A dessert to share for all occasions: the Royal Chocolate ! With its melting chocolate mousse, its crunchy praline and its soft dacquoise, it's a pleasure in every bite... For the decoration, I suggest you sprinkle it with a little bitter cocoa and make these elements in chocolate. I promise, it's not that complicated!
What you will like with this royal chocolate
- flavors : the royal chocolate lives up to its name since it highlights all the aroma of chocolate, with a touch of praline and almonds.
- texture : at the same time melting thanks to the mousse, crispy thanks to the praline and soft with the dacquoise!
- difficulty level : AVERAGE. There are 3 stages in the construction of this royal chocolate dessert, they are not complicated, but require a thermometer and a pastry ring adjustable to 20cm.
Ingredient details
- dark chocolate pastry : chocolate is the star ingredient of this cake, I opted for a dark baking chocolate with 64% cocoa so that its flavor really comes out. You can use classic dark baking chocolate with 52% cocoa, but the result will be less tasty and a little sweeter.
- almond meal : to make the dacquoise I use almond powder but know that it can be replaced by hazelnut powder if you prefer.
- eggs : for this royal chocolate, you will need large eggs (think about it when choosing them in store).
How to make a royal chocolate?
- We prepare the dacquoise
- Bake it on a baking sheet in the oven
- Let it cool and place it in the pastry ring
- Make the crunchy praline
- We spread it on the dacquoise
- We refrigerate
- Prepare the chocolate mousse
- Pour it over the crispy praline
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours
- We decorate with bitter cocoa and chocolate decorations (or other)
- We remove the circle and we taste the royal chocolate!
NB: the exact quantities and the complete recipe are given to you at the bottom of the page.
My advice for a successful chocolate royal
- to succeed in the dacquoise, the whipped egg whites are stiff. They are the ones who will ensure the softness of the biscuit during baking.
- for the chocolate mousse, when heating the egg yolks in a saucepan, it is important to never stop mixing otherwise the yolks form lumps or you want to obtain a smooth cream.
- to properly incorporate the whipped cream with the chocolate to create the chocolate mousse, the chocolate must not be below 40°, otherwise it will harden on contact with the whipped cream.
How to store royal chocolate?
Once made, it is necessary to keep the royal chocolate in the fridge. Given its ingredients, it can be stored for up to 2-3 days max.
Other recipes to try
If you like entremets-type desserts to make at home, I advise you to take a look at these other recipes from the blog:
- Crispy white chocolate raspberry bavarois
- Banoffee pie, whipped caramel banana
- No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake
- Dessert 3 chocolates
- Chocolate Pear Charlotte
- Raspberry charlotte cake
If you make this royal chocolate, don't hesitate to rate the recipe below and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your pretty desserts!
Royal Chocolate, The Easy Recipe
A "royal" chocolate dessert composed of an almond dacquoise, a crunchy praline and a creamy chocolate mousse...
Home
Ingredients
dacquoise
- 70 g almond meal or hazelnut powder
- 80 g icing sugar
- 2 egg whites (large)
- 30 g granulated sugar
Crunchy praline
- 80 g praline yellow shelf in the supermarket
- 40 g pastry milk chocolate
- 70 g lace pancakes
Chocolate mousse
- 150 g whole milk
- 2 egg yolks (large)
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 200 g dark pastry chocolate 60-64% cocoa
- 300 g heavy whipping cream 30% very cold
Décor
- 2 cs unsweetened cocoa powder
- 50 g dark chocolate pastry for the decorations
- Shards of lace pancakes, hazelnuts etc...
Prepare in advance
dacquoise
- Preheat the oven to 180 ° traditional heat.
- Sift together the ground almonds and icing sugar.
- Whip the egg whites, and as soon as they begin to set add the powdered sugar. Whisk until stiff.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites with a spatula so as not to break the egg whites. Line a piping bag and draw a 20cm circle on baking paper placed on a plate. Smooth the top.
- Bake 18/20 minutes: it must be golden and not sticky. Leave to cool then cut a neat circle of 20 cm in the dacquoise.
- Place the pastry ring set at 20cm on your serving dish then garnish with a strip of rhodoid film (optional but allows easy unmolding). Place the dacquoise in the bottom of the mold.
Crunchy praline
- Melt together the pralinoise and the milk chocolate in pieces in the microwave.
- Crumble the lace crepes in a container then pour the melted chocolate. Mix well.
- Spread this mixture on the dacquoise placed in the circle. Press lightly with the back of a tablespoon. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Chocolate mousse
- In a saucepan, heat the milk, sugar and egg yolks while whisking. Heat over low heat until it reaches 83°. The mixture should thicken slightly.
- Immediately pour into a large container containing the previously chopped chocolate. Mix with a spatula until smooth.
- Whip the cold liquid cream until stiff. When the chocolate mixture has cooled down to 40° (not less), incorporate the whipped cream in 2 batches, still with a spatula so as not to break the mousse.
- Pour this mousse into the circle, over the crisp, and smooth with a small spatula. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours (overnight is fine).
Décor
- For small chocolate decorations, melt the chocolate in the microwave. Using a kitchen brush draw lines on baking paper. Refrigerate then peel off once hardened.
- Before unmolding the royal chocolate, sift some bitter cocoa on top. Plant the chocolate decorations, and possibly add slivers of lace crepes, pieces of hazelnut, etc.
Notes
This royal chocolate can be kept in the refrigerator for around 2/3 days.
Hello,
For the chocolate mousse, I only buy semi-skimmed milk, will it still be ok?
Thank you in advance
John
Hello John, you really need whole milk because it has to contain enough fat to allow the foam to hold together. Take a small bottle is enough for this recipe! See you soon ;)
Hello,
First I want to thank you because I have always liked people who take their time to leave us their methods or what they create with the explanations without asking for anything in return. Your recipe is great but I make small ones using the central part of a bottle as a mold so each guest has their own little Royal
Thank you very much Jean! I am glad that you like my recipes. It is true that I appreciate it when I have delighted feedback from my readers. Good idea in individual version! See you soon :)
Hello, do I really need a thermometer?
Hello, yes that's better. See you soon :)
Hello, I have a circle of 20 cm x 4,5 cm.
Is the height correct?
Are you talking about the 8 cm rhodoid?
Thank you in advance
Sylvie
Hello Sylvie, no 4,5cm is too low to make desserts, including this royal chocolate. I advise you to take a circle of 8 or 9cm high, you will be able to make all the recipes with it. See you soon :)
Hello,
I want to make it in advance can I freeze it as a dessert?!
thanks in advance =)
Hello Amandine, yes you can freeze it. You must plan several hours of defrosting in the refrigerator before serving it (at least 4 hours). See you soon :)
Hello,
Can the dessert be frozen?
Thank you
Beautiful evening
Hello Emeline, yes you can freeze it. You must plan several hours of defrosting in the refrigerator before serving it (at least 4 hours). See you soon :)
Hello,
Can the royal chocolate be prepared in advance?
Hello Amélie, you can prepare it 1 or 2 days in advance so that its flavor is always optimal. See you soon :)
I followed everything to the letter for the chocolate mousse and yet when I added the disaster whipping cream… it thickened, it foamed too much. My chocolate was at 31 degrees when I finished melting it with the first preparation, which was definitely 83 degrees, so I don't understand… yet it's not cold where I live. I took Valrhona Caraibe… I don't think it's the fact that it's 66% cocoa. It is still cool, I hope it will be edible. In general, I do not miss one of your recipes that I appreciate enormously! See you soon ☺️
Hello Ana, thank you for your loyalty to this blog! As specified in this recipe, your chocolate must not be less than 40 degrees, because otherwise it crystallizes when it comes into contact with cold whipped cream, which is what must have happened to you at 31 degrees. Maybe it should have been warmed up a little to bring the temperature back up and make it easier to mix? (I use Nestlé dessert chocolate from the supermarket). See you soon :)
Good morning ! I wanted to know if it was possible to make a mirror glaze instead of cocoa on top?
Hello Elyna, yes it is absolutely possible: you have to freeze your dessert so that it is very cold when you pour your mirror glaze. See you soon :)
Hello
I made your recipe (easy with your step-by-step instructions, thank you!), the taste is delicious, on the other hand the foam does not hold together very well and when I removed the circle, the film remained stuck to the foam… do you have a technique/advice for me?
Thank you very much and congratulations for your blog and recipes
Marie
Hello Marie, I think your dessert was not cold enough, because of that the mousse stuck to the film. Next time, you can put it in the freezer for 30 minutes before removing the film, it will help you I'm sure. See you soon :)
Good morning ! Thank you for the recipe, I plan to test it today for noon tomorrow, however, can I transport it by car for 1 hour?
Thank you for your reply :)
Hello Pauline, well wedged in a transport box, and in a not too hot place in the car, it will be fine :)
Easy recipe to make and great results!
The taste is really amazing, identical to what you buy in a bakery.
Thanks for the recipe
Thank you very much Perrine for your feedback! See you soon :)
Like every recipe from Lilie that I test...
a delight for the taste buds and the eyes!! It caused a sensation, I was even asked if I had bought it ready-made!
I had difficulty whipping the cream and the egg whites…the heat wave obliges! And 28 in the kitchen it wasn't easy… but with the help of a water bath of ice cubes for the whipping operations and voila! I made it 3 days in advance and kept it in the refrigerator. I made the decor on D-Day with crumbs of lace pancakes and homemade chocolate twigs.
Thanks Lilie
Thank you Joelle! The best compliment you can receive is when you think the pastry comes from the pastry chef! :) Glad your loved ones enjoyed it! See you soon :)
I followed the recipe step by step and the result was great!
According to my guests, I have nothing to envy a real pastry chef!
Aesthetics and taste: it was all there.
Thank you Lilie for all these recipes!
This Royal Chocolate has everything a king needs
Thank you very much Yaelle for your feedback! Glad you like it so much, see you soon :)
An excellent recipe as usual and very easy to make.
Thank you very much Ludivine for your loyalty! See you soon :)
Hello,
Can we put the cocoa powder in advance and put it back in the fridge without it taking on moisture?
Thank you
Hello Charlotte, bitter cocoa is best sprinkled at the last moment to prevent it from melting with moisture. If this happens, add some just before bringing it to the table. See you soon :)
Hello,
Great recipe made last Sunday, very good cake, I succeeded, everyone congratulated me, I was so happy, I made another one this evening and I'm freezing it tomorrow morning to have it in 15 days
Thank you for your very well explained recipe, you are on top.
Bravo
Thank you Sabine for your lovely comment! Well done for treating your loved ones, see you soon :)
Hello,
And congratulations for your very precise and easy to reproduce recipes.
Do you think I can fit it into the honored silikomart mold?
Thank you
Hello Magali, I don't use this mold, so I can't tell you. You can test it on your side if you want! See you soon :)
Recipe tested twice and approved.
The first time I was fooled because my temperature was around 1°. The second time perfect. The chocolate decoration is simple and effective. Thanks again.
Thanks Pat for your feedback! See you soon :)
Hello,
Can we make this recipe with a 25*25 square pan? If yes, what would be the quantities?
Thank you
Hello Isa, if you want to change the size and shape compared to my recipe you need to do a volume calculation: you calculate the volume of my mold (radiusxradiusx3,14) and you calculate the volume of your mold. You then divide your volume by my volume and you get the number to multiply each ingredient by. See you soon :)
Hello
THANKS ! Thanks to you, huge success for me!
Now my family wants the same one for Christmas. Possible in log version?
Hello Lionel, I'm glad you like this royal chocolate! I've never tried to turn it into a log, so it's up to you to try! Happy Holidays :)
Hello,
I am going to make this cake for a birthday and I am very afraid that the mousse will not hold (my big problem in baking) is it possible to add a sheet of gelatin? If so, does putting it in the freezer change anything?
Thank you so much!
Hello Stephy, if you follow the recipe correctly, there is no need for gelatin here unlike other recipes. It is the cooked yolk, and the chocolate and whipped cream that allow the mousse to hold. Follow the recipe carefully and it will work (you can read the comments of people who have succeeded too). See you soon :)
Really great!!!
Thanks Caroline! Goodbye :)
Hello,
I would like to make the recipe with milk chocolate because my guests don't like dark chocolate, is this possible?
Thanks in advance for your feedback :)
Novels
Hello Romane, the royal chocolate is made with dark chocolate, if you make it with milk chocolate it will be too sweet. I invite you to pick another of my recipes if they don't like chocolate: https://liliebakery.fr/category/bavarois-entremets/
Hello,
I only have a 24cm circle, how do I adjust the quantities?
Thank you
Hello Justine, to adapt the ingredients to the size of your mold: the volume calculation is obligatory…
Calculate the volume of my mold (dimensions given in my recipe)
Calculate the volume of your mold
Divide the volume of your mold by the volume of my mold
= you obtain the number by which to multiply each of the ingredients.
This works for logs, cakes, etc.
Hello,
I have a slightly controversial question, but is it possible to use commercial chocolate mousse, like the large Michel et Augustin pots?
I'm afraid I'll miss mine.
Thank you
Hello Fabien, don't worry about your question, you're right to ask it. I advise you not to proceed with store-bought chocolate mousses because in the end, given the quantities you're going to need, your dessert will cost you as much as a pastry chef's :) And above all, it's not just a chocolate mousse (with eggs), it's also a whipped cream that we mix with the mousse. So the Michel et Augustin pots don't quite fulfill this role. See you soon :)
Hello, I would like to know if, instead of preparing the chocolate mousse as you indicate in your recipe, I can make a mousse with just 30% liquid cream, chocolate and one or two sheets of gelatin, and what proportions, thank you, cordially
Hello Catherine, royal chocolate is specifically made with egg yolks for the creamy side. It would be a shame not to do it this way. I can recommend another of my recipes where the mousses are made as you wish: https://liliebakery.fr/entremets-3-chocolats/
Goodbye :)
Hello,
First of all, the recipe is perfect. But I had a problem when removing the chocolate decorations from the baking paper. In fact, they break and melt quickly.
Also, do you have a technique for removing the chocolate without it breaking?
Thanking you.
Hello Francis, thank you for your message! Chocolate decorations melt quite quickly, because it is "raw" chocolate. I can advise you to put them in the freezer for a few minutes before removing them. That way they melt less quickly under your fingers. See you soon :)
Hello
This looks delicious
That said, isn't it more like chocolate whipped cream?
A chocolate mousse is normally made with whipped egg whites, right?
Hello Igor, Royal Chocolate is made well this way. If we took a simple mousse with whipped egg whites, it would not hold once the mold is removed. It is disappointing that you rated me 4/5 for a recipe that you did not even make...
A first validated test. I made it for a birthday, the remarks “Worthy of a pastry chef” A real success!
Thank you very much Christine! See you soon :)
Hello,
The flavors of the cake were exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks for the recipe.
However the crispy part was not at all, the lace pancakes had lost their characteristic and I don't know why...
Do you have an idea ?
Thank you for your work,
François
Hello François, thank you for your message. To answer you, lace pancakes do not support humidity, that is why we pack them in chocolate. The fat in the chocolate acts as a protector. Try to pack your crisp more next time, so that this layer is a little more compact. See you soon :)
Thank you very much Lilie!
I've made the royal chocolate three times now and it gets better with each test! Everyone is delighted!!
Thank you very much Alexia! Glad that you like royal chocolate, more and more so! See you soon :)
Hello,
I made your dessert and everything went very well, the only problem I have is how I'm going to transport it in this heat?
In fact I make them for a meal with friends and we have a 20 minute drive
So if you ever have an idea of how to transport it without it turning to liquid form, I'm all ears.
In any case, thank you for this excellent recipe.
Joëlle
Hello Joëlle, to transport it, I advise you to always put it strapped, in a cooler or insulated bag with ice packs. If you only have a 20 minute drive, it will be fine. Once there, you put it in the fridge. You uncircle and remove the rhodoid strip before serving. See you soon :)
Absolutely perfect! I made this Royal Chocolat a few days ago: I "bluffed" everyone, we really enjoyed it. Thank you Aurélie for all the very clear explanations, I was not reassured when starting but in the end, everything went very well; I had invested in a thermometer and it was indeed necessary. When I do it again, I think I will start by whipping the cream before making the chocolate mixture because the latter cools very quickly, I had to reheat it a little to be above 40°.
Thank you very much Anne for your feedback! Glad you liked this Royal chocolate! See you soon :)
Thank you for this recipe! First time in my life that I make such an elaborate cake and it was a great success. My dacquoise was unfortunately a little too thin but no one noticed. I was even asked if I had not bought it in a pastry shop!
Tonight I'm trying the lemon mousse! I think I'm on my way thanks to your blog.
Thank you very much
Thank you Virginie for your feedback! It's a great compliment when we are asked if it comes from a pastry! See you soon :)
I'm going to make this royal chocolate cake for my daughter's birthday.
Could I prepare the dacquoise and the praline crunch the day before and then refrigerate it?
The next day I prepare the mousse
Thank you
Hello, yes you can do it that way. See you soon :)
Thanks again for this recipe, I made it on Saturday for Sunday, the guests loved this Royal chocolate.
I prepared the whipped cream before making the custard and chocolate preparation (previously grated) and no problem with the mixture. On the other hand, if you decorate with gavottes, add them at the last moment because they soften when in contact with the Bavarian cream which is cold.
Keep giving us your wonderful recipes.
Thank you very much Catherine! I am delighted that you like this recipe and the others on my blog! See you soon :)
Hello,
Thank you very much for the recipe.
Would it be possible to just tell me if I can replace the 80g of pralinoise tablet with 80g of hazelnut paste please? I don't know what the difference is.
Thank you in advance.
Bonne journée.
Hello Aurélie, so to answer you, the Poulain pralinoise in a bar contains as much praline as milk chocolate, this is what gives density to the crunch. If you make a change at this level, you will certainly have to increase the dose of milk chocolate, otherwise it will not be hard enough. I advise you to do a test beforehand. See you soon :)
Recipe applied to the letter and a wonderful result. Thank you for the clarity, the step-by-step description. The result was as beautiful as it was delicious.
Thank you very much Camille! Glad that you like this royal both visually and taste-wise! See you soon :)
Thank you Lili for this extraordinary recipe.
The dosage of each ingredient is perfect and the methodology is top notch.
Each step is superbly well explained.
I made this royal to bring to work and everyone was like "wow, great, can you make some more for us!"
Thank you very much Anne for your comment! I'm really happy that you and your loved ones like it so much... See you soon :)
Hello, first of all thank you for your excellent recipes! I often make the raspberry bavarois which is really excellent!! Now I'm going to try the royal for my daughter's birthday and I wanted to know if it is possible to make the dacquoise directly in the pastry rectangle that I will use for assembly?
Thank you in advance,
Céline
Hello Céline, thank you for your message! It is better to pipe as written in the recipe, like that if it shrinks a little, you will not have empty space around your dacquoise. That's why I do it this way. See you soon :)
Hello. Is it possible to insert fresh raspberries into the chocolate mousse?
Hello Helen, yes you can but fresh raspberries. See you soon :)
Hello Lilie,
Thank you for this excellent recipe, what a pleasure to see my guests enjoying it while complimenting me.
Thank you again
Thank you very much Jano! Yes it's definitely a pleasure! See you soon :)
Few ingredients very easy to make thank you. Very good, very well explained.
Right, my praline crisp was very very hard, very difficult to cut with the spoon even though I followed the recipe to the letter. I don't know if I'm the only one
Hello Seyda, glad you like this royal chocolate! If you want your crispy to be less hard, you have to make it less thick and especially pack it less. See you soon :)
Hello, I was very proud to have succeeded...on the second try. I opened the oven door halfway through cooking for the dacqoise and added dark chocolate for the crispiness. I received lots of compliments and I am far from being a pastry chef.
Thank you for your feedback, see you soon :)
A faultless recipe followed to the letter :-) Put it in the freezer to make a chocolate mirror glaze (recipe for your pear speculoos log)
Thank you very much Adeline! See you soon :)
Made for Father's Day.
At the top ❤️
Thank you Magali! See you soon :)
Hello,
Many thanks for this recipe, very well detailed!
I've never made a dessert as elaborate as this one, but with the right instructions, it's relatively simple! This royal was a huge success!
My little adaptations and remarks:
- I doubled all the quantities and made the dessert in a rectangular mold (approximately 29x22cm)
- The daquoise was very stuck to the baking paper. I put it back in the oven for 5 minutes with aluminum foil on top (the top was already properly golden) but the bottom was still very sticky. I was able to unstick it by going very gently, and I gave it a very light blow with a kitchen blowtorch to make it less sticky (probably not essential). I then used it upside down (golden part under the cake). In the end it was fine, it remained very soft despite everything.
- For the mousse, I used 70% dark chocolate. To compensate and get closer to the recipe, I added a little powdered sugar (85g instead of 60g). The result was perfect, just the right amount of sweetness, a good dark chocolate taste.
- I had a little trouble mixing the whipped cream with the chocolate mixture. I didn't want to push it too hard, so in the end there were a few very rare white parts left in the mousse (whipped cream not fully incorporated). Well, I was the only one to notice it ^^
- The list of materials did not indicate the piping bag, luckily I only had 1 left :) And at worst I think I could have done without, but it could be mentioned.
Thanks again, it was delicious! I'll do it again!
Thanks Clément, glad you liked it! See you soon :)
Hello and thank you for this recipe and for all the others which are always a success.
Is it possible to make this recipe with milk chocolate? If not, how can I tone down the strong taste of dark chocolate?
Thank you for your reply.
Spatuly :)
Hi Carole, for a less intensely chocolatey result, I recommend using 52% cocoa chocolate instead of 60-64%. See you soon :)
This is the first recipe I tried from your site two years ago, and since then... it's amazing! I used to be really bad at baking, but now I'm making one pastry after another, and my guests are almost always delighted. I don't know how you do it; it must be your little tips that you can't find anywhere else and that help avoid beginner mistakes.
This dessert remains my favorite, a huge success every time!
Thank you so much, Juliette! To answer your question, I'd say I'm like my readers; I'm not a professional chef. I enjoy experimenting, and when I make a mistake, I try again and share all my tips so you can succeed! See you soon :)
Hello, can I make a glaze using food coloring for decoration?
Hi Julie, it must be possible, but I've never tried... See you soon :)
Hello,
My 5-year-old daughter is asking for a tiered cake for her birthday. It will also need to be transported 30 minutes from my home.
Do you think it's possible to mount two royals on top of each other?
Thank you for your reply
Hello, no, it's not meant for that. They're foams. See you soon :)
Hello
A quick question, please: is it possible to reduce the amount of sugar in the dacquoise recipe? Thank you.
Hello, yes, very slightly, otherwise it changes the texture. See you soon :)
Hello,
Great recipe, a perfect classic!
I'd like to make them in the shape of Christmas baubles; do you have any ideas for the assembly? Mousse then crunchy layer, more mousse then a dacquoise base?
Or perhaps I could add a caramel cream to the crunchy layer?
Thank you for your answers
Hi Jeanne, it's getting more complicated... I'll let you test it out! See you soon :)
Hello! Firstly, great recipe!
Secondly, for how long can the desert be frozen for before using?
Hello, yes it can be frozen. One or two weeks is good, well protected.
As someone who's a complete disaster in the kitchen, I wanted to try this cake, which is my fiancé's favorite. I started out with very little confidence, but in the end, it was beautiful and incredibly delicious, very well explained, and very easy to make! Great recipe, thank you and well done! (First time I've been proud to serve dessert and haven't apologized beforehand!)
Thanks Juliette! Keep up the good work! See you soon :)