feeling festive
Recipe: pomegranate chocolate dessert
I thought I might find a little time to do some festive baking, but it seems that I won’t have much time this season for a variety of reasons. There has been one recipe I’ve been wanting to try out for a couple of months now ever since pomegranates arrived in our markets. Pomegranate seeds are little jewels. We have five large pomegranates sitting on our counter right now. I tend to stock up on them because Jeremy can put away quite a few. My enjoyment of pomegranate seeds increased tenfold several years ago when I learned I could EAT the crunchy center. How about that?
the glamour girl of the fruit world
boozy version
PAMA had sent me a bottle of their pomegranate liqueur last month to inspire and shoehorn me out of this creative funk I’ve been wallowing in. Well, I suppose lack of time and funk are not the same thing, but I have noticed that lack of time can be an inspiration-killer. Jeremy’s immediate reaction was pomegranate martini! Oy, martinis and I have a checkered past. I thought something more tame like a dessert, was in order.
had to try making pomegranate molasses
cutting the cake bases
It’s a bit of a pomegranate extravaganza. I am not so talented as my dear Tartelette or Lemonpi that I can produce dazzling combinations of flavors to tickle the taste buds as well as the brain. I must remind myself to keep things simple to avoid the crash and burn of dessert failure. There were two things I had been wanting to try: pomegranate molasses and folding pomegranate seeds into mousse. I had been seeing pomegranate syrup/molasses all over the blogs lately.
thick, red, tart, sweet
folding seeds into white chocolate mousse
There are two versions of the dessert because aesthetically, I thought snowy white chocolate mousse dotted with brilliant glass-like pomegranate seeds would be stunning. However, as regular readers know, I cannot stand white chocolate. So we made the evil twin version with dark chocolate mousse and let me tell you, that combination of dark chocolate with tart pomegranate is the winner.
brushing simple syrup over the cake
layering the mousse over the drizzle of pomegranate molasses
As long as you keep the timing of the components in mind, it’s not that difficult (just time-consuming). The mousse should be made right before you are ready to assemble the dessert. If you make the mousse and store it in the refrigerator for later use, it will firm up and be difficult to spread or work with. After the mousse has set in the mold (after refrigeration) pour the cooled mirror liquid over it. Of course, these things never go so simply as that. My ring molds were fine. The hexagonal mold is on the shallow side and so I had to raise the mold a little around the cake to pour the mirror layer. Imagine my horror as I watched all of the liquid drain down the sides and pool at the base. I had to engineer a fix… and make another batch of pomegranate mirror.
piping into the molds
set and ready
I think part of the problem is the white chocolate mousse was too structurally weak. I’ll probably go digging through Helen’s archives for a better one or just avoid the hexagonal mold next time. The chocolate mousse is not only more stable, but it’s just the right amount of sweetness to play against that refreshingly tart pomegranate molasses. Plus, I like how the pomegranate seeds go pop in your mouth amidst that sea of creamy mousse.
unmolded and a little frustrating
here is the white chocolate version
The leftover components were unceremoniously chucked into a bowl for Jeremy to nosh on. Some cake, some soaking syrup, some molasses, and mousse. I didn’t have any mirror leftover. It’s a terrific combination without the mirror if you ever want to serve it up as a little bowl of goodness.
the superior dark chocolate version (join the dark side, it’s so much more gratifying!)
Full disclosure: I received a free bottle of PAMA pomegranate liqueur.
Pomegranate Chocolate Dessert
[print recipe]
1/2 11×17-inch sheet of vanilla chiffon cake
10 oz. PAMA simple syrup
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
white or dark chocolate mousse
1 cup pomegranate seeds
pomegranate mirror
vanilla chiffon cake
makes 2 11×17-inch sheets or 2 9×3-inch rounds (you only need 1/2 a sheet unless making 9-inch cake in which case you can cobble pieces together or use one whole sheet)
14.5 oz. cake flour
8.75 oz. confectioners sugar
6.75 oz. whole milk
6 oz. canola oil
3.25 oz. eggs
0.5 oz. baking powder (omitted at 8500 ft.)
13 oz. egg whites
9.5 oz. granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Oven 375°F. Prep pan by buttering bottom and sides. Place parchment paper in pan and butter the parchment. Sift dry ingredients (except granulated sugar) into a large bowl. Mix all ingredients (except the 13 ounces of egg whites and granulated sugar) in the large bowl until combined. Whip whites and granulated sugar to medium peaks. Fold into batter gently. Bake until set, about 20-25 minutes (18 minutes for me). Remove from oven and remove from pan. Let cool completely on a rack.
PAMA simple syrup
4 oz. water
4 oz. sugar
2 oz. PAMA liqueur
Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Let come to a boil. Turn off the heat and let cool. Add the PAMA liqueur.
pomegranate molasses
from Closet Cooking
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 splash lemon juice
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and let simmer until it has reduced to about 1/2 cup. ~40-50 minutes. You will want it to be slightly more fluid when hot because it thickens as it cools.
dark chocolate mousse
from Tartelette
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup whole milk
2 oz. butter
1 egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream, cold
In a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure that the bowl fits snuggly over the pan and does not touch the water), melt together the chocolate, milk, and butter. (Okay, I just throw it all into a pan and heat it gently over the burner without a water bath). Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm. Whisk in the egg yolk. In a mixer, whip the cream to medium peaks and fold it into the chocolate mixture. Make the mousse just before assembly.
white chocolate mousse
1 2/3 cups heavy cream
4 oz. white chocolate, chopped
Heat the white chocolate and 2/3 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat, constantly stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat. Let cool completely. Beat the remaining cup of heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture. If you want it to be more fluffy, whip the whole ensemble a little more. Make the mousse just before assembly.
pomegranate mirror
1 tbsp PAMA liqueur
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp gelatin
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice (I use POM)
Place the PAMA liqueur and the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid and let is soften. Heat the juice in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. Stir in the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Let cool to near room temperature. Make the mirror last.
Assembly: Cut the cake to fit your mold(s), this will be your base. There is no precise measuring of components here. Generally a half sheet of cake will suffice for any molds 8 inches in diameter or less. I usually peel off the top crust of the chiffon cake because it interferes with absorption of the soaking syrup. If I feel the cake is too high, I’ll trim a little off the top as well. If using round molds, I like to line the inside with acetate ribbon for ease of release. Fit the cake into the base of your mold and set on parchment paper on a baking sheet. The cake should be snug in the mold. Brush the PAMA simple syrup onto the top of the cake. Do it again. Drizzle the pomegranate molasses evenly over the cake (forget about spreading it, you’ll shred the cake – too sticky). If your pomegranate molasses is too stiff, heat it up ever so briefly until it is more fluid. You don’t need to pour a lot, but you need enough so that 80% of the cake surface is colored dark red. Fold the pomegranate seeds into the mousse. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a big plain tip with the mousse and pipe it evenly over the cake (an inch or more in height). I like to slam the baking sheet down on the table a couple of times to settle the mousse and remove as many air pockets as possible. If you’re overly enthusiastic with this step, expect mousse in your hair. The white chocolate mousse was not terribly pipeable – it was more runny than the dark chocolate mousse and poured in easily. Pop the mold(s) in the freezer or refrigerator until the mousse is firm. When the pomegranate mirror is cooled to room temperature, remove the mold(s) and pour the mirror liquid over the mousse to an appropriate depth (appropriate means whatever you want). Return the mold(s) to the refrigerator until the mirror has set. Carefully unmold the dessert and garnish.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
I am a huge fan of pomegranates and PAMA Liqueur. As always, your creations look beautiful. I cannot wait to try some of these myself!
December 9th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I’ll jump into the dark side any day! That is a stunning creation. I’m impressed on so many levels…and am now off to look up a dessert ‘mirror’- your pastry skills put me to shame =).
December 9th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
That looks so gorgeous and delicious! Mmmhhh, fantastic flavor!
Cheers,
Rosa
December 9th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Beautiful!
December 9th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Both the desserts are out of the world beautiful!
I’ve always loved the combination of pomegranate and dark chocolate. I have to get my hands on some pomegranate liqueur so that I can make this over the winter break.
One question though..how did you make the garnish for the dark chocolate version? It’s stunning!
December 9th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Absolutely beautiful presentation. Although the martini sounds fantastic as well…
December 9th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Wow! It looks stunning! The last photo is just amazing!
December 9th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Oh, that’s lovely!
December 9th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Wonderfully original and stunning styling! I’m especially enamored of the syrup dripping off the spatula. So simple and striking at the same time.
December 9th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
This dessert is beautiful. This is so original and you’re so lucky to got a free bottle of PAMA. :)
December 9th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I just bought some of that Pama last weekend. The were passing out samples at the booze store, lol. Now I have something else to do with it besides chug it, lol.
December 9th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Gorgeous! Mike has turned into a pomegranate fiend as well…we’ve always got some in the fridge!
December 9th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Very impressive presentation. I am also a big fan of pomegranates and I have been known to toss them into our salads are season long.
December 9th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
That is absolutely stunning. The deep colors and the shapes, just all so very luscious. I’m not given to hyperbole and telling people that I’m drooling as I read posts, but I really truly am now. Wow.
December 9th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
that dark chocolate version is killing me because it looks so amazing. way to go!!
December 9th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
omg, i am hyperventilating just looking at the step-by-step! this is absolutely stunning and I can imagine the perfect tart and sweet sensation mixing in my mouth!
December 9th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Pretty impressive Jen. I love the dark chocolate version.
December 9th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Wow, that all looks so pretty and professional! I love pomegranate – I’m not a HUGE fan of the crunchy bits in the seeds, but it still has an amazing (and addictive!) taste. My favourite part though? Bashing the pomegranates to get the seeds out – now THAT is good fun!
December 9th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Wow!!!!! Wow! Wow! Beautiful desserts. They are breathtaking!
December 9th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
And inspired you were!
December 9th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Looks yummy!! Now, you’ve got me hooked to your blog for sure!
December 9th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
This looks fabulous! I am totally going to give this recipe a try as soon as the holiday insanity is over. Thank you for sharing
December 9th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Full disclosure: my free bottle is EMPTY!!!
This is terrible…took me no time to get through it either, on the rocks, before dinner…hmmm.
Stunning dessert Jen! I get so giddy when you wrap things in chocolate and make mousse and hexagons and I see rhodoid sheets….happy happy…you done good :) It looks fabulous!
(white choc. mousse based on heavy cream and choc. alone get watery fast or get grainy if the cream is too cold. I’m thinking the one in the recipe could be more stable with just some more white chocolate.)
December 10th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Oh my god! Work of art!! How did you do the chocolate wrap to the right size so that it fits the cake so nicely?
December 10th, 2009 at 6:16 am
Oh wow! I’ve been lingering near the Pomegranate liqueur, & may just grab a bottle next time. Will have to hide it from my child tho, as she will eat an entire pom at one sitting. Don’t know that she might not go for the Pama too! Pomegranate & dark chocolate…health food!
December 10th, 2009 at 6:42 am
Jen-
What a faaaabulous post. So gorgeous. :)
– t*
December 10th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Wow, what a showstopper. I could see this as a special treat for Valentine’s Day too.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:01 am
I’m speechless. Thats beautiful.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:16 am
Wow, this is amazing! This is sure to wow everyone at the table!
December 10th, 2009 at 8:17 am
I’ve never seen pomogranates look so good! Gorgeous recipe and presentation. SO much for creative funks!
A dark, mysterious nautilus shell of a dessert! Great post!
December 10th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Jen,
I also have 5 large pomegranates sitting beautifully in a copper bowl on my counter, and a bottle of Pomegranate liqueur, all waiting for inspiration. Thank you, and Happy Holidays!
December 10th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Wow!!! That is all I have to say.
I really compliment you on the hard work and efforts you have put in this and specially to your desire to make something like this. This is absolutely amazing and loooot of work. Kudos to you and your attempts.
How did you make the chocolate layer? Specially curving it? Can you tell us something more about it?
December 10th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Dark chocolate is definitely the way to go.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Don’t you ever make something that’s ugly?
I’m still waiting for pomegranates to make an appearance at the stores in Norway…
December 10th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Jen, they all look fabulous! i am also interested in the chocolate garnish. i am guessing it involves tempering. Can you maybe do a step-by-step in a future post? Thanks for your inspirational blogging.
December 10th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Wow, oh wow. They are truly gorgeous. :-)
December 10th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
very nice, for the white chocolate mousse I will add a litle bit more of white chocolate and some gelatin.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:20 am
great combination and they look fabulous!
December 11th, 2009 at 10:49 am
So, you don’t have to spit out the seeds? I LOVE pomegranates but I always thought you had to spit out the little pit, making them a very wonderful but ungraceful treat!
December 11th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Gorgeous presentation, and I’m with you on the dark chocolate vs. white. Curious whether you used the acetate ribbon to make the chocolate curl around the dark choc. version? That big curl of chocolate wrapped around the dessert is just beautiful.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
did you change your feed?
i used to be able to see your whole post in thunderbird, but now i only get two lines and none of your amazing pictures!
December 14th, 2009 at 7:26 am
Magnifique !!!
Ce que j’aime de ton blog c’est la stimulation que tu donnes à nos papilles :)))
December 17th, 2009 at 9:30 am
These photographs are mesmerizing. I adore the flavor and texture options you explore. Cheers to pomegranate inspiration!
December 19th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Thanks everyone! For those of you who inquired about the chocolate spiral: The dark chocolate garnish is tempered chocolate, smeared evenly onto a strip of 3-inch wide acetate (about a foot long, although a 3-inch piece broke off). When the chocolate began to set (about 30 seconds) I twisted the acetate into a spiral and held it for a minute until the chocolate was firm then peeled the acetate off. I could probably use more practice, but it was fun to make!
Tartelette – ha ha, weren’t we tweeting when you polished off that bottle?? :) Thanks for the tip on the white chocolate. I knew you would come to my rescue!! as always! :) hee hee xoxo
Mrs. Ergul – totally eye-balled it!
Zinnur – I probably won’t be step-by-step photographing how to make the spiral as that would require a photographer while I make it, or a pastry person to make it while I shoot – either way, Jeremy is neither of those :( The timing is too critical for me to shoot it on tripod by myself.
Madinat – I haven’t changed it, but Thunderbird may have updated my RSS preferences (which is to only display a short blurb and no images).
October 14th, 2010 at 5:21 am
[…] Pomegranate Chocolate Cake from Use Real Butter […]
November 15th, 2010 at 10:11 am
[…] Are you ready to begin enjoying the mystical fruit? The flavor is mild and can be slightly tart. You can start off easy by adding the arils to yogurts and salads. However if you are ready to take the plunge try out Roast Chickens with Lebanese Rice and Pomegranate Jus- a perfect meal for a dinner party! You can end your meal with this glamorous Pomegranate Chocolate Dessert. […]
May 22nd, 2011 at 8:18 am
[…] over the BBQ after we finished eating. And then we had cake…I got the inspiration here: http://userealbutter.com/2009/12/09/pomegranate-chocolate-dessert-recipe/ but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t give it a twist of my own […]
November 17th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Great job.
They look so delicious. I’m gonna make both of them.
January 19th, 2012 at 6:02 am
[…] pomegranate molasses is adapted from the fabulous Jen over at Use Real Butter and the tart itself is adapted from one of my baking idol Sherry Yard’s book Dessert by the […]
May 31st, 2012 at 4:33 pm
I LOVE this! ^-^ I’ve been trying to find new recipes for pomegranate because the only two I have don’t showcase the pomegranate flavor enough. But THIS recipe…OMG! And I have no worries about getting any of the components to work for me since my chef of a fiance says he can help me whip this up with no problems at all (I’m spoiled like that LOL). Thank you so much for the post! I can’t wait to try it!
December 1st, 2012 at 5:17 am
Simply perfect!!!!!
Fabiana
January 13th, 2013 at 5:44 pm
can you substitute the liqueur for regular pomegranate juice instead??
January 17th, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Adrienne – absolutely!
January 18th, 2013 at 6:24 am
Thats fantastic, and such gorgeous pics!
February 20th, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Plan on making these this weekend. How many does the recipe make? I will need 14 so should I double the recipe?
February 20th, 2013 at 1:41 pm
Lani – do you mean for the 3-inch ring molds? If you bake an 11×17-inch sheet of cake then you should be able to get 15 circles out of it. I think the rest of the components will be okay, although it may be tight on the mirror, and *maybe* the mousse? So just ration those out. It probably won’t hurt to make extra just in case you have some that fail (there is always something that goes wrong). Good luck.
February 21st, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Can I make this as an actual pie using a springform pan? that way I can finish right before my guests arrive and it an set up in the fridge until dessert time? If I use parchment paper on the bottom butter the sides of the pan will it be ok when I release the pan to cut and serve? Will that work?
thanks
February 21st, 2013 at 2:31 pm
Also – I’m finding conflicting measurements in changing the ounces to cups – can you please send me measurements in cups? So far I think it’s 3 1/2 cups cake flour, 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, 2 whole eggs, 13 egg whites? That’s all I’ve found – everything else is debating fluid ounces vs ounces… and I want to get this right.
Thanks – Cheryl :)
February 21st, 2013 at 9:30 pm
Cheryl – you shouldn’t need to butter the sides of the springform, just run a sharp knife along the sides to release the dessert. Not sure what you mean by making a pie though? You’ll need to use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. The cake recipe comes from a pastry school and they don’t measure things like flour or confectioner’s sugar in cups because the density of flours and powdered items varies whereas the weight is precise. As for eggs, there is no standard egg size, but your estimates are about correct. Good luck!
February 22nd, 2013 at 5:32 pm
Thanks so much. One other question. How did you get the cake into the molds with the acetate? When I try and cut the cake with the ring it just pushes the acetate out. I’m used to doing bavarois where you cut the cake layer much smaller but yours is snug.
February 23rd, 2013 at 12:50 am
Lani – I cut the cake with biscuit cutters (round) that are just about the right size to fit inside the acetate. I don’t recommend using the ring molds to cut the cake, they are not thin/sharp enough.
February 23rd, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Jen, I did it!!! I actually pulled it off. First time I’ve worked with acetate ribbon too. There is chocolate all over the kitchen, mousse on the cabinets and floor but I did it.
Next up – your roasted Cauliflower salad. I’m a new devotee.
Thanks again
February 26th, 2013 at 11:27 am
Lani – glad to hear it and congratulations.
July 27th, 2013 at 4:05 pm
[…] from Use Real Butter] Next […]
January 31st, 2014 at 6:27 am
What a talent!
September 6th, 2015 at 11:11 am
[…] over the BBQ after we finished eating. And then we had cake…I got the inspiration here: http://userealbutter.com/2009/12/09/pomegranate-chocolate-dessert-recipe/ but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t give it a twist of my own
October 29th, 2015 at 1:26 pm
Wow! The color of these is so pretty! Love pomegranate and chocolate together! So perfect!
December 25th, 2017 at 6:36 am
This pomegranae chocolate dessert recipe absolutely something new for me! Looks yummy! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing!
June 22nd, 2018 at 4:49 am
I prefer healthy food! And I’ll definitely try this pomegranate chocolate dessert. My husband would love it! Thanks for sharing!