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Monday, November 19, 2012

Lime Watermelon Charlotte with Mint Basil Glaze - Mousse Cake #1



I came home from the competition and made another one.... to take proper pics for the blog...and also for my hubby's birthday.

My girls were crazy for this cake. We blew candles that night and had a slice each and then scoot them off to bed. The next day, when I picked them up from kindergarden, the first thing they said to me was, "Mom, let's go home and eat cake". My hubby called them monsters because they ate half the cake in less than 24 hours. Hahahaha, my husband rarely calls them this, but usually it's me calling them names, hahahah. We are a family of humour. I never thought Lyanne will love a fruit flavoured cake this much. But Lydia, yes, I know she will.


Try your best to use greek yogurt, it makes a lot of difference. I can't get greek yogurt in KK and I didn't have the time to make a trip to Ipoh, so I settled with Marigold plain yogurt of which is not a very good choice. The mousse seems not as creamy. Dutch Lady plain yogurt is a better choice. If not, any full fat natural yogurt will be ok. One of the coach for the competition after eating my cake, said it reminded him of mojito and recommended that I add vodka to spice it up, but I didn't since my kids will be eating this too. So, if you want to add some uumph to it, add some or add more :p

I'm not sure if gelatin is a better choice or this instant jelly. I used gelatin during the competition and it's not easy to glaze them nicely. But it seems this instant jelly glaze that I bought this time is not as stretchy as the one I some time ago, and this one is cloudy and more 'solid'.

My kids can't stop looking at the cake, LOL


I know some of you may think, won't the watermelon turn watery after you ball them?

Hmm.... they did have some juice in the bowl after balling, but it didn't keep on releasing and releasing. As long as you don't press them or keep them in a warm place, they are ok.
My watermelon didn't leak into my cake even after 24 hours, still as dry as before.

Don't buy pre cut watermelon to make this, but a whole watermelon. When I made this cake for the competition, I cut the watermelon and balled it straight away. The melons tasted superb with the cake.
I had half a melon left, brought it back home and made this cake, this one that you are seeing now. The texture is no longer as good.




Lime Watermelon Charlotte with Mint Basil Glaze
Recipe source: WendyinKK

Sponge Biscuit 
Original recipe from: Le Cordon Bleu at Home
2 large eggs (Grade A, 65gm shells on)
50gm sugar
63gm cake flour
35gm icing sugar for dusting

Lime Yogurt Mousse
1 Tbsp gelatin granules
50ml water
200gm greek yogurt
40gm lime juice
Zest from 3 limes
100gm sugar (depends on how tart the lime and the yogurt is)
200gm whipping cream

Mint Basil Glaze
15 mint leaves
4 sweet basil leaves
3/4 tsp instant jelly
125ml water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp lime juice

Watermelon balls as needed

The sponge biscuit (note: This amount is for KA, Kenwood seems to yield lesser biscuits, I've tried it 3 times and it seemed so)
1. On a big piece of non stick baking paper/parchment paper, draw two or three long rectangle about 5cm in height. Flip the paper over and place on baking pan. Use another piece of paper and draw a 7 inch circle. Flip the paper over and place on another baking pan.
2. Preheat oven at 200C, fan off.
3. Prepare sponge biscuit. Separate the eggs-white n yolks. Beat egg white with a pinch of salt until it’s all foamy. Gradually add in sugar and beat until stiff. Put in egg yolks and FOLD. Sift in flour and FOLD. Place batter into piping bag with 1cm plain piping nozzle.
4. Pipe batter onto prepared trays, fingers for rectangle and tight spiral for the circle(pipe slightly out of the circle).
5. Sift icing sugar over the piped batter. Let it rest for 30 seconds and sift more icing sugar over. Be generous.
6. Place tray on the lowest deck and bake for 10 minutes. (bake 1 tray at one time) Cool sponge biscuit before use. (if your oven has a hotter lower heat, put it higher instead of the lowest)
7. Trim the ‘rectangle’ by removing the pointy end and the first and last finger. Fit the sponge finger slab into an 8 inch pan (removable base). Place the round piece in the center, trimming it to fit tightly.
* If you worry you don't have enough batter to pipe, make 50%  extra batter, extra sponge can be eaten as a delicious snack.

The Lime Mousse
8. In a heat proof bowl, put water and sprinkle gelatin over the water. Let it sit for 2 minutes and then melt the gelatin either over hot water or zap in microwave for 15 secs.
9. Combine yogurt, lime juice, lime zest, and sugar. Add 1 drop of green food colouring if preferred. Let it sit for a while until the sugar melts. Taste it. It should be very slightly oversweetened and tangy.
10. Beat whipping cream until stiff and then pour in half the lime yogurt mixture, mix it on low speed. Then add in balance of lime yogurt mixture. Whisk on low speed to combine. Pour in melted gelatin and whisk to combine.
11. Pour the mousse mixture into the prepared sponge lined pan. It should be 1cm lower than the rim of the sponge ring.
12. Put the mousse into the fridge and chill for 5 hours (or overnight)

Final Assembly -Watermelon and glaze
13. Bring water and sugar to boil and tear in mint and basil. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile arrange watermelon balls on top of mousse. Strain the minty syrup. Bring it back to a boil and sprinkle in instant jelly. Cook until the mixture is smooth. Put in lime juice. Brush the hot jelly over watermelon balls. (if jelly solidifies before application, reheat it and it will melt). Decorate with some mint or basil leaves if preferred.
14. Chill cake for another 1 hour to serve.






65 comments:

  1. This is indeed a winner! Looks so gorgeous and DELICIOUS!!!! You made this at home again just to share it with us! Thank you so much. I made this for my B day! But looks like alot of work leh.....

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  2. Such a beautiful cake. If I have the time I might make this for our Thanksgiving dinner. I don't think I can get watermelon now. What fruits do you think I should replace it with?

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  3. thank you for sharing with us this winner recipe

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  4. Congratulations on the win Wendy!

    The Charlotte is gorgeous....will try this out for Christmas as it has such a Christmas color to it! :D

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  5. Beautiful but a lot work for me ! u betul betul rajin !

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  6. Your girls are really lucky. The little one looks very much like you. Congratulations again on a beautiful cake.

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  7. Your gals are as sweet an pretty as ur mousse cake!

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  8. wendy.... this is winner.... wow .... looks so great...

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  9. The cake so beautiful..Your family so "hang fook" got a good chef at home..Your girls both looks alike ..

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  10. the 2 little one so cute...the cake so nice..well done,Wendy...cant wait to try it...

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  11. Wendy, this is a fabulous cake! Truly a deserving winner. Hey, your two girls are so cute! I find the mischievous expression on their faces so adorable :)

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  12. Wow...this is so beautiful... one day , I shall make this :) hopefully it will turn out good coz I am clumsy when it comes to refine work LOL!

    congrats...once again. Under stress you can still make a great one ! I salute this wicked momsie :p

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  13. I think I am a bit too ambitious to try out this recipe...heheheh. Nevertheless, if I have a time, definitely will give a try. Drooling it so badly.

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  14. Totally agree that this is absolutely gorgeous! taste wonderful too.. big WELL DONE:)

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  15. Congratulations, this is really beautiful! Truly a winner. And it was so kind and nice of you to make another just to share it on your blog :)

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  16. Bright and cheerful cake! It sure make anyone day! :)

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  17. Great cake with bright red colour. Such an attractive cake. Who can't resist? Again congrat!

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  18. Wendy, this cake is so eye catching and pretty! bookmark this and will make it for one of the birthday if I am not lazy heeheehee...

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  19. What a gorgeous cake! Abt the Greek yogurt, use reg yogurt but remove the liquid by filtering (coffee filter papers work well) it in the fridge overnite.

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  20. look at both lydia and lyanne's smiles! So cute la both your monsters! did you use greek yogurt during the competition?

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  21. Mel,
    Not really la, just a lot of waiting time


    Gert,
    Straws will be good


    Gee,
    thanks


    Pei San,
    My pleasure


    Food Dreams,
    Yeah, everybody at the comp keeps saying it's Christmasy


    Mai Lin,
    Haha, not everything is stir and bake in 1 bowl.



    Patricia,
    Yes the small one more like me

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  22. Peng,
    thanks and thanks! hehehe.


    Heera,
    Thank you


    Jes,
    Just their cheeky look the same la, they actually got 2 diff looks de


    Hody,
    Try it :)


    Phong Hong,
    Being mischievous on photo is fine, haha, not in real, haha!


    Elin,
    There was so much time, I was actually quite relaxed :)
    You can la, just do it slowly


    Yee Ling,
    Once u got ur folding technique learnt, you can do this, no prob!


    Esther,
    I am glad you liked this cake!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Lite Home Bake,
    This cake is good to eat, so I should share it, hehehe.


    hanushi,
    I hope that you'll like it


    Vivian,
    Hehe, red is always eye catching


    Jess bakericious,
    Just buck up, dun be lazy, come talk to me and I'll push u, hehehe.


    Chris,
    thanks for the tips


    prince and princess mum,
    thanks


    Lena,
    Yes, I used greek yogurt and I forgot to bring home the balance, so forgetful!

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  24. Lovely to look at and i am sure it taste great!! i shall attempt this receipe when I am feeling adventurous!!
    btw, ur girls are sooo pretty and cute.. can cubit cubit?

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  25. Your cake looks so good and your daughters are so sweet and precious!

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  26. Alice,
    Thanks X3 :)


    Kathleen,
    Can can, cubit all u want, hehee.
    U can use store bought sponge fingers if u want, but they are dry


    Tina,
    Thanks! they are my dear darlings

    ReplyDelete
  27. Congrats for winning the competition. This cake looks very tempting to me.

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  28. i think i just tengok and gaze with wonder at this beautiful cake..macam tedious sikit nak buat..anyway congrats to you

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  29. hi wendy
    I have tried out this cake but the sponge biscuit didnt turn out good coz it craked when i arranged on my springform cake tin. why is it so?

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  30. I tried this recipe this morning and my charlotte's so nice. Thanks for charing.

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  31. Angel,
    Thanks


    Ain,
    takde la sudah kalo masa di rancang baik, harap mencuba :)


    Cindy,
    Must handle with great care, be gentle and then don't get it exposed and get dry


    anonymous,
    glad u liked it

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  32. OOO!! I made this! But I improvised a bit. I used the store bought sponge fingers instead and soak them lightly with vodka and a dash of lime! It was awesome!! I didnt add sugar into this mixture as the sponge fingers were sweet enough.

    The other thing I changed was I had sponge cake as the base and in between the mousse. I made 2 layers. The color and taste was very good!!

    And I did keep a portion to see if the watermelon will turn mushy or "release water".. hmm.. it didnt!

    Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It was awesome. Let me know if you want to have a look at the layers.

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  33. Hi sifu, your fancy is back :)
    I have a question on step9 I just mix everything and wait for the sugar to melt? Or I need to double boil so the sugar melt?

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  34. Hi sifu, your fancy is back :)
    I have a question on step9 I just mix everything and wait for the sugar to melt? Or I need to double boil so the sugar melt?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi sifu, ur fancy is back :)
    I hv a question on step 9. I mix everything together and wait for the sugar to melt or double boil until the sugar melt?

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  36. Jamie,
    LOL.
    The sugar melts pretty quickly when stirred with the yogurt cos it's waterbased. Don't worry.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you sifu :) hope I can make it for coming xmas party
      Muak from fancy...hehe

      Delete
  37. sifu, i am making this today as my bday cake. But my sponge biscuit so runny and i cannot pipe the finger :(

    Why ar?

    your fancy - Jamie

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  38. Jamie,
    Happy Birthday!
    You didn't whack the whites stiff enough. Did u cut the sugar?

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  39. Errr.... Yes I always cut down sugar because I can't take too sweet stuff :( but I can it 30g instead of 50g not much right? Egg white not stiff enough... sugar play important part?

    Fancyjamie

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  40. Jamie,
    Yes, since u reduced 40% of the sugar the meringue is totally unstable. You can cut off the icing sugar dusting, but never reduce the sugar for egg white. If not, 100% tak jadi.

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  41. is it possible to use lemon instead of lime? @@"

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  42. clare,
    The taste will be very different of course.
    But it's up to you, according to your preference

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  43. I made this cake and is delicious!

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  44. Hi Wendy,

    Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe. I would like to try this for my bestie's bday in 2 days time. But I need to travel with the cake. Do you think it will survive an almost 1 hr journey (by car, early evening)? Will the mousse get watery n spoilt the finger biscuits? Will it be any better if I use cooling bag?
    Thanks

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  45. Natelie,
    I'm not sure where u are from, but if you are from a place where weather is 30C above, it's best to transport it in a cooler bag.

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  46. Hi Wendy,

    Thanks for you prompt reply.I am from Penang... Hmm... going to buy a cooling bag tomorrow. :)

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  47. Hi, need your advice :
    Can I pre-baked sponge biscuit? or must do it together with the mousse? because you mention the sponge biscuit will turn dry.
    Next day, do the final assembly with the fresh fruit.
    Thank you for your time and sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  48. sorry one more question, is it a must to use instant jelly? on hand I don't have it, where to buy? is not agar agar right?
    Thank you

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  49. Soh,
    Homebaked sponge fingers are moister. Store bought drier. You can use that if you want.
    You can buy instant jelly from baking supplies shop, it's not agar-agar. It solidifies the moment you brush it on

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  50. Good morning, thank you for your reply, I purchase the instant jelly last night.
    I prepare to make this cake for my mum's Birthday on coming Sunday, will do it all together in a day.
    Thank you for your advice.

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  51. Hi Wendy,
    Roughly how many limes do I need to buy to make 40gm lime juice?
    Can I replace the same amount of instant jelly with gelatin granules instead? As I only have gelatin granules.
    How would the taste be affected if I omit the sweet basil leaves as I do not want to buy a pack and only use 4pcs.
    If we cannot finish the cake, can we freeze it? If yes, how long can it be frozen? Thank you, Lynn

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  52. Lynn,
    1. Lime. Hard to say, sometimes they can be quite dry,sometimes juicy. Buy 6 and you will be safe. As the glaze needs some too. Extra fruit can be juiced.
    2. Gelatin, yes it can be used. You will need 2 tsp.
    3. Omit it,it's ok. Just less fragrant.
    4. The cake can be kept chilled for a few days, but freezing it.. hmm,, the watermelon will not last in the freezer. How long it can be frozen depends on how u freeze it, air tight or not air tight, it will probably last u many months.

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  53. Thank you Wendy for your prompt reply.
    I am attempting to make this with store bought sponge fingers and hopefully i can make it successfully.
    Lynn

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  54. Hi Wendy,
    It's me again. If I use a 6inch cake pan, do I make 75% of the recipe for the lime mousse and glaze?
    Thank you, Lynn

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  55. Lynn,
    Yup, you can make that amount as store bought fingers are taller, it depends on how much you trim them. Extra lime mousse can be set in another container

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hi Wendy,
    When chilling the line mousse for 5hours in the fridge, does it need to be covered up in box?
    I intend to finish assembling this cake one day in advance, is it ok? Will the watermelon wet the cake too much?
    Lynn

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  57. Lynn,
    The paragraph after my girls' pic, I mentioned there was no leakage of moisture into the cake.
    You don't need to cover during the 5 hours

    ReplyDelete
  58. Hi Wendy,
    I used gelatin powder 2 tsp as advised for the glaze but the glaze did not look shiny on the watermelon balls, they seemed to be still liquidy and absorbed into the watermelon balls. I wonder why?
    Lynn

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  59. Lynn,
    Gelatin doesn't set upon contact unlike instant jelly.
    The gelatin is probably under the watermelon now

    ReplyDelete
  60. Hi Wendy,
    I don't know much of how gelatin worked and had left a lot of the mint glaze left after glazing the watermelon balls. In the end, when I cut the mousse cake, my watermelon balls fell out as there were not any gelatin to hold them. I should have poured the remaining gelatin onto the watermelon balls and let them sit in the fridge for longer? My cake didn't turned out as pretty as yours but it tasted great still, I love the lime mousse especially.

    ReplyDelete

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