In the hands of Renee Bolstad, former pastry chef at Joule in Seattle, black forest cake—traditionally chocolate cake layered with kirsch, cherries, and whipped cream—morphs into a modern layered mousse. To add texture and heat, Bolstad sandwiches it between a spicy pomegranate-chile glaze and crispy chocolate. For the smoothest, silkiest mousse, be careful not to over-whip the cream. Just under soft peaks will result in the best final texture. If you can’t find Thai chiles, swap in habanero, jalapeño, or cayenne.
But what if you could go to Joule and try, say, 10 things? What if you could have as much as you wanted of all of them? Welcome to what might be the world’s best brunch buffet, served in Joule’s airy, contemporary space every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.