Recipe for the cake under the cherry

Make the chocolate cream: Bring the milk and fresh cream to a boil, simultaneously blanch the egg yolks with the sugar. Pour the milk/cream mixture over the yolks in three parts, mix well, and return to the heat, cooking until it coats the back of a spoon (85 degrees), then remove from heat. Add the chopped chocolate, let it sit for a minute, then stir well (without beating) to smooth the cream. Let it cool and then refrigerate.

2 - Make the chocolate shells: Melt 200 grams of chocolate in a double boiler and chop the rest. When the chocolate is melted, remove the bowl from the double boiler and add the chopped chocolate. Stir well to melt it. Use a brush to coat 12 half-spherical molds with the chocolate, turn them over on a tray covered with parchment paper so that the chocolate drips out, and let crystallize in a cool place or in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. Repeat this process once and set the shells aside.

For hard molds, temper the chocolate, fill the tempered molds (25 degrees), tap them to remove any air bubbles, empty the molds by turning them upside down, and let them crystallize in a cool place. Unmold the shells before filling them.

Make the whipped cream/mascarpone: Chop the cherries into small cubes. Whip the mascarpone with the sugar and almond flavoring to soften it, add the heavy cream, and store in the freezer for 15 minutes. Whip the mixture until it holds peaks. When the cream starts to thicken, stop beating, add the cherries and the cherry syrup, and finish mixing the cream with a spatula.

Filling the shells: Using a piping bag or a spoon, pour about 2 cm of chocolate cream into the bottom of the shells and gently top with whipped cream/mascarpone/cherries. Smooth the shells and freeze for about 2 hours – the inside of the shells must be firm; otherwise, the chocolate shells will break and collapse when unmolding. If you are using molded chocolate shells (hard molds), you may not need to put them in the freezer if they are thick enough to handle safely and the filling cream is firm enough not to spill during assembly. Making the dacquoise: For the colored mixture: mix the softened butter with the sugar and whip. Gradually add the egg whites, then the flour, followed by the food coloring. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up the mixture. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, create your desired pattern with the colored mixture (here I've made a grid) using a piping bag or cone, and store in the freezer for about 1 hour to prevent it from mixing with the dacquoise mixture later. Whip the egg whites (you can add a bit of salt and lemon juice to help) and halfway through, tighten them by adding the powdered sugar and continue whipping to obtain a firm meringue. Gradually add the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture and gently mix. Remove the sheet with the colored mixture and quickly layer the dacquoise over it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 175 degrees. Set aside when removed from the oven and let cool. It is advisable to place the sheet in the freezer to make it easier to remove the parchment paper.

6 - Make the chocolate ganache: whip the cream and set aside in the fridge - melt the chocolate in a double boiler - simultaneously, bring the milk to a boil with the sugar, then whisk the melted chocolate with the sweetened milk - let it cool - when the mixture is barely warm (too hot will deflate the cream), add 1/4 of the whipped cream and mix well to soften the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream - dilute a bit of cherry syrup with an equal weight of boiling water and add (optional) a bit of cherry liqueur - cut the sponge cake into squares, brush the syrup onto the sponge, and spread the ganache - set aside in the fridge to let the chocolate firm up - when taken out of the fridge, place a second square of sponge on top of the ganache - you can also spread the ganache with a spatula on one half of the sponge and then cover with the other half, then after refrigerating, cut into squares, ideally using an electric knife or a chocolate guitar if you have one.

7 - Prepare the chocolate spheres: take the chocolate shells out of the freezer - gently unmold them by pressing on the back of the mold - bring a pot of water to a boil and place a plate or baking sheet on top (here I used a crepe pan) when the plate is warm, place the half shells on it for a few seconds to slightly melt the chocolate and mousse, ensuring the shells are flat, then stick the shells together two by two - set aside - at this stage, you can reinforce the adhesion with a bit of melted chocolate on the joint, if necessary - remove any excess chocolate - set aside - if you used unchilled shells, it’s better to put a bit of tempered chocolate on one of the half shells and place the other on top to ensure adhesion - remove any excess chocolate - Color the spheres: add a bit of coloring (powder for bright colors, or liquid for pastel shades) to the cream and bring to a boil - add the white chocolate chopped into pieces and stir well to melt the mixture. If the mixture melts poorly, give it a quick blend with an immersion blender for homogenization.

I use this type of product that has the advantage, compared to white chocolate, of not containing cocoa butter - so there is no need to temper it before use - this product, which will not shrink upon cooling, is not suitable, of course, for molding. When the colored mixture is between 25 and 27 degrees (definitely no warmer, as it would melt the chocolate shell), place the chocolate balls on a rack (set on a plate to catch the excess) and generously coat them with the colored mixture - allow to drain and then place the balls on the chocolate cakes - the coating mixture should be soft but not sticky to the touch.

To finish, with a bit of green marzipan, shape a tail and place it on the icing (it will stick) - for easier application, gently press with the blade of a knife on the tip of the tail that will be on the cake to flatten it and increase the surface for adhesion.