Sculptural Chocolate Centrepieces

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- Victoria Lim

In chocolate heaven

Granted, without seasoned skills and commercial baking equipment, home bakers will be hard-pressed to replicate the sculptured shapes of these chocolate creations. Still, these six recipes from Antoinette’s chef-owner Pang Kok Keong will enable you to achieve the same flavours.

Chicken Or the Egg

The age-old question “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” is the inspiration behind this chocolate egg creation. it uses a classic flavour combination of chocolate (coral sponge cake) and raspberry (caviar).

Serves 10

Prep time 40 minutes + 3 hours freezing + 6 hours crystallisation

Cook time 40 minutes

chocolate coral sponge cake

• 262g egg white

• 28g egg yolk

• 21g cocoa powder

• 83g icing sugar

• 14g corn oil

• 42g cake flour

» Mix all the ingredients together and pass the batter through a fine sieve strainer.

» Fill a 500ml siphon bottle with the batter and charge with two N20 chargers.

» In a microwavable container, pour the batter in and bake it in a microwave at high for 90 seconds.

» Remove the container from microwave and cool the cake on a wire rack. Once cooled, freeze the cake until needed.

raspberry gel

• 112g raspberry purée

• 175g sugar syrup

• 25ml sherry vinegar

• 2.25g agar powder

• 0.75g xanthan gum

» In a pot, bring the raspberry purée, sugar syrup, sherry vinegar to a boil.

» Add agar agar powder and xanthan gum. Stir constantly to avoid lumps and bring the mixture to boil again. Then pour it on a tray to cool the mixture down.