Bavarian Orange Caramel Mousse & Chocolate Cake

I used to think that cakes were all about the baking. Baking is more of a science, get the temperature correct, whip the eggs right- a mini dictator in my kitchen. Now cakes are more about assembly, bringing different flavors and ingredients together to create a stunning flavor combination. That has put the FUN back in baking :). This cake that I made to take along for Mr and Mrs. S's potluck this weekend is a good example. The sketch below shows the layers that went into this cake.
















Armed with just a few cakes in your repertoire and a few fillings; making tasty cakes is a wonderfully easy process. Juggling in fruits, whipped cream, Jams, sprinkles or M&Ms can unleash your creativity and have fun mixing and matching. You can play around this idea with boxed cake mixes to begin with.

I leave you with this potent idea and the recipe for the Bavarian Orange Caramel Mousse adapted from Flo Braker's, The simple art of Perfect Baking by Flo Braker. Enjoy.

ORANGE CARAMEL BAVARIAN MOUSSE
Makes 3 cups

For the caramel:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup concentrated orange juice( Take about 1.5 cups of orange juice, add some orange peels- only the orange part without the white pith, boil on the stove until volume reduces by atleast half- about half an hour)

3 tbsp water
2 tsp gelatin

1 cup heavy cream
3 egg yolks

1 tbsp orange oil( available at cake shops ) optional

Method:
1. Make the caramel: Take the First three ingredients in a small heavy bottomed pot. Melt the sugar on medium low heat. Donot stir or your sugar will crystallize. Warm the half a cup of cream over the stove or microwave simultaneously. When the sugar turns a nice brown color, pour the hot heavy cream into it and stir to mix. The caramel will bubble but donot worry. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon.

2. Once the caramel cream mixture is cool, add the orange juice and milk in equal proportion to the caramel to get 1.5 cups of total fluid. Dont worry if the milk seems to separate when you add the orange juice. The next step will take care of that.

3. Make the creme anglaise: Stir the egg yolks to combine and add to the pot with the caramel cream and orange juice mixture. Place over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. If you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should register between 165 to 170 degrees. Sieve the mixture into another bowl to remove any solids.

4. Finishing the Bavarian cream: Soak the gelatin in the water for five minutes. Add to the caramel mixture and stir until it is dissolved. Wait until the mixture cools - about ten minutes. Whip the remaining one cup of cream in a chilled bowl until it is thick enough to create swirls in the bowl but is liquid enough to move when the bowl is moved. Fold the whipped cream into the caramel , mix thoroughly and referigerate for atleast four hours to set the mousse.