Chefs' Recipes

Mascarpone mousse, berries and caramelised white chocolate

"This is our take on berries and cream, with the addition of a simple and delicious spice cake and caramelised white chocolate," says Andreas Papadakis.

By Andreas Papadakis
  • 20 mins preparation
  • 25 mins cooking plus cooling, setting
  • Serves 8
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Ingredients

  • 250 gm raspberries, halved widthways (2 punnets)
  • 250 gm blueberries (2 punnets)
  • 250 gm strawberries, hulled and sliced into rounds (1 punnet)
Spice cake
  • 140 gm butter, at room temperature
  • 140 gm pure icing sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 70 gm almond meal
  • 100 gm panko crumbs
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Caramelised white chocolate
  • 125 gm white couverture chocolate, finely chopped
Mascarpone cream
  • 250 gm mascarpone (1 cup)
  • 75 gm pure icing sugar
  • 250 ml pouring cream (1 cup)

Method

  • 1
    For spice cake, preheat oven to 180°C. Butter a 20cm-diameter cake tin and line with baking paper. Beat butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Beat in eggs one at time, beating well between additions. Add remaining ingredients and beat to combine. Pour batter into tin and smooth top with a spatula, then bake until a skewer inserted withdraws clean (25 minutes). Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • 2
    For caramelised white chocolate, stir chocolate continuously in a small saucepan over low heat until melted, golden and caramelised (20-25 minutes). Pour onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and chill until set (30 minutes to 1 hour). Coarsely chop or grate.
  • 3
    For mascarpone cream, process mascarpone and icing sugar in a food processor until smooth. With motor running, gradually add cream, whisking until just incorporated. Do not overwork or cream will split.
  • 4
    To serve, break cake into 16 pieces and divide among plates, spoon mascarpone cream over, top with berries and sprinkle with caramelised white chocolate.

Notes

Drink Suggestion: Serragghia Moscato DOC di Pantelleria, Sicily. This is a unique and exceptional wine if you're able to get your hands on it. It's a classic-style dessert wine, displaying orange-blossom characters, candied fruit and honey. It provides contrast to the berries and is great with the white chocolate. Drink suggestion by Luke Skidmore