Orange Mini Cakes
·Foodstyling moulds
If you'd like to make small round mini cakes, use round stainless steel foodstyling rings lined with clear dessert acetate.
Tip: a home-friendly alternative
No problem if at home you use wine glasses or nice dessert bowls instead. In that case, you don't need as much gelatine, and the dessert will turn out creamier. Just two sheets will be enough for a light set.
Prepare the moulds and nuts
Line the stainless steel rings with clear acetate strips and get the nutty base ready. Place a piece of foil under each ring.
Chop the nuts
Chop the walnuts in a blender or by hand. They don't all need to be the same size — a mix of coarser and finer pieces is ideal. Stir in the sugar and tip into a frying pan.
Add the butter, honey and liqueur
Toast over medium heat for about five minutes, then add the butter and honey, stirring until everything comes together. Remove from the heat, stir in the amaretto, and mix again.
Fill the base
Let it cool slightly so the mixture isn't too hot (about five minutes), but not fully cold, or it will set too firm. Spoon the nutty base into the moulds, spreading it evenly to the edges and smoothing the top. Chill in the fridge.
Gelatine in orange juice
Squeeze the oranges. It's fine if bits of pulp end up in the juice — in fact, it adds to the flavour. Pour the juice into a small saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of sugar and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and add the gelatine sheets.
Let it dissolve and whip the cream
Leave for about ten minutes, then let the gelatine dissolve over very low heat. Whip the mascarpone with the sugar. Add two spoonfuls of this cream to the saucepan with the orange juice and dissolved gelatine.
Whip until smooth
Stir well, then carefully pour the saucepan mixture back into the remaining mascarpone cream. Whip again until smooth. You'll get a beautifully fragrant cream with a lovely orange flavour and aroma. Spoon it into the moulds, over the prepared nutty base.
Smooth and chill
Don't fill all the way to the top, since the cakes will be finished with an amaretto jelly layer. Smooth the surface and chill in the fridge for at least three to four hours, ideally overnight.
Thicken the sugar syrup
Pour the water into a small saucepan, add the sugar and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Stir in half a teaspoon of agar. You can substitute clear cake jelly instead, following the instructions on the package. Either way, if using agar, boil the sugar water for about 4 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the liqueur
Remove from the heat and stir in a tablespoon or two of amaretto. Mix well, let it cool slightly, then pour over the top of the cakes. Chill again in the fridge until set. Alternatively, you can remove the cakes from the stainless steel rings first and pour the jelly over them once they're on the plate.
Toast the nuts
Finely chop some extra walnuts, add a little sugar, and toast in a pan. Let cool, then sprinkle the crunchy nut mixture over the finished dessert.
Chocolate decoration
As a final touch, decorate with dark chocolate, which pairs beautifully with the orange flavour. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie, load it into a piping bag or plastic squeeze bottle, and pipe shapes onto baking paper. Chill in the fridge until set.
