For this Blueberry Entremet (Mousse Cake), I chose the blueberry because it is a fruit I absolutely adore. It is often used in tarts, and precisely the best blueberry tart I ever ate was in the mountains of the Vosges… a simple shortcrust pastry and exceptional fruit: the wild blueberries that you pick while walking. This tart left me with an exceptional memory and, above all, allowed me to really discover this fruit. Here, I wanted to showcase it with this luxury entremet recipe which includes several professional layers. It takes time to make, but you can organize yourself to lighten the work over several days. What is especially interesting in this French mousse cake is the distinct layers and textures. So a piece of advice: when tasting, take a bite of the whole cake so you experience the melt-in-the-mouth mousse, the tangy fruit, and the crunchy biscuit all at once. I also insisted on adding lemon to give a little “pep” to the dessert because I never sweeten my preparations too much; I hate when sugar dominates at the risk of destroying the flavors of a good fruit. Regarding the Mirror Glaze color, I admit that this is what really gave me a headache! I wanted to work with a natural coloring that I tested beforehand with water and it was perfect—a crazy color! But once in my glaze, it was a big disappointment trying to obtain my purple. I would have had to use a ton to get the result, and the powder granules had trouble dissolving… I obtained an “old rose” color instead of the expected violet, so I added a little intense red to give it some light. Now you know all the secrets behind this masterpiece dessert! 😉
For a 20 cm ring (10 servings)
Equipment: 20 cm ring, 18 cm ring, 6 cm rhodoïd strip
Ingredients:
Mirror Glaze (Glossy Glaze): D-2
150 g caster sugar
150 g glucose
80 g water
100 g unsweetened condensed milk
150 g white couverture chocolate (Zephyr Barry for me)
9 g gelatin (if powder, 54 g hydration water)
Purple coloring
Red coloring
Vanilla Creamy (Crémeux): D-3
250 g whole liquid cream (30% fat minimum)
3 egg yolks
40 g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
1.5 sheets of gelatin (3g)
Blueberry Jelly Insert: D-3
140 g blueberry puree
15 g sugar
1.5 sheets of gelatin (3g)
Reconstituted Lemon Shortbread (Sablé): D-3
25 g butter (room temperature)
13 g caster sugar
13 g brown sugar (cassonade)
25 g flour
35 g almond powder
1 small pinch of salt
+
1/2 yellow lemon zest
35 g melted butter
22 g brown sugar (cassonade)
Lemon/Blueberry Soft Biscuit (Sponge): D-3
25 g butter
1 egg
60 g sugar
Zest of half a lemon
12 g milk
37 g olive oil
62 g flour (type 45)
2 g baking powder
50 g Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Blueberry Bavarian Cream (Bavaroise): D-2
300 g blueberry puree
375 g whole cream (110 g + 265 g)
150 g milk
3 egg yolks
30 g caster sugar
5 sheets of gelatin (10 g)
Directions:
Vanilla Creamy (Crémeux): D-3
Soak the gelatin in a large bowl of cold water.
In a saucepan, lightly blanch the eggs and sugar (whisk until pale), add the cream and the scraped vanilla pod.
Heat over medium heat while stirring constantly. Cook while stirring constantly, the mixture must reach 83°C.
Off the heat, add the gelatin and stir well to dissolve it.
Let cool slightly and pour into an 18 cm mold like mine, or line an 18 cm diameter ring with plastic film and place it on a baking sheet, the plastic film being against the sheet.
Put in the freezer.
Blueberry Jelly: D-3
Soak the gelatin in a large bowl of cold water.
Heat the blueberry puree with the sugar; as soon as it starts to boil, stop cooking and add the squeezed gelatin. Mix well.
Wait for the mixture to cool down and pour your jelly over your frozen vanilla creamy.
Place immediately back in the freezer. You have just made your dual-layer insert.
The Reconstituted Shortbread (Sablé): D-2
Put the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix with your fingertips to form a ball.
Crumble this ball onto baking paper or a mat and bake for 20 minutes at 150°C fan/convection. Let cool.
Put your crumble in a bowl, add your melted butter (here only butter and not Mycryo, so 35g of butter), the half lemon zest, and the 22 g of brown sugar. Mix well and pour the preparation into an 18 cm ring, taking care to pack it down well with the back of a spoon.
Delicately remove the ring and place your crunchy shortbread base in the refrigerator or even the freezer so that it hardens.
The Lemon/Blueberry Soft Biscuit: D-2
Preheat your oven (fan/convection) to 170°C.
Melt the butter and set aside.
Mix the egg and sugar with a whisk for a good 2 minutes.
Add the lemon zest, the butter, and mix.
Add the milk, oil, and mix again.
Add the sifted flour and baking powder.
Mix gently to obtain a very smooth and homogeneous batter.
Pour your preparation into a mold or a ring. Personally, I added a few fruits and baked for 15/20 min depending on the oven.
Let cool and set aside.
Mirror Glaze:
Prepare a standard mirror glaze using the ingredients listed above (cook sugar, glucose, and water to 103°C, pour over condensed milk and chocolate, add gelatin and coloring, then blend).
Blueberry Bavarian Cream (Mousse):
Note: there is leftover mousse, so plan for cups or individual molds. I was able to make 2 cups for the evening dessert.
Soak the gelatin in a large bowl of cold water.
Blanch the eggs and sugar, add the 110 g of whole cream, the milk, and cook to 83°C.
Off the heat, add the squeezed gelatin and mix well.
Set aside at room temperature.
Put the accessories in the freezer 1 hour before whipping your cream.
Your cream (265 g) can also spend 20 minutes in the freezer before whipping it.
Put your blueberry puree in a bowl.
After whipping your cream into whipped cream and waiting for your custard (crème anglaise) to drop to 30/35°C, you have the 3 preparations ready.
Start by incorporating the blueberry puree little by little into the whipped cream.
Then incorporate the custard always little by little, mixing gently with a spatula.
Proceed immediately to assembly.
The Assembly:
Line a 20 cm ring with cling film and line the inside with a 6 cm rhodoïd strip and place on a baking sheet or tray.
Pour a good part of the blueberry mousse. If it is very liquid, place it in the freezer 15 minutes before adding the insert if necessary to prevent it from sinking.
Retrieve your insert from the freezer (creamy and jelly) and place it on your mousse.
Pour a little mousse again and add your soft biscuit. Add a little mousse again and finish with your shortbread. Mine broke because I took it out of the fridge too early and pressed too hard… so be careful!!! It is very fragile.
Cover your entremet with cling film and place it for a minimum of one night in the freezer. You can make it several days in advance and leave it in the freezer.
On D-Day, retrieve your glaze, reheat it to 40°C no more!! Blend and pour over the frozen entremet between 30 and 35°C (for me 34°C).
Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours so that it defrosts slowly.
Enjoy your homemade Patisserie!
By following these steps, you will achieve a professional-grade Blueberry Entremet that balances acidity, sweetness, and texture perfectly. Happy tasting
Final Thoughts & Serving Tips
This Blueberry Entremet is more than just a cake; it is a French pastry masterpiece that combines the freshness of wild blueberries with the richness of a vanilla creamy insert. By following this step-by-step guide, you have mastered complex techniques like the perfect mirror glaze and the reconstituted shortbread base. This luxury mousse cake is the ultimate showstopper dessert for birthdays or holidays. Remember to keep it chilled until serving to maintain that professional glossy finish and distinct layers. Happy baking and enjoy your homemade gourmet creation
