Cake Sailing in a dream with blueberries and lemon by Nicolas Nikolakopoulos

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Nicolas Nikolakopoulos, with a chemical background and co-founder of the NZ Pastry consultancy, sees pastry “as a means of storytelling, where each creation has a unique narrative to share”, he explains to us in so good.. magazine 31.

In this spirit, the Athenian chef competed at the World Chocolate Masters 2022, where he achieved a well-deserved third place. This experience marked him and taught him many things. “The World Chocolate Masters is an incredible journey that pushes you to work hard, innovate and get to know your limits. “It is a way to set aside the local views of your work, and show your work on a stage that matters, viewed by an international audience.”

Below we share, exclusively on www.sogoodmagazine.com, the recipe for the Sailing in a dream cake, the idea of which arose after her time at the WCM, as a symbol of that “no matter how hard it might be, we should always persevere and never lose our inner child while chasing our goals,” he says. The delicate paper boat sailing on the wavy sea reflects the imaginative and carefree spirit of childhood dreams. Ingredients such as blueberries and lemon provide a feeling of freshness and purity to the piece.

Sailing in a dream

For 20 desserts approximately

Blueberries compote

500 g blueberries
50 g blueberry puree
50 g strawberry puree
250 g sugar
13 g cornstarch
40 g water
12 g gelatin mass 180 bloom

Mix cornstarch with water. Boil blueberries, purees, sugar and cornstarch. Add gelatin mass. Let it cool.

Blueberry – lemon gel

150 g blueberry puree
100 g strawberry puree
50 g lemon juice
5 g lemon zest
60 g sugar
3 g pectin νη
5 g citric acid solution 50%

Mix together pectin NH, sugar and carob gum. In a saucepan mix purees and juice with the powders until dispersed. Bring to a rolling boil and add the citric acid. Let it cool.

Lemon chia cake with blueberries

100 g cream 35%
182,5 g whole eggs
5 g lemon zest
10 g lemon juice
220 g sugar
25 g melted butter 82%
20 g sunflower oil
185 g cake flour
25 g chia seeds
8 g baking powder
90 g blueberries whole or halves (fresh or frozen)

Mix all the ingredients except flour, chia seeds, baking powder and blueberries. Add the rest of the ingredients and spread on a silicone tray. Sprinkle blueberries on top, spread 0.8mm thick and bake at 170°C for 10 minutes. To make the centers for the dessert, spread a layer of the blueberry-lemon gel on top of the biscuit and freeze. Add a 0.8 mm layer of the compote on top, freeze and cut in rectangles, smaller than the mold of the dessert.

Lemon coriander chiboust

80 g sugar
250 g milk
150 g cream 35%
15 g coriander seeds, crushed
5 g lemon zest
120 g egg yolks
50 g lemon juice
30 g corn starch
45 g gelatin mass 180 bloom
220 g egg whites
4 g albumin powder
50 g sugar

Heat cream, milk, sugar, coriander seeds and lemon zest. Strain in egg yolks, lemon juice and cornstarch and make a crème pâtissière. Add gelatin mass. Make a meringue with egg whites, albumin and sugar and add it to the cream until it is still hot. Use it immediately to fill rectangular silicone molds, placing one frozen biscuit-gel-compote center in the middle.

White chocolate – lemon whipped ganache

1.000 g cream 35%
50 g glucose syrup
8 g vanilla extract
10 g lemon zest
350 g Cacao Barry Zephyr 34% white chocolate
25 g gelatin mass 180 bloom

Boil cream with glucose, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Strain and make a ganache with chocolate. Add gelatin mass. Let it overnight in the fridge and then whip. Using a small palette, make waves on top of the dessert. Freeze.

White chocolate spray

100 g cocoa butter
100 g Zephyr 34% white chocolate

Melt together and blend.

Assembly

Spray the frozen desserts with the white chocolate spray and then spray with turquoise cocoa butter color from the one corner, to make the waves appear. When the dessert thaws, add a small white chocolate paper boat on one corner.