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Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

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Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake This dark chocolate mousse cake is rich and deeply chocolatey, yet it stays surprisingly light on the fork. Three chocolate components come together in one dessert: a very moist chocolate cake base, a light and airy chocolate mousse made without gelatin, and a silky dark chocolate ganache poured over the top.

  • Total Time: 624 min
  • Yield: 9 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Cake
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
0.5 cup Dutch Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Fine Espresso Powder
0.75 teaspoon Baking Powder
0.5 teaspoon Baking Soda
0.25 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
0.75 cup plus 2 tablespoons White Granulated Sugar
0.33 cup plus 1 tablespoon Neutral Oil
0.33 cup Full-Fat Sour Cream, room temperature
1 Whole Large Egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
0.5 cup Boiling Water

Chocolate Mousse
1.5 cups Heavy Cream
1 + 1 Whole Large Egg and Large Yolk
0.33 cup White Granulated Sugar
0.25 cup Dutch Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Fine Espresso Powder
0.125 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
6 ounces Dark Chocolate
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup Heavy Cream, cold

Chocolate Ganache
5 ounces Dark Chocolate
0.67 cup Heavy Cream

Instructions

Chocolate Cake
1-Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC): Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
2-In a small mixing bowl, whisk together: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, Dutch cocoa powder, fine espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3-In a large bowl and using a: In a large bowl and using a hand whisk, whisk together sugar, oil, sour cream, egg and vanilla until well combined.
4-Sift in the dry ingredients, ensuring the: Sift in the dry ingredients, ensuring the cocoa powder lumps are pushed through the sieve. Gently whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until nearly incorporated. The batter will be thick at this point.
5-Add boiling hot water and gently whisk: Add boiling hot water and gently whisk until just combined. The batter will thin out a bit. Do not overmix.
6-Pour cake batter into your prepared pan: Pour cake batter into your prepared pan and bake for 24 to 28 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Timing can vary on your oven.
7-Cool on a wire rack for 15: Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely at room temperature or in the fridge.

Chocolate Mousse
8-In a small saucepan, and off heat,: In a small saucepan, and off heat, whisk together heavy cream, a whole egg, a yolk, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt until well combined.
9-Over low heat, and whisking constantly, heat: Over low heat, and whisking constantly, heat until the mixture reaches 170ºF (76ºC). It will take about 8 to 10 minutes.
10-Off heat, add chocolate and vanilla and: Off heat, add chocolate and vanilla and whisk until smooth and combined.
11-Transfer chocolate mixture to a medium bowl: Transfer chocolate mixture to a medium bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the chocolate mousse mixture in the fridge for 1 to 1.5 hour, until thick and spreadable.
12-As the chocolate mousse is cooling, line: As the chocolate mousse is cooling, line the bottom of your springform pan with a fresh piece of parchment paper. If needed, level off the top of the cake with a serrated knife. Next, place cooled chocolate cake back into the springform pan. Wrap the sides of the cake with a 29-inch (74cm) long piece of acetate (cake collar). Tape the acetate together at the ends to prevent it from unraveling. You can also use parchment paper. Just lightly spray it with oil to make it easier to release the cake.
13-After 1 to 1: After 1 to 1.5 hours, remove the chocolate mixture from the fridge and give it a good mix. Once it has thickened into a spreadable consistency, whip your cream. In a large mixing bowl, and using a hand mixer, whip cold heavy cream until firm peaks. Do not overmix. Then in 2 additions, gently fold the chocolate mixture and whipped cream together until there are no more white streaks. Do not overmix.
14-Spread the chocolate mousse on top of: Spread the chocolate mousse on top of the cake layer. Chill for at least 8 hours.

Chocolate Ganache
15-When you’re ready to serve, make the: When you’re ready to serve, make the chocolate ganache. Place finely chopped chocolate from a bar or chocolate chips in a heatproof medium bowl.
16-In a small saucepan, and over medium: In a small saucepan, and over medium heat, bring heavy cream to a low simmer until it reaches about 185ºF (85ºC). Submerge hot cream over the chocolate and let stand untouched for 4 to 5 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, slowly stir until smooth and combined. If the chocolate hasn’t completely melted, place the bowl of ganache over a small pot of simmering water. Heat until completely smooth.
17-Remove the chilled cake from the fridge: Remove the chilled cake from the fridge and unmold it from the pan. Peel off the acetate/parchment paper and then slide the cake onto a serving plate.
18-Pour the chocolate ganache on top of: Pour the chocolate ganache on top of the cake and using an offset spatula, spread it to the edges. Before serving, you can place the cake back into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to let the ganache set. Slice and enjoy!

Last Step:

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  • Prep Time: 60 min
  • Cook Time: 24 min
  • Method: bake