Join Executive Pastry Chef Josh Johnson as he shares the secrets to delicious, creative chocolate cakes! To begin, master a go-to chocolate cake. Then, create an airy chocolate sponge cake and learn how to perfectly prepare its two key ingredients: pâte à bombe and meringue. Next, get Josh’s secrets for creaming butter and sugar to achieve a remarkably rich pound cake, and create flexible, flourless cake that’s ideal for sweet roulades. Moving on, fill your cakes with luscious chocolate ganache and find out how to make mousse by adding one simple step. Then, whip up decadent chocolate pastry cream and fillings loaded with chocolate streusel, caramelized peanuts and chocolate nougatine. Plus, get tips for making cakes that are as gorgeous as they are delectable when you learn how to temper chocolate and create professional-looking embellishments that set your cakes apart!
Class Sessions
Introduction & Old-Fashioned Cake
40:38
Meet your instructor, pastry artist Josh Johnson, and learn about the delicious and refined recipes you'll master in this class: from cakes and fillings to frostings and decorations. Discover how chocolate is made and what types of chocolate are best for baking. Then, get started making a classic old-fashioned chocolate cake. Josh will give his professional tips for properly preparing, measuring and mixing a flawless cake batter, and show you how to know exactly when your cake is done.
Chocolate Sponge Cake
21:42
Learn how to make a light-as-air chocolate sponge cake from two key components: a pâte à bombe (egg yolks whipped with sugar) and meringue (egg whites whipped with sugar and cream of tartar). Josh will walk you through making each, and how to gently combine the batter without losing its loft. Finally, see how this cake looks -- inside and out -- when it is perfectly baked.
Pound Cake & Flourless Cake
27:46
Master two more chocolate cakes: A rich pound cake perfect for carving and a thin flourless cake that you can roll up into a roulade. First, Josh shows you his pound cake technique, including his secrets to creaming butter and sugar the right way. Next, create a tender, flexible flourless cake by folding ingredients into a glossy meringue. Josh will show you how to tell when it's done baking, as well as how to remove it from the pan, layer it with a tasty filling, and roll it into a roulade.
Ganache & Variations
20:26
Josh's exclusive recipe for chocolate ganache is ideal for use as a stable, decadent cake filling, and he teaches you just how to make it. Learn how to flavor the ganache with raspberries or even peanut butter, or turn it into a mousse with just one extra step!
Cooked Fillings
24:10
Pastry cream, a classic cake filling, is really just a cooked custard, and Josh shows you all the tricks and tips for making a decadent chocolate version. Learn how to store your pastry cream so that it doesn't form a skin, and then turn it into light, fluffy diplomat cream. Finally, learn to make a luscious chocolate crèmeux -- a thicker, richer version of creme anglaise -- to expand your cake fillings repertoire even more.
Crunchy Chocolate Additions
35:39
Josh shows you how to elevate your cakes by adding sophisticated texture to your fillings with three crunchy, crispy additions: chocolate streusel, caramelized peanuts and chocolate nougatine. He teaches you different ways to incorporate these additions into your cakes, creating an unexpected textural contrast that's sure to delight.
Frostings
29:31
Give your cakes polished, professional finishes with three different icings: fluffy Swiss meringue buttercream, creamy Italian meringue buttercream, and old-fashioned chocolate frosting just like Grandma used to make. Finally, learn Josh's technique for icing a cake in minutes -- no crumb coat needed!
Decorations & Garnishes
13:41
Make your cakes look as lavish and decadent as they taste with artistic chocolate garnishes. Josh shows you how to temper chocolate at home so you can create professional-looking cake decorations that are shiny and set. And finally, he shows you how to garnish and decorate the cakes like a pro.
Your Instructor
Josh Johnson
Josh Johnson is an Executive Pastry Chef based in Chicago, Illinois. He trained at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago and worked with Payard Patisserie & Bistro in New York City before returning to his home state of Illinois as an instructor at The French Pastry School of Chicago. He currently works as a consultant, helping companies with recipe development, classes and kitchen planning, and was recently named one of the 10 best pastry chefs in the U.S. by Dessert Professional Magazine.
Bonus Materials available for download after purchase.
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