Manfred Kohlen, regional senior advisory chef at Anchor Food Professionals, says: “One of the most important ingredients for a perfect cake is the butter. Pure butter from pasture-fed cows has this natural, delicate mouthfeel, which is beautifully smooth with a velvety texture. It also has a unique, creamy taste that elevates and brings out the best in any flavour it accompanies. Coupled with a good, stable whipping cream, which can consistently hold the cake’s volume, texture and appearance for prolonged periods, you’ve got the perfect cake which tastes as good as it looks. This recipe was created by Mais Al Mahsiri, who won our Baked With Goodness competition, and customised by us. It’s available to try at Revo Cafe, Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta until May 15, so you can compare how yours turns out.”
Flourless chocolate cake with coffee mousse (Serves 8 to 10)
Ingredients and method for the flourless chocolate cake
110g butter
150g semi-sweet chocolate
60g egg yolk
10g cocoa powder
90g egg white
100g sugar
Pinch of salt
Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler at 400C.
Fold in the egg yolk and sieve cocoa powder into the melted butter-chocolate.
Add the salt to the egg white and begin to whip until it foams.
Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, preparing a smooth meringue.
Fold the meringue into the chocolate until it is homogenous.
Cast the batter into a prepared baking tin and bake at 1800C for 18 minutes.
Ingredients and method for the coffee mousse
160g milk
40g egg yolk
100g sugar
12g corn starch
Vanilla extract
5g instant coffee
250g whipping cream
5g gelatine powder
25g water
Prepare a custard from the milk, yolks, sugar, corn starch, vanilla essence and instant coffee.
Whip the cream to a soft peak and set aside.
Soak the gelatine powder in cold water for 15 minutes. Heat in the microwave until fully melted. Add the melted gelatine to the custard and homogenise. Fold in the soft peak whipping cream until consistent.
Ingredients and method for the salted caramel
200g caster sugar
90g salted butter
120g whipping cream
Pinch of salt
Melt the caster sugar gradually in a saucepan on low heat.
Once all the sugar is fully melted and has gained a light caramel colour, add the butter to the caramel followed by the salt and cream, stir until homogenous.
Cast on top of the flourless chocolate sponge and let it cool.
Ingredients and method for the crispy feuilletine base
300g feuilletine
125g dark chocolate
125g milk chocolate
50g nougat or praline paste,
or Nutella
Melt the chocolates with the praline paste or Nutella. Stir in the feuilletine crisps. Press the paste into the cake base
Ingredients and method for the chocolate glazing
300g sugar
300g glucose
150g water
30g gelatine
200g condensed milk
300g couverture chocolate
Bring the water, sugar and glucose to a boil.
Soak the gelatine in the cold water until fully dissolved and heat in the microwave until it melts. Add the condensed milk to the syrup. Add the melted gelatine to the chocolate.
Homogenise and cool down to 300C.
Cast over the cake to glaze.
Store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The%20specs
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
