In association with the Catering Managers Association of Great Britain and the Channel Islands

This recipe was devised by Nicolas Boussin, the gastronomy ambassador for GRAND MARNIER®, and winner of the coveted title of Best Pastry Chef in France.  Inspired by a burning log fire, this recipe has warm fiery overtones making it particularly relevant for seasonal times of the year, especially Christmas.   It is a luxury chocolate cake containing the premium French liqueur GRAND MARNIER® that costs less than £1 per slice net, but can sell for much more!  Each log serves eight slices.    

1.      Chocolate Cake (total weight 916g: 1⁄2 frame)

80g ground almonds
165g flour
6g baking powder
40g cocoa powder
125g eggs
180g sugar
45g trimoline (invert sugar)
100g whipping cream
75g 66% dark chocolate
100g butter 

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together then add the ground almonds.   Melt the chopped chocolate and butter together.    Combine the eggs, sugar and trimoline without beating and add the cream.   Fold in the melted butter and chocolate and the sifted together dry ingredients.   Pour the batter into a frame or mould and bake in a conventional oven at 200°C for approximately 15 mins.  Let cool.

TIP: If time allows cook the cake base the day before.  This allows the starch to absorb the syrup more effectively when assembling.

Orange Compote (total weight 388g)

3 oranges
65g brown sugar
Zest of 1 orange
5g lemon juice
1.5cl GRAND MARNIER® @ 50% vol. Extract
3g starch

Peel the orange and purée in a food processor leaving some small pieces of oranges.   Bring the purée, brown sugar and zest to a boil.  Stir in the lemon juice and the starch, thinned with GRAND MARNIER® and bring back to the boil. Set aside and refrigerate.

2.      Syrup  (total weight 130g)

10cl light syrup (boil 1 litre water with 800g sugar)
3cl GRAND MARNIER® 50% vol. Extract 

3.     Ganache (total weight 695g: 1⁄2 frame)

300g whipping cream
150g dark chocolate
150g milk chocolate
40g glucose
20g trimoline
3.5cl GRAND MARNIER® 50% vol extract 

Bring the cream, glucose and trimoline to the boil and pour over the chopped chocolate.   Add the GRAND MARNIER® stir well to combine.  Let cool.   Lightly whip the ganache before pouring it into the frame.  

TIP:   add the cream to the dark chocolate first and mix slowly or the fat, cocoa and sugar will separate and the ganache will not be smooth.   Then add the milk chocolate.  Always use a combination of dark and milk chocolate when incorporating GRAND MARNIER® because the strong flavour of dark chocolate will overpower the distinct taste of GRAND MARNIER®.

4.     Icing (total weight 1,200g)

600g dark glazing paste (compound chocolate)
400 dark chocolate
20cl hazelnut oi 

Melt the chocolate and glazing paste and add the oil. 

5.     Assembly and Decoration

Imbibe the cake with the syrup and spread the orange compote over the top. Place in the freezer.  

Pour the lightly whipped ganache into a 27 x 37cm frame then top with the frozen cake.  Press down to even out so that the cake is flat.  Place in the freezer for approximately one hour (it should be hard).

Unmould the cake and cut to 9cm in width then place on a cooling rack and pour over the icing so that the excess runs off.   Sprinkle the sugar mixed with the orange zest all over the cake so that it sticks

Decorate with a bundle of sticks and the dried orange rounds.

6.     Orange Sticks (total weight 302g)

Pastry
100g flour
30g ground hazelnuts
70g ground almonds
1g cinnamon
1g salt
3.5cl water
40g sugar 2.5cl GRAND MARNIER® 50% vol. Extract
Zest of 1 orange 
100g brown sugar
Zest of 1 orange 

Bring the water, sugar and zest to the boil.  Remove from the heat and add the GRAND MARNIER®.  Combine the flour, ground nuts, cinnamon and salt and mix in the liquid.  Let rest for 10 mins then roll the pastry out very thinly and cut into very narrow strips.  Roll in the orange zest and brown sugar mixture.   Arrange on a Silpat mat and bake at 160°C in a conventional oven for 10 mins until the sticks are golden in colour.   Let cool and tie into a bundle with a gold ribbon. 

TIP: no fat or egg is present in the sticks to keep them crispy 

7.     Dried Orange Rounds

1 orange 

Cut an orange into 2mm thick rounds.  Arrange on a baking sheet between two sheets of parchment paper and let dry in a 60°C oven for approximately three hours.   Store in an airtight container.

TIP:  Aim for 4-6 % pure alcohol of GRAND MARNIER® in the finished product.  This will give good flavour delivery and enhance the taste of the other ingredients.