Mont Blanc Cake (Chestnut Dessert)

It’s a very simple Japanese-style Mont Blanc, chestnut cream dessert recipe. This snowy mountain look of the cake, following the meaning of the name in French, is the perfect winter dessert for Christmas holiday through daily snack. Store-bought mini tart shells and Bonne Maman chestnut preserve allow you to make Mont Blanc cake so easily. So thus, you will only need to prepare meringue cookies, melted chocolate and whipped cream. As the chestnut preserve contains a lot of sweetness, you won’t add any sugar to make chestnut cream. Meringue cookie can still be crispy for up to 3 days, so there is an option making them on another day for the rest of the steps.

What is Mont Blanc Cake in Japan

The reason I said this recipe, Japanese-style Mont Blanc, is because just I’ve never had traditional French or Italian Mont blanc cake. This recipe has been inspired from all that I’d eaten in Japan. There are various tastes: chestnut, chocolate, strawberry, sweet potato and green tea. it’s nationwide popular dessert that you can buy them any patisseries even at convenience stores just around the corner.

I think that we call “Mont Blanc” if it has some kind of base and top with spaghetti-like strings cream from a specific piping tip. Generally the base is a sponge cake, sliced rolled cake, meringue or tart. And under the chestnut cream, chestnut puree or a candied Chestnut is hidden with whipped cream.

My version of Mont Blanc layers from the bottom is :

• • Mini tart shells
  • Melted milk chocolate
  • Chestnut preserve
  • Whipped cream
  • Meringue cookie
  • Chestnut cream

This is one of the typical combination of Japanese Mont blanc. You can enjoy the delicious contrast of textures, along with rich flavorful chestnut cream. It’s very nice to pair with a cup of black coffee. I hope you have a good time in winter with this simple Mont blanc tart.

Mont Blanc Cake (Chestnut Desset)

Very simple Japanese-style Mont blanc cake recipe. Store-bought mini tart shells and Bonne maman chestnut preserve allow you to make Mont blanc so easily. Delicious combination of the different texture created from meringue cookies, chocolate coated tarts and rich chestnut cream.

Author Matcha and Tofu

Servings: 12 tart shells

Ingredients

• 12 store-bought mini tart shells

Meringue

• 1 egg white
• 5 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp almond flour(ground almonds)

Other

• 50 g milk chocolate bar
• 1/2 jar 200g(7oz) Bonne Maman chestnut preserve
• 200 ml heavy whipping cream(double cream)
• 1 tsp dark rum
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar optional

Instructions

Meringue

• Preheat oven to 100C (212F) and line a parchment paper on an over rack, then set aside.
• Crack the egg in a completely clean medium bowl and take out the egg yolk carefully with a spoon.
• Beat the egg white until firm peaks. Then gradually add the sugar as stirring each time and beat until the mixture is shiny. Remove the beater and add the almond flour (ground almonds), then mix softly with a rubber spatula. 
• Transfer the meringue into a piping bag with a large tip (I used star shape). Then pipe about 0.7 inches (2 cm) diameter round onto the prepared paper sheet.
  
• Bake on 100C (212F) for 1 hour. After baking time, still leave the meringue in the oven door closed for 1 hour.
• Remove the meringue from the oven and allow to cool completely. Then store in an airtight container. It can be kept crisp for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Chocolate coating

• Pour water in a large saucepan over high heat. Once water boiled, bring to simmer. 
• Place the broken chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl, and set over the saucepan. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Add 1-2 tbsp of milk (not in the ingredients) if the chocolate is too thick to brush.
• Brush a thick layer of the chocolate evenly inside the tart shells with a pastry brush.
  

Cream

• Pour the heavy whipping cream (double cream) into a large bowl and beat until firm peaks with an electric beater.
• Separate the whipped cream in half. Place the half amount of whipped cream in a small bowl and set aside in fridge. 
• Add 120g (4oz) of the chestnut preserve and the dark rum into the remaining half whipped cream and beat until well combined, Transfer into a piping bag with a Mont Blanc tip. You can substitute for other small hole tips.

Assemble

• Place 1 teaspoon of chestnut spread as is on the chocolate coated tart shells, and put in 1 tablespoon of whipped cream (not chestnut mixture) from the small bowl. Then place the one meringue cookie on top of the whipped cream. 
  
• Pipe the chestnut cream around the mini tower. Repeat the whole process for the rest of tart shells.
• Top with the other meringue cookie if you want, and optionally dust powdered sugar.