This is an epitome of chocolate cake, it is a rich chocolate mousse cake that you can top with a chocolate glaze. This is something every pastry chef can take pride in. Start with measuring half a cup of boiling water and add into a bowl of an unsweetened chocolate chip with softened butter. Mix it and let it sit to melt. Crack an egg into a stand mixer mixing bowl then add in granulated sugar and just a teaspoon of vanilla, you want to create a chocolate sponge cake, it will still be rich and moist and a little bit dense.
Beat the mixture up until its nice and fluffy then add in the chocolate-butter mixture. Sift in the dry 9ngredients directly over the top that is a cup of all-purpose flour, baking soda and just a touch of salt. Use a spatula to mix everything in then the last addition is half a cup of hot strong coffee. This recipe will make two 8 inch cakes and pour the batter into buttered and lined cake tins.
Bake in a preheated 325 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 25 minutes. To make your chocolate mousse, bring a cup of whipped cream to a simmer then pour the cream directly on top of 340 grams of chocolate chips because you are folding it in whipped cream, you want that intensity of bittersweet chocolate. Gently stir in to make a beautiful chocolate ganache. The next thing you will do is cooking sugar and pouring it into egg yolks which ios the base of the mousse.
Measure half a cup of sugar into a pot then add the third cup of water and cook that until it reaches 250 degrees. Separate three eggs from the yolks and whip them just to soften, you need to get then loosen up before adding the boiling sugar. Turn the mixer on high and add the boiling sugar until combined then pour the chocolate ganache in and give it a stir to blend it together. Let it cool to room temperature before folding it in the whipped cream. Fold in the whipped cream onto the mixture of the ganache.
Slice the cake into half then into a springform pan or a tin, pour half of the mousse into the bottom of the pan and place one of your cake layers gently ontop then the remaining half of the mousse hides that cake layer and place the other layer right on top. Give it 4 to 6 hours into the freezer to set up the mousse. Once it’s our of the freezer remove from the pan and finish off with a touch of the ultimate chocolate glaze. Chill it until you are ready to serve.
Ingredients;
Cake;
- ½ cup (125 ml) boiling water
- 2 oz (55 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- ¼ (60 g) cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ½ (100 g) cup sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup (185 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (3 g) baking powder
- ¾ tsp (4 g) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (1.5 g) salt
- ½ cup (125 ml) hot, strongly brewed coffee
Mousse;
- 3 cup (750 ml) whipping cream, divided
- 12 oz (340 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) water
Chocolate Glaze;
- ½ (125 ml) cup water
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- ½ cup (125 ml) whipping cream
- ½ cup (60 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 ½ Tbsp (10 g) unflavoured gelatin powder
Instructions;
- Preheat the oven to 325 F (162 C). Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper and then lightly dust the sides of the pan with flour, tapping out any excess.
- Whisk the boiling water, chocolate and butter together until melted and set aside.
- Whip the egg, sugar and vanilla until the mixture doubles in volume (about 2 minutes on high speed) and then fold in the chocolate mixture by hand.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt over the batter and fold in, then stir in the hot coffee then divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans.
- Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans.
- For the mousse, have ready a 9-inch springform pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- Whip 1 ½ cups of the whipping cream until it holds a medium peak when the beaters are lifted and chill.
- Heat the remaining 1 ½ cups of cream to just below a simmer and then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let this sit one minute, then gently stir until incorporated. Set aside.
- Place the egg yolks in a bowl and whip for a minute on high speed. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepot over high heat and boil until it reaches 250 F (120 C) on a candy thermometer.
- Start whipping the egg yolks on medium speed and then carefully pour the hot sugar down the side of the bowl to avoid splashing, and then increase the mixer speed until high and whip until this has doubled in volume and cooled to about 105 F (40 C).
- Measure the temperature of the ganache to ensure it is close to 105 F as well, and fold the ganache into the whipped yolks.
- Let this cool for 15 minutes, or until just above room temperature, then fold in the chilled whipped cream in 2 additions.
- Pour half of the mousse into the ungreased springform pan. Slice one of the cake layers in half horizontally and place this over the mousse, as centred as possible.
- Pour the remaining mousse over the cake layer and gently place the other half of the cake layer on top, pressing gently just so the mousse covers the sides of the cake, but not so that it sinks in.
- Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and freeze the cake to set it, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- While the cake is setting, prepare the glaze. Bring the water, sugar, and cream to a boil in a medium saucepot.
- Once boiling, whisk in the cocoa powder and simmer (reducing the heat if needed) for 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.
- Soften the gelatin in ¼ cup (60 ml) of cold water and then whisk this into the hot cocoa mixture until dissolved. Cool the glaze to room temperature, then chill completely, at least 3 hours.
- To finish the cake, remove it from the freezer invert the pan onto a cooling rack placed over a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Warm the chilled glaze while whisking occasionally until just melted and smooth and pour this over the torte, spreading gently with a spatula to ensure that it covers the top and sides of the torte evenly.
- Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes, then lift it onto your presentation plate and store chilled until ready to serve.
- The cake will keep, refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
