Strawberry Bavarois on a Hazelnut Fondant Base

This “Strawberry Bavarois” on a soft hazelnut fondant cake is my own idea. I adapted the classic recipe taken from the French magazine “Cuisine Actuelle”. Let me tell you, I love this one enormously. The combination of flavours is perfect. The lightness and unctuosity of the strawberry mousse blends perfectly with the hazelnut fondant cake which gives it a caramel aftertaste. I remember when I served it everyone said “Ohhhh woww…” What else can I tell you? This dessert is definitely a winner!

Ingredients for 8 servings (use an 18cm aluminium circular mould)

For the Hazelnut Fondant Base:

80 g sugar

2 eggs

80 g hazelnut powder

50 g melted butter

A dash of kirsch

For the Strawberry Bavarois:

300 g strawberries

6 g gelatine in sheets

200 ml of very cold full cream

80 g sugar

1 tablespoon icing sugar

For Hazelnut Fondant Base:

1. In a bowl, combine the eggs with the sugar. Add the hazelnut powder, the kirsch and the melted butter. Put in an aluminium circular mould. Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C.

2. After cooking, allow the fondant to cool in the mould and unmould it when cold.

3. Place the fondant cake in a serving dish and reposition the aluminium circular mould around it, slightly reducing the diameter to avoid leakage of the Bavarois cream.

For the Strawberry Bavarois:
1. Mix the strawberries.

2. Soak the gelatine in cold water.

3. Heat the strawberry puree in a saucepan with the sugar. Add the well-drained gelatine. Mix so that it melts well and leave to cool.

4. Beat the full cream into a firm whipped cream (put the whisk and the bowl in the fridge 1 hour before whisking). Add the icing sugar and whisk again.

5. Using a spatula, gently mix the cooled whipped cream to the strawberry purée.

6. Spread this mixture over the hazelnut fondant cake in the aluminium circular mould.   Refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

7. Gently remove the aluminium circular mould and decorate according to taste. (I decorated mine with fresh sliced strawberries and, on top. I placed a few strawberries sprinkled with icing sugar and added whipped cream).