Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 9x13-inch (or 10-inch round) baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease.

Whip eggs and sugar

In a heatproof bowl over simmering water (or in a stand mixer), combine the 4 whole eggs and 100 g granulated sugar. Whisk continuously until warm to the touch (about 40°C/105°F) and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whip with a mixer on high speed until tripled in volume, pale, and ribbon stage (about 6–8 minutes).

Fold dry ingredients

Sift together the 65 g cake flour, 15 g cocoa powder, and 1 pinch salt. Gently fold the dry mix into the whipped eggs in three additions using a spatula, maintaining as much air as possible.

Add butter and bake

Temper 30 g melted cooled butter with a small spoonful of batter, then fold back into the batter along with 1 tsp vanilla extract. Pour into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake 10–12 minutes (thin sponge) or 12–15 minutes for slightly thicker, until the top springs back lightly. Cool on a rack.

Combine 200 g raspberries, 50 g sugar, 30 ml water, and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the berries break down and the mixture thickens slightly, about 6–8 minutes.

Pass the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing to extract as much purée as possible. Discard seeds. Chill the sauce in the refrigerator until ready to use. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.

Melt chocolate

Place 200 g chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 60 ml heavy cream until just simmering and pour over the chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth to make a ganache. If needed, add 60 ml milk to loosen slightly so the texture is glossy and pourable. Let cool to about 35°C (warm but not hot).

Cook yolks

In a small saucepan, whisk together 3 egg yolks and 30 g sugar. Over low heat, whisk constantly with the milk (60 ml) until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches about 70°C (not scrambling), or thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and whisk a small amount into the chocolate ganache to temper, then whisk all back into the yolk mixture until homogeneous. Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 pinch salt. Cool to room temperature (you can place bowl over an ice bath to speed cooling).

Whip cream and fold

Whip 240 ml heavy cream to soft peaks. Reserve 100 ml whipped cream for piping/garnish if desired; fold the remaining whipped cream gently into the cooled chocolate mixture in three additions, keeping the mousse light and airy.

Chill mousse

Spoon or pipe mousse into serving glasses or ring-lined portions on the sliced génoise. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably 3–4 hours, until set.

Cut the cooled chocolate génoise to fit the bottoms of serving glasses or to line small ring molds. Place a layer of sponge at the bottom of each serving vessel if using.

Pipe or spoon chilled chocolate mousse over the sponge layer (or directly into glasses if not using sponge). Smooth the top and chill for 30 minutes more to set the surface if needed.

Top each mousse with a spoonful of chilled raspberry sauce, or create a small well and pour the sauce in the center of each serving. Use the reserved 100 ml whipped cream to pipe a decorative rosette on each dessert.

Make chocolate shavings: using a vegetable peeler, shave 30 g dark chocolate into curls and scatter over the whipped cream. Garnish with 1 fresh raspberry per serving and dust lightly with 1 tsp powdered sugar across all servings.

Serve chilled. Store refrigerated up to 2 days (best same day).