Pastry chef Ngô Hải Đức from the Grand Mercure Hanoi

Grand Mercure Hanoi sets the stage for the most romantic night of the year for couples who are looking for a private and heart-warming place. For Valentine’s Day, pastry chef Ngô Hải Đức shows us how to make rose ganache with dried rose petals, white chocolate and whipping cream – bringing an elegant yet tasteful dessert to impress your Valentine.

Heart & Rose Chocolate Cake

Rose ganache:

• 1kg whipping cream
• 15g gelatin (soaked in cold water)
• 225g chopped white chocolate
• 30g dried rose flowers
• Heat the whipping cream with the dried rose flowers until it boils.
• Store the cream in a covered container for 6 to 8 hours.
• After 6 to 8 hours, take out the dried rose flower and reheat the whipping cream
• Heat and mix the white chocolate and the gelatin, and put the mixture into refrigerator overnight
• Whip the mixture

Mixed berries compote:

• 160g frozen blueberries
• 250g frozen raspberries
• 400g fresh strawberries
• 2g gelatin (soaked in cold water)
• 20g corn starch
• 150g sugar
• Put all the frozen berries into a pan and heat for around 3 to 5 minutes
• Mix the corn starch and the sugar, pour the mixture into the pan and boil for around 5 minutes
• Turn off the heat and add gelatin into the pan and stir

Chocolate truffle:

• 300ml water
• 230g sugar
• 240g butter
• 120g chopped dark chocolate
• 225g flour
• 6g baking powder
• 6g baking soda
• 35g cacao powder
• 5g salt
• 3 eggs
• 3g vanilla
• Put the butter and sugar in a pan over medium heat until melted
• Add chopped dark chocolate into the pan and heat to around 50 to 60 degrees Celsius.
• Add eggs into the pan and mix well
• Mix all the flour and powder and slowly add the mixture into the pan and stir well
• Turn off the heat and straining the mixture
• Bake the mixture at 180 degrees Celsius
• Place the white rose cake in the middle of the plate, and decorate with condiments as in the picture

Condiment for Rose Cake plating:

• Strawberry sauce
• Fresh strawberry and blueberry
• Edible flower
• Raspberry jelly
• Chocolate crumble
• Rose ganache
• Gold leaf

The Heart & Rose Chocolate cake is available in the special dinner set menu this Valentine’s Day at the Lộc-ally Restaurant in Grand Mercure Hanoi Hotel, 9 Cát Linh Street, Đống Đa District, Hà Nội. Tel: (+84) 24 3211 5757. VNS