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Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients

Sponge Cake Layer

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup caster sugar super fine or berry sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/ s teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup flour sifted
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder sifted with the flour
  • 2 teaspoons whisky preferably single malt

Mousse Layers

  • 9 oz / 1 1/8 cups / 250g dark chocolate finely chopped**
  • 1 3/4 cups whipping cream divided! (1 1/2 cups for the middle layer)
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon whiskey
  • 1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

SPONGE CAKE LAYER

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. PAM spray an 8" springform pan.
  • Melt the butter and set aside.
  • Place the sugar in a metal bowl and set over a pot of simmering water (don't let the bottom touch the water).
  • Use an electric hand mixer and beat the mixture (over the water) for approximately 3 minutes, until it becomes pale and frothy.
  • Remove the metal bowl from the heat and continue to beat the mixture for a further two minutes while it cools.
  • Gently stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
  • Carefully fold in the sifted flour and cocoa powder.
  • Slowly trickle in the melted butter and continue to combine gently.
  • Pour the mixture into the greased tin* and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool a little in the tin. Use a pastry brush and coat the sponge cake with the whiskey and set aside to cool completely in the tin.

MOUSSE LAYERS (do middle layer first)

  • In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, 3/4 cup (dark chocolate top layer) or 1/2 cup (middle other layer) of the cream, and salt. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring every time, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
  • Pour it into a large bowl, and let it cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
  • While its cooling, whip the remaining cup of whip cream until stiff.
  • Whisk the gelatin and cold water in a small bowl, once the water is absorbed (it won't take long) then nuke for about 10 seconds to melt.
  • Add the gelatin to the melted chocolate mixture and stir until the chocolate is smooth.
  • Add half of the whipped cream and stir until combined.
  • Fold in remaining half of whip cream.
  • Pour onto sponge cake layer (once it has completely cooled!) and put in fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Follow the above steps for the dark chocolate layer and put in fridge overnight.
  • Keep chilled until serving. Cut with a knife thas been put under hot water and wiped dry.

Notes

* Note its a thick batter and doesn't look like very much at all. It will be a thin layer across the bottom of the pan.
** For the dark chocolate layer I used 1 package of dark baking chocolate and 100g of a 85% Lindt bar. For the middle layer I used half white chocolate chips and half butterscotch chips.