Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe
chocolate fudge sauce, coffee ice cream
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Ingredients
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Cake & Mousse
Chocolate Fudge Sauce
To Serve
Method
Cake & Mousse
- 1
Prepare pan and preheat
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter and line the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with parchment paper; butter the paper as well.
- 2
Melt chocolate and butter
In a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water (double boiler) or in 20–30 second bursts in the microwave, melt 300 g semisweet chocolate with 150 g unsalted butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 3
Whisk eggs and sugar
In a large bowl, whisk 4 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks and 120 g granulated sugar together until mixture is thick, pale and slightly increased in volume (ribbon stage, about 3–4 minutes by hand or 2 minutes with a mixer).
- 4
Combine chocolate and egg mixture
Fold about a third of the egg mixture into the melted chocolate to lighten it, then gently fold the chocolate back into the remaining eggs until combined. Sift in 60 g flour, 30 g cocoa powder and 1 tsp salt, folding just until no streaks remain.
- 5
Bake cake layer
Pour batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Bake 18–22 minutes at 180°C (350°F) until the edges are set and the center is just slightly jiggly. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then release springform and transfer to a rack to cool completely. If you prefer a thinner base for mousse, trim the top level once cooled.
- 6
Bloom gelatin
While cake bakes or cools, sprinkle 6 g gelatin over 30 ml cold water in a small bowl. Let sit 5 minutes to bloom.
- 7
Make mousse base
Heat 60 ml brewed espresso (or strong coffee) gently and stir in the bloomed gelatin until melted and dissolved. Stir in 5 ml vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whip 400 ml heavy cream with 30 g sugar to soft peaks. Fold about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture (if any extra melted chocolate remains from the cake stage use it now) and then fold in the coffee-gelatin mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until smooth and even, taking care not to over-whip.
- 8
Assemble cake and chill
Place the cooled cake layer back into the springform pan (or use a cake ring) and pour the chocolate coffee mousse over the cake, smoothing the top. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the mousse is set.
Chocolate Fudge Sauce
- 9
Warm cream and combine
In a small saucepan, gently heat 180 ml heavy cream with 15 ml corn syrup (or honey) until it just begins to simmer; remove from heat. Add 120 g chopped semisweet chocolate and let sit 1 minute to soften.
- 10
Finish sauce
Stir the mixture until smooth, then whisk in 25 g unsalted butter, 2 ml vanilla extract and a pinch of salt until glossy. Keep warm or cool to room temperature; sauce will thicken as it cools. Reheat gently before serving if desired.
To Serve
- 11
Plate the dessert
Remove the chilled mousse cake from the pan and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon warm chocolate fudge sauce over individual slices or serve the sauce on the side.
- 12
Add ice cream and garnish
Place one scoop of coffee ice cream alongside each slice (about 1 scoop per serving). Drizzle additional fudge sauce over the ice cream if desired and dust the plate or cake with 2 tsp cocoa powder or scatter chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.