Hailing from France, the young Alexis Gudimard, who just recently joined the ranks of Pullman Jakarta Central Park as its pastry chef, quickly charms everyone with his good looks and wonderful creations. Not just that, the young chefs also told us of how it all started with his career and introduces his latest creation, The Royal Cake.

Chef Alexis Gudimard’s apprenticeship years began around in several boulangerie and chocolaterie in Montpellier and Nice in France, following his pastry education at two schools, until he wrapped it up by working under the most famous French chocolatier, Pascal Lac.

“After I finished my studies, I headed to Courmayeur right at the edge of Italy, nearby Chamonix, to start working professionally as chef for one of the resorts there,” Alexis told us. As fate would have it, he met his girlfriend there, and they worked together for a year, until moving to England together for work.

England became the big break for Alexis as he got admitted as chef de partie for the only restaurant outside of France to retain three-star Michelin for almost three decades. “I was proud to part of the team that assured another year for The Waterside Inn to preserve such prestige”, said Alexis.

The Waterside Inn itself is managed by the Roux family famed for their flagship restaurant in London, Le Gavroche. “I had a fruitful two years of learning so much at The Waterside Inn. The ala carte desserts were delicate to handle but I enjoy my years of making special pralines and soufflés for the guests there”, he continued.

When asked about his favorite dessert, the chef simply replied, “While sometimes what I eat may depends on my mood of whether I want milk chocolate or dark chocolate, I personally like my chocolate strong and I will put a lot of sour accompaniments from fruits and caramel around it”.

In this edition, The Royal Cake he presents us is a mixture of four delicate elements that pair perfectly with each other. The flavor depth of Valrhona dark chocolate and milk chocolate are combined with cream and biscuits to make the textures even richer which concealed perfectly with the luscious dark glaze. You can personally savor his secret touch for this cake every day at Pullman Jakarta Central Park or perhaps you’d prefer to recreate it yourself and bring your skill to the next level. Either way, enjoy the treat!

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THE ROYAL CAKE

Serves: 60×40 cm size

• INGREDIENTS:

1)    Dacquoise

700 gr             Egg whites
320 gr             Sugar
600 gr             Ground almond
150 gr             Flour
150 gr             Icing sugar

2)    Praline Feuilletine

500 gr             Couverture milk chocolate
800 gr             Praline
600 gr             Royaltine

3)    Bavaroise Dark Chocolate

325 gr             Cream 35%, liquid
3100 gr          Cream 35%, whipped
325 gr             Egg yolk
350 gr             Sugar
1700 gr          Couverture dark chocolate 61%

4)    Black Glaze

870 gr             Sugar
480 gr             Water
1070 gr          Cream 35%
535 gr             Glucose
230 gr             Cocoa powder
235 gr             Trimoline (inverted sugar syrup)
300 gr             Gelatin

• STEPS (in order):

Dacquoise

1. Whip the egg whites with half of the sugar using 3^rd speed until it achieves a light meringue consistency.
2. Add remaining sugar little by little and keep whipping it until it reaches full meringue consistency.
3. Add sifted flour and icing sugar that has already been mixed with the ground almond slowly.
4. Spread the mix upon two trays using baking paper and ready to cook.
5. Bake for around 10 minutes or so at 180C. Set aside and let it cool down naturally or chilled until needed.

Praline feuilletine

1. Melt the chocolate and add the praline.
2. Add the royaltine and mix it altogether.
3. Spread the mix all over the dacquiose evenly. Don’t forget to border the cake first using rectangular bracket to make it tidy.

Bavaroise Dark Chocolate

1. Mix the egg yolk and the sugar well.
2. Bring the liquid cream to boil and pour half of it to the mix.
3. Pour the rest while boiling the mix up to 81C. Mix it constantly during the process.
4. Put out from the stove and continue mixing for around 1 minute.
5. Bring in the dark chocolate, put it in the microwave for 45 seconds, and pour the cream mix over the chocolate.
6. Mix slowly until it becomes homogeneous.
7. At around 35C, incorporate the mix with the whipped cream.
8. Once ready for use, pour over the dacquoise and praline feuilletine to create a new layer.
9. Tidy the surface by using an iron ruler. Set aside and refrigerate.

Black Glaze

1. Cook the sugar with water at 120C.
2. At the same time, boil the cream and glucose.
3. Add the cocoa and the trimoline in the hot cream. Mix it.
4. Add the cooked sugar with water while not boiling by mixing it altogether.
5. At 60C, add the gelatin and the remaining glaze (if you made one before this).
6. Mix well using hand blender until thick and without incorporating the air.
7. Use only when at 35C and always check the temperature before use.
8. Pour it over the chilled cake evenly by using strainer.
9. Tidy up the black glaze on the cake.
10. Decorate the cake as you please and ready to serve.

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Featured in THE FOODIE MAGAZINE April 2014 edition

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Photos by: Dennie Benedict