The namelaka is a soft and very versatile mousse invented by a Japanese pastry chef, whose literal meaning is ultra creamy cream. Very easy to make, it only requires one necessity: to be prepared 12 hours in advance or at least 8 hours before being served, so that it rests in the fridge and reaches the perfect consistency for any filling. Once ready, it is ideal for cream puffs, pastries, and even the famous cupcakes and the ever-popular cream tart! If you also like white chocolate, try it because it is truly fabulous! Otherwise, I suggest the dark chocolate or pistachio version, which will still give your desserts a boost. One small clarification: in the original namelaka recipe, a portion, albeit minimal, of glucose syrup is provided, but even without it, the result was still excellent, so if you don’t want to get lost in the supermarket aisles searching for a somewhat unusual ingredient that is difficult to use in other preparations, follow my instructions and you won’t be disappointed.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; buying them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (unsweetened)
- 170 g white chocolate
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 3 g gelatin sheets
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Kettle
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Hand Blender
- 1 Plastic Wrap
Preparation
First, soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5′-10′ until they have softened. Separately, chop the chocolate with a knife and melt it in a double boiler or microwave in a large bowl (fig. 1).
Gently heat the milk in a kettle and turn off the heat just before it starts to boil, stirring to cool. Squeeze the gelatin and add it to the warm milk; if the temperature exceeds 86°F, the gelatin will no longer work*. Mix well to dissolve, and finally, add the milk to the melted chocolate (fig. 2).
Finally, as a last step, pour in the cold liquid cream from the refrigerator and mix well with a whisk or spatula (fig. 3).
Blend with the hand blender without incorporating air for about 30” (fig. 4).
The mixture will remain liquid but rest assured, it’s normal. Then cover with plastic wrap in contact and place in the fridge for a minimum of 8 to 12 hours, but I always recommend the latter (fig. 5).
After resting, it will be very creamy and you can use it immediately with a piping bag or spread it on a cake.
And voilà… the white chocolate namelaka is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFe’!
Storage, Advice, Variations, and Recommendations
🟣* If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use this trick: place a drop of milk on your mouth and you should not feel it hot.
