of the entremet circle and place this disk on top of the milk chocolate cream.

With a brush, generously soak the entire surface of the cookie in cocoa syrup. Two coats can be applied.

Prepare the ganache mousse.
Put the whipping cream and beaters in a bowl. Place in the refrigerator to make whipped cream for at least 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate and milk in a microwave oven or double boiler.

Mix well (the mixture can be a bit lumpy, no matter!!).

Whip the whipping cream with an electric mixer. If everything is cold, the cream will rise quickly! When the whipped cream is ready, add the melted chocolate.

The mousse-ganache is ready. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix well.

Place the mousse-ganache in the circle. It is possible that we don’t reach the top of the circle like me on the picture. It’s not a big deal, just flatten the cream on the surface with a spatula.

Place the plate with the circle in the freezer for an afternoon or better still overnight.

The next day, take out the baking sheet and place the circle containing the cake on a baking rack on top of the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

I finally bought a heat gun dedicated to my baking, but you can totally use a hair dryer! Heat the outer edge of the circle.

And gently peel off.

Prepare the glaze by placing the chocolate, cream and milk in a double boiler or microwave. Mix well and add the butter in pieces.

Place a few roasted hazelnuts on top of the cake, anchoring them well in the mousse-ganache.

Pour all of the frosting, starting in the middle of the cake and continuing in a spiral toward the edge. Since the cake is frozen, the cream will set fairly quickly and give that “curtained” look to the outer edge!

There is plenty of frosting to cover the cake. The icing can then be scraped off the paper underneath, placed in a bowl and re-melted in the microwave and filled into small tarts or truffles can be made by rolling small balls in cocoa!

Move the cake to a serving platter while it is still frozen by placing a spatula or two underneath and gently lifting it… Nyiragongo is over! Place it in the refrigerator for the day or overnight to thaw!

It’s even better the next day!