It’s chocolate all the way until the end now. This and another chocolate cake and than that’s it. Chocolate ganache sandwiched between a light pistachio sponge with more chocolate ganache covering it and to top it all off, a chocolate glaze.

Typing this is turning out to be a bit troublesome, I cut myself on the dreaded breadknife (worse knife in the whole kit). I now have a bandaged index finger, great look.

I’ve tried to write the instructions as best as I could (we take our own notes for the instructions). This recipe is very complicated and not the easiest thing to write/explain. Please ask if you don’t understand anything.

Chocolate-Pistachio Log cake

Taken from the Le Cordon Bleu Basic Pâtisserie manual

Serves 10-12

Pistachio ‘biscuit’ sponge

70g ground almonds
50g pistachio paste
120g icing sugar
4 egg yolks
1 egg
- – - -
4 egg whites
50g sugar
- – - -
90g flour
30g butter, melted

Imbibing syrup
100g sugar
100ml water
kirsch, optional

Ganache
250g chocolate, chopped
250ml cream

Finish
500g dark chocolate
Handful pistachios, chopped
Handful chocolate sprinkles

You will need two log moulds, lined with baking paper.

Preheat oven to 170°c.

Whisk egg whites, add sugar while whisking. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down without the egg whites falling out.
Add a bit of the melted butter to the pistachio paste (just enough to make it smooth and easier to work with). Mix together ground almonds and sugar. Incorporate the egg yolks and egg.

Gently fold the pistachio mix into the egg whites. Add rest of butter and flour. Fill the moulds 2/3 or max ¾.

Put into the oven, turn down the heat to 165°c. Half way through the baking, open the oven door a couple of times very very quickly to release the steam from the oven. Bake for about 30mins or until the cake bounces back when you touch it. Level off the cake (cut off any excess from top), unmould immediately.

Imbibing syrup
Dissolve sugar and water in a pot over a medium heat, leave to cool and add a couple of spoons of kirsch, if desired.

Ganache
Boil cream. Pour half the cream over the chocolate, wait for cream to melt the chocolate a little, stir and then add the rest of the cream. Leave to cool. The ganache must have the consistency of softened butter when used, otherwise you will not achieve a smooth finish to the cake.

Cut a rectangle shape piece of baking paper, the same size of the moulds. It should have the same length of the mould but roughly 1cm wider on each side (this will make it easier to remove the paper).
Spread a thin layer of ganache onto the paper, leaving a 1cm wide border on the longest sides. Pour the rest of the ganache into a piping bag with a 10mm nozzle.

To cut the cake into 3 layers you will need 2 x 1cm thick ‘candy rulers’ (these are like thick square metal sticks). Lay a ruler on each length of the cake. Cut through the cake with the knife against the rulers, remove that layer and then cut the next.

Imbibe the bottom layer well on all sides. Next pipe 1 cm thick lines of the ganache onto the bottom layer. Smooth lightly. Imbibe the next layer and place on top. Pressing lightly. Repeat the piping. Imbibe top layer and place on top. Press lightly. Now imbibe the whole cake. If the cake is too dry the ganache will slip off.

Pre-masking
Pipe two thick lines of ganache on the top of the cake. Using a palette knife spread the ganache over the cake to create a layer. Make sure the layer is smooth (no lumps, holes etc). Take the ‘ganached’ paper. Now carefully place the paper onto the cake, making sure it is lined up. Smooth the paper down. Refridgerate.

While the cake is refridgerating, temper the chocolate. It is vital that the chocolate is at 37°c, when you use it. Take the cake out the refridgerate, check the ganache has set. You should be able to carefully remove the paper.
Put the cake on a wire rack. Pour over the chocolate. Stick either chopped pistachios or chocolate sprinkles to the side. If you still have some ganache leftover decorate it.