The Cake Phenomenon

in-depth look at a specialty cake with a glaze

Image by: Мiuda

There is a new revolution in the confectionary world that is taking dessert lovers by storm as it evokes a true sense of talent to not only have the patience to create but to correctly assemble it.  The sudden fame of the mirror cake has come to amaze all that have gotten the pleasure of viewing the beautiful and shiny masterpieces. The easy to make glaze has become a great way to show off the simplicity of a cake in the most chic way. The cake is prepared first and is usually a mousse cake, which benefits the refrigeration process to allow the glaze to set properly, which can range from two hours to overnight.

The glaze that is delicately poured on the cake is so flawless that it captivates all that see the magnificent creations. The secret to the mirror cakes’ perfect appearance is the utilization of gelatin and glucose that is carefully added to the glaze to help it harden correctly while keeping its smooth, glistening, and precision which appeals to everyone.

Although, the mirror glaze has been used for a countless amount of years, it has been gaining some notoriety recently due to Olga Noskova; a Russian baker who has somewhat changed the way the mirror glaze is used. Usually, the glaze is used just to top the cake for a shiny yet appealing look but her cakes are completely encased in the glaze and lightly topped with a small garnish. It transforms even the simplest of cakes into truly beautiful creations by way of how the baker utilizes every aspect of the cake. As an amazing pastry artist, Olga Noskova, has added another element to the production of mirror cakes by making marble mirror cakes, which have an array of colors that precisely merge into each other in order to create an even more beautiful cake.

Jacques Torres’s Shiny Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 envelope gelatin powder (1/4 ounce)

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, sugar, heavy cream and cocoa powder. Simmer for about 20 minutes until mixture slightly thickens.

Place 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over top and let soften 5 minutes. Remove chocolate mixture from the heat and whisk in gelatin mixture until thoroughly combined.

Set over an ice bath and whisk until the glaze thickens and reaches about 80 degrees, about 1 minute.

Notes: This recipe makes enough glaze for one 8″ two-layer cake. Pour over chilled crumb-coated cake placed on a wire rack set over a large bowl. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the glaze. Work quickly as the glaze will set up in a minute or less.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Comment below about what you think of the mirror cake and its revolution? What your favorite cake is? And what you would want to celebrate with that cake?

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