Chocolate Mousse Cake
This may very well be the ultimate chocolate mousse cake. A luscious Chocolate Charlotte Mousse is layered between three Chocolate Chiffon Cake layers topped with a Midnight Glaze and enveloped in chocolate shavings. The mousse, although rich, is not overly so, and the chiffon cake complements it perfectly. The Midnight Glaze, made from Valrhona cocoa, retains its shine and remains soft even when cold.
Selecting the right cake for this creation was a bit of a challenge until I came upon this Chocolate Chiffon Cake recipe in Spago Desserts (1994). The authors utilized it as the foundation for various desserts, including their interpretation of the Opera Torte. After the initial test bake, I was convinced it was the perfect fit for my Chocolate Mousse Cake – moist, light, and slices easily into three layers.
As with any mousse cake, the key lies with the mousse. This one is special. It starts with a pâte à bombe which provides richness and structure to the mousse. A pâte à bombe is a foam made from egg yolks that are combined with hot sugar syrup, then whisked over hot water until they reach 150°F, and finally whipped on a mixer until they become thick and cooled.
Being a chocolate mousse, the quality of the chocolate you use is crucial. I use my favorite 61% wafers from Guittard. I suggest not going higher than 64% cocoa content as the mousse will be too bittersweet.
This cake is a big project but can be divided into stages. Â The chiffon cake may be baked up to two weeks ahead, wrapped well and frozen. The cake can be filled with mousse in the ring, and frozen until the point you’re ready to finish the cake. Â The chocolate shavings can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
The chocolate lover in your life will love you for making this special cake.
Chocolate Mousse Cake
| 1 seven-inch cake | # of Servings: 8 |
Ingredients
1 recipe Chocolate Chiffon Cake
1 recipe Chocolate Charlotte Mousse
1 recipe Midnight Glaze
Chocolate Shavings, as needed
Special tools and equipment needed:
- One 7†by 2 ⅜†stainless steel cake ring (available from BridgeKitchenware.com)
- 21″ plastic pastry bag and plain round ½” tip (Ateco #806), optionalÂ
- Long metal icing spatula
- 7″ cardboard cake circle
- 8″ cardboard cake circle, optional
- Small offset spatula
- Small kitchen torch
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Prepare the pastry bag and tip, if using.
Directions:
- Bake the Chocolate Chiffon Cake at least two hours before proceeding, as the cake slices into layers best when thoroughly cool. The cake may be baked a day in advance and wrapped in plastic film or up to one-month in advance and frozen, well-wrapped. Defrost at room temperature, and slice when still cold.
- Make the Chocolate Charlotte Mousse, set aside.
- Using the cake ring to trim the cake to 7″. Using a long-serrated knife, slice the cake horizontally into three layers.Â
- Fit the cardboard cake circle in the bottom of the ring. Place the bottom layer from the cake into the ring, bottom side down.
- Pipe or spread mousse to fill ¼ of the ring. Place the top cake layer, top side down, on top of the mousse and press gently.
- Pipe or spread mousse to fill another ¼ of the ring. There should be about ¾ cup of mousse left. Place the final cake layer on top of the mousse and press down gently. At this point you will have two layers of mousse and three layers of cake. There should be about ⅛†to ¼†of space above the cake to the ring.
- Pipe or spread the remaining mousse on the cake, and using a long metal icing spatula scrape off the excess mouse to level the mousse with the cake ring. Place the cake on the larger cardboard circle or a flat plate and refrigerate for five hours or overnight. Do not cover as it will mar the smooth mousse.
- Using a knife on a block of chocolate, or a vegetable peeler on chocolate bar, make chocolate shavings. Set aside.
- Make the Midnight Glaze and pour about ¾ of it over the top of the mousse. Holding the cake from the bottom, angle it from side to side to have the glaze cover the top. Do not spread with icing spatula.
- Once the glaze has covered the entire top of the cake, place back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set the glaze,
- Warm the outside of the cake ring with a kitchen torch, and remove from the ring from the cake.
- Press the chocolate shavings all around the sides of the cake. Place back on the larger cardboard or a cake plate and refrigerate.
- To serve, place on a cake plate and let sit at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes for the mousse to soften slightly.
- To freeze any leftovers, place plastic film against the exposed cake and freeze, leaving the glaze alone. Once frozen, wrap the entire cake well with plastic film.
