Chocolate Mousse Cake

Kitty FloridoSeptember 7, 2023

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It’s been over 4 years since my dad passed away. It’s something I usually don’t share around here, but his birthday is coming up – and there’s this story I’ve been wanting to share for a while.

To give you a little bit of context, I usually bake the cakes for celebrations: our family classic birthday cake like the Borracho (aka rum-soaked cake), a non-traditional Apple & Rhubarb Crumble Cake, a celebratory special Zesty Almond Poppy Seed Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream for my then 91 year old grandma, or a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake for a friend a few years ago.

About 8 years ago, I wanted to bake my dad the ultimate chocolate cake: a multi-layer, with plenty of chocolate and up to the standards of his sweet tooth. I searched high and low for a kick-ass recipe and I stumbled upon Raspberri Cupcakes’ recipe. It was perfect. Light cake, fluffy frosting, and just plain chocolate.

I had baked the cake layers the night before – a Thursday, and back home we had those annoying little kitchen ants, that would get into an unguarded cake, so I decided that after the oven was cooled completely, I would store the layers there. To my surprise, the next morning I found that my layers were a little smashed – someone put some pots and pans away (inside the oven!), and placed them right on top of the cakes 😳.

Naturally, I was disappointed, but as time was short, his birthday was that same evening, and we had people coming over. I went ahead and whipped the frosting together. Let me tell you, that was something. As the cake layers were uneven, I leveled them with plenty of frosting. After the cake was set and leveled, I decided to decorate it with little chocolate candies… and turned out that I didn’t have enough to complete a circle. It was one disaster after another 😆 My dad, being the coolest guy ever and knowing how much I was trying to make it happen, still used that cake for his celebration – but when he tried it, his face lit up. Not like “this is kind of ok”, but the kind of eye-opening expression that you could not fake.

I’ve been making this cake for a couple of years already, but this time I just knew I had to put it out into the world. Dad, my buddy, hope you have a Happy Birthday and enjoy a slice of the best chocolate cake where you are 💛

Kitty

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Makes 1 cake, two layers, about 8-9 servings
Adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes

Ingredients, for the cake:
8 eggs
1 cup ((220 g.) granulated sugar
130 g. cornstarch
½ cup (70 g.) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Ingredients, for the frosting:
3 ½ sticks (400 g.) unsalted butter, softened
14 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
2 ½ cups (600 ml.) whipping cream
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
optional, round chocolate candies for decoration

Directions:

Line two 8-in. springform pan tins with parchment paper, grease, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer, until thick and pale. This takes from 5 to 6 minutes.
Sift over the dry ingredients: cornflour, cocoa, flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Fold in the ingredients with a rubber spatula, making sure to mix all the ingredients and remove any pockets of dry ingredients. Fold in butter.
Add the batter into the prepared tins, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center of the cake lightly springs back when pressed.
After removing from the oven, let the cake cool for 10 to 12 minutes, then remove the rings from the pans, and turn them into a cooling rack with parchment paper to allow the cakes to cool completely. This cake is delicate, so make sure to handle it with care.
When you’re ready to decorate the cake, make the frosting. Place butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the cream until it reaches soft peaks. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture combined.
To assemble, place the first cake layer and spread ¾ cup of the frosting, followed with the next cake layer, crumb-coat the cake, and chill for at least 30 to 60 minutes in the fridge.
Top with chocolate candies. You can serve it immediately, or store it in the fridge – however, if it’s too cold make sure to return the cake to room temperature before serving.

Have you made this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture with the hashtag #thefoodieskitchen!

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