Triple matcha mousse cake

Matcha overload ?! Bah , humbug !

I was planning to make mousse cake next week but my leftover double cream had another idea . With temperature steadily rising , it just a matter of time before it'll turn sour again . The price of cream here is not that much but with all those baking ingredients or paraphernalia that I usually buy together with the cream , yeah , yeah , you can find the cheapest price of cream along Shanghai Street ......

Making mousse cake is pretty easy , you need a base , either a sponge cake or any store-bought biscuits , the mousse itself , which is made of whipped cream , milk , sugar , meringue or sabayon and gelatin . Fresh fruits or jelly are two popular toppings but who can resist matcha-infused white chocolate ganache ? My ganache is supposed to drip but I can't get the right texture or the right white chocolate to cream ratio when I tried it on my first batch last week . This time , I just whipped the leftover and piped it on top of the cakes .

When I made it a week before ,  I used Italian meringue as stated in the recipe , this time though I tried sabayon . Sabayon or light custard is a mixture of egg yolks , milk and sugar that has been whipped until it thickens over hot water , a dessert on its own , if liqueur is used ( ? ) and also a safer way to add egg yolk(s) to no-bake desserts .

Note that the ganache topping will firm up if you chill the cakes in the fridge and it'll be a bit hard to scoop it with a spoon . It's better if you add / pipe it on top of the cakes just before serving .

You can use any mould you have on hand or you can just use some drinking glass(es) instead . I prepared several moulds when I first made it but only used 4 . For the sponge cake base ,  I only used about half of the biscuit sponge and there's enough left for another 4 pieces or 5 . If you want to use it all , double the amount of the matcha mousse recipe .

If you want to photograph these cakes , especially if it's 33ºC , try to finish it within 5 minutes . Mine took exactly 24 minutes and even though I turned the aircon at full blast , 3 out of the 4 mousse cakes wilted , see 2nd photo , left side , good thing it's out of focus lol 

Matcha or green tea powder ? Whatever you have on hand .

Special biscuit sponge cake , recipe adapted from Okashi

40 grams pastry flour ( I used cake flour )

20 grams cornstarch / cornflour
6 grams matcha powder ( my own addition ) 
30 grams unsalted butter , at room temperature
90 grams egg whites
80 grams caster sugar
80 grams egg yolks 

* Preheat oven to 200ºC . Line an 11 x 11-inch cake pan with parchment paper .

* Sift together  the 2 flours and matcha twice . Place butter in a small bowl and melt over a pan of barely simmering water .

* In a clean bowl , whip egg whites until frothy and add in sugar in 3 additions . Whip whites until stiff peaks form and glossy , add in the yolks and beat until combine . Sift in the flours-matcha mixture into the egg mixture , fold using a spatula or a balloon whisk . Pour in the melted butter and mix well  .

* Pour batter into the prepared pan , use a scraper to spread evenly . Bake for 10 - 13 minutes .

* Once cake is done , remove cake from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes . Cover  cake with a plastic wrap or place in a food-grade plastic bag to prevent sponge from drying out .

* Cut out 4 pieces of sponge cake using a 2- 3/4-x 2-inch mould or any mould you have on hand .

Matcha mousse :

Recipe is enough for four 2 3/4 x 2-inch mould with 1/2-inch thick sponge cake base  

6 grams gelatin powder ( I used 7 grams ) 
22 grams caster sugar
7 grams matcha powder
100 grams skimmed milk ( UHT whole milk ) 
20 grams Italian meringue** ( I used sabayon*** )
185 grams whipping cream , whipped

**Italian meringue :

10 grams caster sugar
4 grams water
15 grams egg whites

* Boil sugar and water together . Beat whites at high speed until fluffy and foamy . Add boiling sugar syrup and beat until firm and glossy .

***Sabayon :

1 egg yolk
10 grams milk
10 grams caster sugar

* Combine yolk , milk and sugar in a heat-proof bowl , place bowl over hot water . Beat until foamy and thick .

To make matcha mousse : 

* Mix together the gelatin , sugar , matcha and milk in a small bowl , dissolved mixture over a pan of hot water .

* Combine whipped cream and meringue ( or sabayon ) together , add in the matcha-gelatin mixture and mix well to combine .

* Pour mixture into the prepared moulds , smoothing the top of each . Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight .

* Use a hairdryer  to detach mousse cake from mould and gently transfer each cake to a serving plate . Chill for another 30 minutes before adding in desired toppings .

Matcha white chocolate ganache : 

45 grams whipping cream
6 grams matcha powder
150 grams white chocolate chips , finely chopped

* Place cream into a small saucepan , add in the matcha and whisk until it dissolves  . Heat mixture over low heat , when it comes into a simmer , turn off heat and add in the white chocolate . Stir until chocolate is melted , transfer into a bowl , let cool at room temperature . Make this a day ahead .