MasterChef: a challenging French dessert caused headaches, one contestant was eliminated

The cake is surrounded on the outside by a uniform ring of elongated biscuits or lady fingers, which are also known as an integral part of tiramisu. Inside, two layers of sponge cake are hidden, a rich filling of Bavarian cream and raspberry jelly. The competitors were able to show their creativity in terms of flavors, but there was no room for major mistakes in terms of technique.

Karim reveals the secrets of the perfect charlotte

This time, the contestants also had to prepare the cookies themselves, for which they received a recipe. Karim emphasized that the key to their preparation is the right consistency of the mixture. The yolks and whites must be whipped separately with sugar until foamy, then carefully combined and finally lightly mixed in the sifted flour. If the mixture is too thin, it cannot be poured properly. Before baking, the cookies must be sprinkled with a mixture of powdered sugar and starch. The sugar provides a slight caramelization, while the starch provides a drier surface and the characteristic texture of the cookies.

Ajda prepared the best charlotte of the evening

The judges were most impressed by Ajda, who prepared an "Earl Grey" charlotte with Earl Grey tea-flavored pastry cream and orange jelly. Her slightly bolder combination of flavors earned her the best dessert of the elimination test. Karim praised the delicate and just-right sweet cream, in which the tea tasted nice, and the orange added a fresh citrus note to the dessert. He was also impressed by the cookies, which were beautifully baked on the outside and light and delicious on the inside.

"The flavors are top," Luka was clear, and he was especially impressed by the fact that Ajda did not choose the safest path even in the elimination test, but thought about how to show what she was capable of. Mojmir also did not skimp on praise: "Ajda, phenomenal." He praised her mastery of techniques and the freshness that the orange gel added to the dessert. The final taste reminded him of a cup of quality Earl Grey tea with an orange biscuit.

Ajda prepared the best charlotte of the evening, and below we reveal her recipe.

Earl Grey pastry cream

Ingredients:

-16 egg yolks

-280g sugar

-160 g cornstarch

-1 l of sweet cream

-1 liter of milk

-12 sheets of gelatin

-20 g Earl Grey tea

Procedure:

Heat the milk and cream together with the tea, but be careful not to let the mixture boil. Let it stand for about 30 minutes.

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Strain the milk mixture and reheat to a gentle boil. Dissolve the soaked and squeezed gelatine leaves in it.

Pour a few deciliters of the hot milk mixture over the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Then, while stirring constantly, pour the mixture back into the pan with the milk and put it back on the heat. Stir constantly until the cream thickens. Pour the cream into a shallow baking dish, cover with cling film and cool quickly.

Orange gel

Ingredients:

-450 ml orange juice

-50 ml lemon juice

-2 tablespoons sugar

-6 sheets of gelatin

Procedure:

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water.

Heat 250 ml of orange juice together with lemon juice and sugar and dissolve the soaked and squeezed gelatin in the liquid. Stir in the remaining 200 ml of cold orange juice and refrigerate until the mixture gels.

Sponge cake with orange zest

Ingredients:

-3 eggs

-75 g sugar

-orange peel

-90 g of flour

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Beat the eggs and sugar until foamy and add the orange zest. Then gently fold in the sifted flour in several parts so that the mixture loses as little volume as possible.

Line a baking sheet with baking paper and spread the sponge mixture in an even layer. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Assembling the charlotte

Cut two 20cm circles from the baked sponge cake. Place the first sponge cake circle on the cake base and place a tall, flexible cake ring with acetate foil around it.

Mix the cooled pastry cream again until smooth. Lightly moisten the sponge cake with orange juice and spread approximately 800 g of pastry cream evenly over it.

Blend the hardened orange jelly with a stick blender into a smooth gel.

Moisten the second sponge cake with orange juice, spread half of the orange gel evenly on it and carefully place it on the pastry cream in the mold.

Add another layer of pastry cream, about 800 g, and smooth the surface carefully. Place the center of the cake in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to allow the cream to set well. You can speed up the process in the freezer.

When the cake is cool enough and the gelatin in the cream has set, remove the cake ring and acetate foil. Cut the ladyfingers to the same height, so that they are about a centimeter or two higher than the top edge of the cake. Spread the remaining cream on the back of them to help them stick to the cake. Arrange the cookies around the perimeter of the cake, with the cut edge at the bottom and the rounded part at the top. Spread the remaining orange gel evenly over the top of the cake. Decorate the dessert with edible flowers if desired.

Klemen was not up to the pastry challenge

Klemen had the most trouble making the dessert. Due to his cursory reading of the recipe, he had to try making the sponge cake three times. "I did quite a bit," he admitted during the challenge. Luka tried to calm him down and advised him to take a break. When he finally succeeded in making the sponge cake, he was able to at least take a moment to breathe.

When Klemen presented his charlotte to the judges, it became clear that he had not managed to complete the challenging challenge as planned. The judges assessed that only the biscuits were technically successful, while the remaining elements did not meet expectations. Karim was very direct in his assessment, calling the cake "ugly and sloppy". Klemen's charlotte was ultimately the worst and he was eliminated from the competition.

Despite the disappointment, MasterChef left the kitchen optimistic. "MasterChef is a truly incredible experience. You have ups and downs, that's part of life. The important thing is to get up and move on," he said at the farewell. He added that this was just the beginning for him and concluded in his own style that he will have to practice making cakes a little more from now on.