What is an Entremet? It’s a multi-layered mousse-based cake with various complementary flavors and varying textural contrasts.

Guest Post by Lisa at Parsley Sage Sweet
For those of you who aren’t familiar with entremets, the actual definition is the sweet course served after the cheese course. However, they’re mostly recognized as beautiful cakes layered with contrasting flavors and textures. I’ve pretty much been obsessed with entremets since I was 13 and saw a World Pastry Challenge on some local cable access station. Stunning, edible cakes of art, in all shapes and sizes, which when sliced open, reveal perfect layers of all kinds of goodies, from caramel to crunchy, to creamy, to ‘moussey’, to ‘cakey’ to crispy ..ad infinitum.
I couldn’t wait to get started, and by Saturday night, I was already sketching out the details.
Many scoff at the notion that entremets can actually be easy. Yes, there’s a lot of steps, but when taken one by one, you’d be amazed at how effortlessly it comes together. The main caveat is probably the setting time between some layers, and this is why I’m going to recommend using the freezer when building an entremet. Quicker setting, faster layering.
When I poured on the mirror, it was THE BEST mirror topping I’d ever produced. I could see my reflection clearly. It set almost immediately since the cake was frozen, a gorgeous sheet of shimmering ruby. I was thrilled to pieces, so thrilled, that I had to put it back in the freezer just to ‘make sure’ it was perfectly set and ready to slice. Cut to one-half hour later…
My super, duper shiny berry puree mirror is now a purple ice skating rink.
I think I see Brian Boitano landing triple salchows. I need to take photos right now – like only 20 more minutes of that perfect artificial light time, and a frozen sheet of purple ice will not do… I grabbed my blowtorch, and like a mad scientist started ‘melting’ the ice rink (Brian screams in agony). The mirror started to bubble slightly, even though I was using a light touch, so I stopped and decided to give it 15 more minutes of natural thaw in this humidity. Too late, I ruined it, it’s permanently scarred with bubbles and weird dents, and, my photo taking time was gone. Live and learn.
I hope you all try this. The taste and texture is amazing – rich and creamy, cakey, crunchy, light and fluffy all in one bite. The combination of blackberry, raspberry, chocolate and hazelnut, is divine.
If you enjoy delicious desserts you may also like these recipes:
A Canadian Foodie
Lisa Michele!
You are one crazy woman, and your new blogging friend certainly picked the right woman to do a guest post. Wowsers! Spectacular and unforgettable recipe as well as a hilarious and compelling read! I will make this – but not alone. I will need a friend to cheer me on. This is not cooking. This is not baking. This is a challenge – and adventure – and it must be done with a buddy, me thinks, to succeed. Unlike you, I do not have the tenacity to do it again, after I fail. Well, I do. But, not like you.
Great read!
🙂
Valerie
Emily Malloy
Absolutely adorable!
The Mistress of Spices
This looks sublime!!!
Julie M.
And impress me you did! That looks incredible. You know, I have a similar dessert that I've been attempting to replicate. I didn't realize they were called entremets; great guest post!
Gloria
Look amazing dear Dennis, x gloria
The Writers, Photographers, and Chefs
Chef Dennis, I just gotta say wow. I read your comment on my new food blog @ http://www.sandwicheverything.blogspot.com and I had a feeling you'd probably have an awesome food blog. Well, here I am and you do. I love your creative take on food. It's very inspiring. I am now following you as well and will visit again soon. Please continue to check back on my blog and feel free to give me some ideas.. ha ha.
Cheers to you as well,
Matt
Kelly
I love the fact that you sketch your dessert… Anyone who puts that much time, thought and energy into their work has chosen the right path… there is so much passion and beauty coming off the page. Wonderful.
Sanja 9
amaizing Cake…
Michelle
this looks amazing. and im prone to sketching layers on paper too! ^^
sara @ CaffeIna
Oh my gosh, Lisa! This cake looks wonderful! I wish I were even half as talented as you are in making cakes. The layers are just perfectly executed and the pictures are divine. I would really like to take a (huge) bite!
Great post this Friday! Thanks Lisa and Chef!
a. maren
oh my gosh. all of it looks great, but i just want to make a big pot of that hazelnut ganache and take a spoon to it…would that be wrong?
freeeatsfood.com
How gorgeous. I love seeing the sketch….almost looks like a set of blueprints. What a talent you are Lisa! Thanks to Chef Dennis for hosting.
Torviewtoronto
delicious colourful well thought out dessert
looks fabulous
Laura
Amazing job, as always, Lisa. This looks stunning and sounds luscious.
Lisa
Ooops.. (pr ;ess than that) is really (or less than that) LOL
Lisa
Wow..such amazing comments, I'm blushing! Thanj you, all!
Charlie – I think it would be a great idea to use the lesser (pr ;ess than that) amount of panna cotta I posted and double the amount the above recipe for berry mousse so it's as much as the one in my photos. It didn't even occur to me that there's no need to split both in half, when changing the recipe at the last second. Also..if you don't flip over chocolate, how about a vanilla panna cotta, or any other flavor you like? You could also make a vanilla genoise by substituting 1/4 cup corn starch for the 1/4 cup cocoa.
Thank you for liking my little cakes and enjoying my post 🙂
Finally, forgot to add that the genoise recipe is half of a Dorie Greenspan recipe.
Carrie @ Pure and Yummy
WOW! What an absolutely beautiful dessert! The flavors sound amazing! You made me giggle with the ice rink and torch situation, that was good stuff! Beautiful job! Thanks for sharing.
Baking Serendipity
Wow! This is seriously impressive 🙂 It looks, and I can only imagine tastes, fantastic! Chef, Happy Summer and congrats on your yearbook immortality 🙂
Peggy
This looks so elegant and beautiful! I don't think I've had the same problem with my Lowel EGO (but then again, I usually take pictures outside this time of year, and when I do use the light, it's usually the same time, so no time for comparison I suppose lol Great guest post!
Barbara Bakes
If you hadn't pointed out the flaws I would have thought it was perfection! What an amazing flavor combination.