Green Tea & Red Bean Mousse Cake

Full of oriental flavor, this Green Tea & Red Bean Mousse Cake is packed with antioxidant, fiber & different vitamins.  I made this for my mother-in-law's birthday last year, everybody absolutely loved it!

Green Tea & Red Bean.....umm..... what a perfect combination!

Ingredients:

For Red Bean Mousse

-  330g Red Bean Paste (to be made by 100g dried red beans boiled in 2 cups of water)
-  12g Gelatin Sheets
-  100g Italian Meringue (to be made by 2 medium Egg White, 80g White Sugar & 80g Water)
-  150g thicken cream (softly beaten)

For Green Tea Mousse

-  8g Matcha Power (dissolved in 125g hot water)
-  12g Gelatin Sheets
-  100g Italian Meringue (to be made by 2 medium Egg White, 60g White Sugar & 80g Water)
-  150g thicken cream (softly beaten)

Method:

Red Bean Paste

1.  Put 100g dried red beans in a small sauce pan with 2 cups of water and boil until the beans become very soft.  Check if there's enough water every so often during the boiling process.  Add more water if necessary.

2.  When the beans are ready, use an electric hand mixer or a food processor to blend them together.  Add some water if the paste is too thick and difficult to blend.

3.  Soak the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water until they become soft.

4.  When the paste is well-blended, put them in a small saucepan on the stove on very low heat.  Then, take the soften gelatin leaves out, squeeze out excess water and then mix it with the paste.  Stir it gently over the stove until the gelatin is all melted.  Set aside to cool.

Italian Meringue

1.  Put 2 medium egg white into a large bowl, sprinkle with a little bit of salt (purpose is to make the meringue more stable).  Meanwhile, put the white sugar & water into a small pan, bring to boil.  Put a candy thermometer in to check the boiling temperature.

2.  When the temperature reaches about 110C, start beating the egg white using an electric mixer on medium speed.  Once the temperature reaches 118C, remove the pan from the stove and slowly pour the sugar syrup from the side of the bowl in a thin stream while beating the egg white.  Once it's all poured into the egg while, turn the mixer on high speed and continue beating until it reaches stiff peak.

Red Bean Mousse

Now the mixing part.....

1.  Put 100g of Italian Meringue into the bowl of red bean paste. Use a large balloon whisk, fold the meringue in gently (repeating the "under-over" action) until it's completely mixed with the paste.

2.  Gently stir in the lightly beaten cream into the meringue mixture and mix well.

3.  Pour the mousse into an 8" bottomless cake ring (lined with acetate sheet on the side and with a cake board on the bottom).

4.  Refrigerate for about 1 or 2 hours.

Green Tea Mousse

1.  Soak the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water until they become soft.

2.  Dissolve the Matcha Powder with hot water in a large bowl.  Then put the bowl over a pan of steaming water on the stove.

3.  Take the soften gelatin leaves out, squeeze out excess water and then mix it with the dissolved Matcha mixture.  Stir it gently over the stove until the gelatin is all melted.  Set aside to cool.

4.  Make the Italian Mousse according to the instructions above.

5.  Put 100g of Italian Meringue into the bowl of Matcha mixture. Use a large balloon whisk, fold the meringue in gently (repeating the "under-over" action) until it's completely mixed.

6.  Then, gently stir in the lightly beaten cream into the meringue mixture and mix well.

7.  Take the Red Bean Mousse out from the fridge and pour the Green Tea Mousse on the top.

8.  Refrigerate for another 2 hours.

Decorate the top with strawberries and serve.  Enjoy......