The Gold Thorn cake with durian fruit and cheese chantilly by Christopher Siu

At Daan Go Cake Lab in Toronto, Chinese chef Christopher Siu offers a menu of products that connect with his Asian origins. “As a child I often struggled to connect my Asian heritage and the Western culture around me. Creating this line of pastries became a means to normalize and bring to light many aspects of my upbringing to a larger audience, with the hope of building a platform for others to move forward,” he explains.

A good example of this philosophy is the Gold Thorn, a trompe-l’oeil cake inspired by the Durian Fruit. “We choose to use a mix of D24 durian (for its aroma and low water content) and thai monthong durian (for sweetness). One of my favorite fruits growing up was the Durian and it was always a treat to have it at home due to its price. The Gold Thorn was a way for me to take something I loved as a child and recreate it in a form that everyone would be able to enjoy”, he adds.

The Gold Thorn

White Chocolate Croquant

24 g Valrhona Opalys
5 g grapeseed oil
5 g freeze dried Durian powder
5 g shredded coconut
22 g feuilletine

In a Melangeur/Refiner, refine the white chocolate, grapeseed oil, freeze-dried durian powder, and shredded coconut for 24 hours or until the mixture becomes smooth. Mix the refined mixture together with feuilletine until well combined.

Durian Mousse

27 g milk 3%
21 g sugar
36 g egg yolks
30 g mascarpone cheese
16 g skim milk powder
143 g cream 35%
60 g D24 Durian puree
22 g gelatin mass (5:1)*
5 g inulin
16 g Valrhona Opalys white chocolate

*Gelatin Mass (5:1): Bloom 1 parts gold strength gelatin in 5 part water.

In a pot, bring milk and sugar to a boil. Pour ⅓ of the hot liquid over the egg yolks to temper, then add the mixture back into the pot and cook to 80°C. Add durian puree, skim milk powder, Valrhona Opalys white chocolate, and inulin. Hand blend the mixture until it becomes smooth. Add the prepared gelatin mass and use an immersion blender once more for thorough incorporation. Whip the 35% cream with mascarpone until it reaches medium-hard peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream and mascarpone mixture into the durian base. Use the Durian Mousse immediately for optimal texture and flavor.

Durian Puree for Inserts

2.250 g D24 Durian pulp
1.500 g monthong Durian pulp

Remove seeds from the durian flesh of both D24 and Monthong varieties. Place the seedless durian flesh into a bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Paddle at low speed, allowing the paddle to collect fibers from the durian pulp. Discard the collected fibers and set aside the resulting durian puree.

Macadamia Joconde

450 g macadamia nut flour
225 g icing sugar
135 g cake flour
15 g salt
216 g egg yolks
324 g egg whites (1)
540 g egg whites (2)
135 g sugar
40 g coconut oil
95 g unsalted butter

Mix together and sift the macadamia nut flour, icing sugar, cake flour, and salt. Whisk egg whites (1) with egg yolks until light and pale. Fold in the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and coconut oil, then fold them into the batter. In a separate bowl, make a stiff peak meringue using egg whites (2) and sugar. Fold the stiff peak meringue into the batter until well combined. Pour the batter into prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake at 175°C for 12-15 minutes or until the joconde is set and lightly golden.

Cheese Chantilly

450 g 35% cream
150 g mascarpone cheese
50 g brie (rind removed)
3.5 g sea salt
88 g Valrhona Opalys white chocolate

Warm the cream to 45°C. Add the Valrhona Opalys white chocolate and use an immersion blender to blend until a homogenous mixture is achieved. Add mascarpone cheese, Brie (rind removed), and sea salt to the mixture. Blend until smooth. Saran wrap the surface of the mixture, then place it into the fridge overnight to crystallize. Whip the chilled mixture to medium-hard peaks before using.

Assembly of Durian Inserts

Place the Macadamia Joconde in a 12×16 inch slab ring. Pipe the Durian Puree on top, ensuring even spreading. Add a second layer of Joconde on top. Finish by piping and spreading the Cheese Chantilly evenly over the Joconde. Let the assembly freeze overnight. Remove the slab ring and slice the frozen assembly into 16 equal portions. On top of each insert, add an additional 100g of Durian Puree, molding it into a dome shape using a palette knife. Freeze again.

Assembly of Durian Cake

Pour the Durian Mousse into the mold. Finish by adding the frozen Durian Insert, ensuring a 3mm gap is left. Allow the cake to freeze completely. Gently warm the top opening of the mold using a heat gun. Press the prepared White Chocolate Croquant into the 3mm gap to create the base of the cake. Freeze at -18°C for at least 8 hours before unmolding.

Durian Cake Garnish

Melt together an equal portion of Cocoa Barry Ghana 40% and Cocoa Butter drops to create the velour spray. Spray the Durian Cake to create an even brown coating.