Vanilla & Pear Camembert Cake

It's up to you.

9 detailed steps, from preparation to service.

1. Preparing the mold

   Place the 18 cm circle on a flat dish and line its edge with baking paper. If you use a hinged mold, also cover its bottom of paper. Put the 6 g of gelatin in a large bowl of cold water for 10 minutes: the leaves must become flexible.

2. Make the base biscuity

   Crush 130 g of small butter in a bag with a roller or with the bottom of a glass. Melt 55 g of butter over low heat. Mix the crumbs with butter and then cup in a regular layer at the bottom of the circle with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Prepare the pear and cream

   Weigh 150 g of pear after draining. Cut it into 5 mm dice and sponge them on paper. In a bowl, mix 250 g of fresh cheese, 150 g of mascarpone, 60 g of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until a smooth cream.

4. Dissolve the gelatin

   Heat the 100 g of liquid cream in a small saucepan until the first small bubbles from the edge, then remove from the heat. Press the gelatin leaves between the hands to remove the water and mix them with the hot cream until completely dissolved. Do not boil the gelatin mixture.

5. Avoid gelatine yarns

   Add three large spoonfuls of cheese preparation to the warm saucepan and mix. Then pour this content in thin fillet into the bowl, stirring continuously. Fold in pear dice; the preparation remains fluid but homogeneous.

6. Forming the fake cheese

   Pour the cream on the base. Smooth the top with the spatula, then gently pat the dish to chase away the big bubbles. Cover without touching the cream and leaves at least 6 hours in the refrigerator; the center should no longer undulate when moving the dish.

7. Preparing the white crust

   Grate very finely the 90 g of cold white chocolate over a large plate. If the chocolate softens, put it back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Mix the fine shavings with the 15 g of icing sugar: you get a slightly irregular powder that will imitate a cheese crust.

8. Dressing the sides

   Remove the circle and gently peel off the paper. Press some of the white powder on the sides with the palm of a clean hand, without squeezing the cake. Spread the rest over the top and pat very lightly. Also hides the outer biscuit slice, but does not add real cheese crust.

9. Cut to reveal the dessert

   Refrigerate 30 minutes to fix the shavings. Heat the blade of a knife in hot water, wipe it and then cut a part. Clean the blade between the passages. Spread the part to show the biscuit base and the pear dice in the white cream, like an open camembert on a Christmas tray.