You have to try this Easy Panna Cotta recipe with Mint, Chocolate Cake candied buddha hand! You will love the contrast of flavors!
This mint chocolate panna cotta with chocolate cake and candied buddha hand looks like a fancy, complicated dessert but the fact of the matter is, it isn’t. A lot times food can look complicated and it can be technical, but this recipe is a moist chocolate cake recipe with mint and white chocolate panna cotta on top.
That could really be all that you do for a delicious dessert. We have a buddha hand tree growing in Malibu and a few of them that were green fell off the tree. I decided to candy them and add them to this dessert but you could easily omit that or use limes. Here is the panna cotta recipe with mint, chocolate cake, and candied buddha hand, I hope you enjoy it!
Chocolate, Mint, Lime, Buddha Hand
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs (room temp)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup coffee
Mint White Chocolate Panna Cotta
- 2 cup cream
- 2 tsp gelatin
- 1 tbsp water
- 4 oz white chocolate
- 3 oz white honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 1 lime (zested)
Candied Buddha Hand
- 1 unripened green buddha hand (sliced 1/8 inch thick)
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
For the Buddha Hand
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Bring small pot of water to a boil, place the sliced buddha hand in the boiling water and blanch for 3 seconds. Strain off the water. Repeat the same step two more times blanching and staring the buddha hand slices.
After 3 times add the measured water and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the buddha's hand blanched slices to the pot. Cook for 5-10 minutes and then pour into a preserve jar seal properly.
For the Chocolate Buttermilk Cake
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray either a half sheet pan or a rectangular baking pan. Mix the dry ingredients in a stand mixer. Then in a separate bowl mix all the wet ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until just done. Take out and allow to cool to room temperature
For the Panna Cotta
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Place cream, lime zest, white chocolate, and honey into a small pot. Turn on medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix water and gelatin and allow it to bloom for 3 minutes. Once the cream comes to a boil pour a half cup of the cream over the gelatin and stir to combine completely.
Then pour everything into the vitamix both the gelatin mixture and the cream/chocolate. Add the mint leaves to the vitamix and puree everything together for 1 minute. Then pour the panna cotta into a half moon mold that are resting on a sheet pan.. Place in the freezer until they are frozen and can be unmolded.
To Finish
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Take a round cookie cutter the same size as the half moon molds and cut a round cake. Then unmold the frozen panna cotta and place on top of the cake. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the panna cotta to thaw.
When ready to serve take out and allow the dessert to sit for 5-10 minutes and place the candied buddha hand around the top of the panna cotta. Top the buddha hand with a dot of white honey and a piece of mint. Serve and enjoy!
