Chocolate Pavé Recipe

Prepare and bake

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line and lightly grease an 8x4 inch (or 9x5 small) loaf pan or an 8-inch square pan; alternatively use a ring mold for a pavé shape. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

In a separate large bowl whisk together sugar, egg, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.

Stir in the hot water (and espresso if using) — batter will be thin. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake 20–25 minutes (square pan) or 25–30 minutes (loaf) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cool, trim to fit your mold if necessary and slice horizontally if you want thinner cake layers. For a pavé, cut the cake into a rectangle to line the bottom of a small loaf tin or rectangular mold.

Melt chocolate

Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup of the heavy cream until it just begins to simmer (do not boil). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1 minute, then gently whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk in espresso if using. Let the chocolate mixture cool to room temperature.

If using gelatin: sprinkle the gelatin over 1 Tbsp cold water and let bloom 2–3 minutes, then warm gently (10–15 seconds in microwave) to dissolve and stir into the chocolate mixture.

Whip the remaining 1.5 cups of cold heavy cream with the 2 Tbsp sugar to soft peaks. Fold one third of whipped cream into the chocolate to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until evenly combined and no streaks remain. Chill briefly (10–15 minutes) to slightly set if needed — mousse should be spreadable but hold shape.

Prepare ganache

Place the chopped chocolate for the ganache in a medium bowl. Heat 3/4 cup heavy cream until it begins to simmer. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the butter and a pinch of sea salt until glossy. Let cool until slightly thickened but still pourable (about 10–15 minutes).

Line your chosen pavé mold (rectangular loaf tin or small terrine) with plastic wrap, leaving excess overhang to cover top. Place a layer of chocolate cake into the bottom, trimming to fit snugly. If you have multiple thin cake layers, alternate cake and mousse; for a simple pavé use a single cake base about 1/2–3/4 inch thick.

Spread or pipe about two-thirds of the mousse evenly over the cake layer to a depth of about 1 to 1 1/2 inches (or fill mold to desired height). Smooth the surface with an offset spatula. If you have extra cake, you can add a thin cake layer in the middle and repeat with remaining mousse to create multiple layers.

Fold the plastic wrap over the mousse and press gently so mousse contacts the sides and top; chill in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight to fully set (if you used gelatin, 2–3 hours may suffice).

Once set, unmold the pavé by lifting the plastic wrap and inverting onto a serving board. Remove the plastic wrap carefully so mousse stays intact. Warm the ganache slightly if it has thickened too much, then pour the ganache over the top, letting it run down the sides for a smooth glaze. Use an offset spatula to nudge ganache for full coverage if needed.

Chill briefly (10–15 minutes) to set the ganache. Dust lightly with cocoa powder and scatter chocolate shavings on top as garnish. Trim edges for clean slices if desired. Slice with a hot, dry knife (wipe between cuts) and serve chilled or at cool room temperature.