The fruity illusion at this Atlanta restaurant makes a delightful dessert

Local Three pastry chef DJ Thomas captures the way apples play so well off other flavors in a dessert homage to the fruit. Called the Apple, it’s a cake and mousse concoction shaped like an apple, with sweet, tart compote in the middle. It swirls with flavors and textures that delight the taste buds, and it looks gorgeous.

Everything sits on a crunchy base of oat-and-caramelized-white-chocolate streusel. A square of soft, spongy cake carries the rich baking spices. In the middle of the dessert is the apple compote. All of this is encased in fluffy vanilla mousse, with the exterior glazed with a thin layer of white chocolate colored to look like an apple.

The dish showcases the crisp, natural flavors of the fruit. A bite of it, along with a swoosh of caramel and the cool spice of the accompanying chai gelato, demonstrates how a simple, familiar flavor really can be so complex. That first forkful will take a moment, as you marvel at Thomas’ creation.