CHEF SPOTLIGHT: SUMANT SHARMA

Some desserts begin with a new idea. Others begin with a familiar one, seen from a different angle. That's the case for Chef Sumant Sharma, Executive Pastry Chef at Musaafer in Houston and New York and at Saaqi New York, whose Chocolate & Coconut reimagines a classic German chocolate cake through the flavors of India.

A rich chocolate mud cake takes the place of the traditional cocoa sponge, sandwiching a coconut filling inspired by payasam, a traditional Indian pudding, folded with toasted pecans and desiccated coconut. A layer of 72% dark chocolate ganache and a glossy chocolate glaze finish the slice, which is plated with a pour of hot chocolate sauce. Blueberries dusted with edible gold, delicate sweet alyssum flowers, roasted cocoa nibs, a dusting of cocoa powder, and a white chocolate plaque complete the presentation.

At the center of the dish is Cacao Noel chocolate and cocoa in several forms: Noir 72% dark chocolate, Classic 55% chocolate, Blanc 30% white chocolate, Garnet cocoa powder, and roasted cocoa nibs, each one shaping a different layer of flavor and texture throughout the dessert.

The Inspiration Behind the Dessert

This dessert grew out of a simple question: what happens when a beloved American classic meets the flavors of an Indian kitchen? German chocolate cake is known for its coconut-pecan filling, and Chef Sumant saw a natural bridge to payasam, a creamy coconut pudding found across India. By swapping the classic sponge for a denser mud cake and building the filling around coconut, he created a dessert that feels both nostalgic and new.

That balance of memory and modern technique runs through his whole career. Chef Sumant began with formal studies in Hotel Management, followed by professional training at Taj Rambagh Palace in Jaipur. His career has taken him through distinguished hospitality establishments across India, Singapore, and the UAE, including Bachman Japanese Restaurant in Singapore, Hyatt Raipur, Jaisalmer Marriott Resort & Spa, and The Chedi Al Bait in Sharjah. He joined Musaafer in 2019, where he now leads the pastry program across Houston and New York, creating contemporary desserts rooted in the flavors, traditions, and ingredients of India.

His philosophy centers on three ideas: recreation, incorporation, and well-being. He recreates familiar Indian flavors and textures through modern pastry techniques, incorporates global pastry methods with Indian and global ingredients, and designs desserts that are balanced, lighter, and ingredient-driven. His approach draws on local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients, along with Ayurvedic principles, and gives equal weight to taste, texture, aroma, and flavor.

His work has been recognized through his participation in the World Chocolate Masters North America selection, Pastry Arts events, chef competitions, workshops, and culinary collaborations.

The Chocolate & Coconut reflects that philosophy: a familiar dessert, reimagined with Indian flavor and refined technique at every layer.

THE RECIPE: Building the Chocolate & Coconut

Below is a look at the key components that come together to create Chef Sumant Sharma's Chocolate & Coconut. Each element contributes its own texture and flavor to the final plated dessert.

Chocolate Mud Cake

Ingredients:

• Cacao Noel Noir 72% Chocolate 400g
• Water 1,000g
• Sugar 1,125g
• Beurremont 83% Butter 800g
• Whole Eggs 1,200g
• All-Purpose Flour 750g
• Baking Soda 24g
• Cacao Noel Garnet Cocoa Powder (22–24%) 200g

Directions:

Bring the water, butter, and sugar to a boil. Add the chocolate to the hot mixture and mix until fully incorporated.

Transfer to a mixing bowl fitted with a balloon whisk. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then add the dry ingredients, followed by the eggs, mixing until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into parchment-lined baking pans and bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for approximately 35 minutes.

Coconut Filling

Ingredients:

• Amifruit Coconut Purée 500g
• Eggs 5 ea.
• Sugar 185g
• Condensed Milk 125g
• Pastry 1 Gold Gelatin Sheets 8 sheets
• Toasted Pecans and Desiccated Coconut 375g

Directions:

Hydrate the gelatin sheets in cold water for approximately 10 minutes.

Combine the coconut purée, eggs, sugar, and condensed milk, and cook until the mixture reaches 80°C. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin, add it to the warm coconut mixture, and mix well.

Toast and chop the pecans and desiccated coconut, then fold them into the coconut mixture. Pour into molds of the desired shape and allow to set.

Cacao Noel 72% Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

• Cacao Noel Noir 72% Chocolate 250g
• Heavy Cream 250g
• Pastry 1 Glucose Syrup 25g
• Pastry 1 Nevuline 2g

Directions:

Bring the heavy cream, glucose syrup, and Nevuline to a boil. Pour over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes.

Mix gently with a spatula, then blend with a hand blender until fully emulsified and smooth. Allow the ganache to crystallize overnight at room temperature.

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

• Sugar 340g
• Water 140g
• Pastry 1 Glucose Syrup 125g
• Pastry 1 Nevuline 39g
• Heavy Cream 250g
• Cacao Noel Garnet Cocoa Powder (22–24%) 95g
• Pastry 1 Gold Gelatin Sheets 13 sheets

Directions:

Bloom the gelatin sheets. Cook the sugar and water to 118°C.

Bring the heavy cream and Nevuline to a boil, then add the cocoa powder and mix well. Gradually add the sugar syrup to the cream mixture.

Return to a boil and blend with a hand blender for approximately 2 minutes. Cool to 45°C, then add the bloomed gelatin. Use the glaze at 42°C.

Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:

• Sugar 50g
• Water 140g
• Pastry 1 Glucose Syrup 125g
• Pastry 1 Nevuline 39g
• Heavy Cream 250g
• Cacao Noel Garnet Cocoa Powder (22–24%) 95g
• Cacao Noel Classic 55% Chocolate 500g

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except the chocolate and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling mixture over the chocolate and let it stand until the chocolate melts.

Blend with a hand blender until smooth. Use 30g per portion.

Garnishes

• Cacao Noel Blanc 30% white chocolate plaque with the Saaqi logo
• Fresh blueberries dusted with edible gold powder
• Cacao Noel roasted cocoa nibs (2–4mm)
• Cacao Noel Garnet Cocoa Powder (22–24%)
• Sweet alyssum flowers

Assembly

Sandwich two layers of chocolate mud cake, each approximately 2cm thick, with an even layer of coconut filling. Top with a 5mm layer of 72% chocolate ganache and freeze overnight.

Glaze the frozen pastry with the chocolate glaze and return it to the freezer for 1 hour. Cut into logs approximately 12cm long and 2cm thick.

Place the gold-dusted blueberries on top toward both corners and garnish with sweet alyssum flowers. Dust the front of the plate with cocoa powder and sprinkle with cocoa nibs.

Finish with the white chocolate plaque and a pour of hot chocolate sauce, then serve.

Final Thoughts

Chef Sumant Sharma's Chocolate & Coconut shows how nostalgia and modern technique can shape the same dish. By reimagining German chocolate cake through payasam, he creates a dessert that feels familiar to guests on both sides of the story while remaining entirely his own.

Using Cacao Noel chocolates and cocoa throughout allows every layer, from the dense mud cake to the glossy glaze and warm finishing sauce, to hold its own distinct flavor and structure.

The result is a dessert that is rich and indulgent, yet balanced, with Indian flavor presented in a refined, modern form.

Discover more recipes and inspiration from Cacao Noel and continue exploring the possibilities of modern chocolate pastry.