Nutella chocolate mousse cake

Divine, moreish, fluffy and utterly addictive. You could fall in love with it after the very first bite. A delicious chocolate mousse cake with Nutella, finished with a glossy milk chocolate mirror glaze. Try it and you’ll be hooked. My suggestion for Valentine’s Day!

Ingredients for the chocolate cake:

• 115 g butter
• 30 ml rapeseed oil
• 130 g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 30 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 70 g plain flour
• 35 g cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• a few tbsp Nutella, for spreading over the cake

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the butter and oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and stir. Leave the mixture to cool slightly, then add the eggs, milk and vanilla and whisk with a balloon whisk just until combined (do not beat). Add the sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Gently fold together with a spatula, just until combined.

Line a 20 x 20 cm baking tin with baking paper. Pour in the batter and level the surface.

Bake at 170°C for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Place an 18 cm bowl or plate on top of the cake and cut out a circle. The cake scraps will not be needed. If the cake has risen into a dome, trim off the top as well.

Prepare a 22 cm round cake tin (I used a silicone mould) and place the cut-out chocolate cake in the centre. Spread with Nutella and set aside.

Ingredients for the Nutella mousse:

• 3 tsp powdered gelatine (9 g)
• 550 ml double cream, divided into 180 ml and 370 ml, chilled
• 250 g milk chocolate, chopped
• 130 g Nutella

Sprinkle the gelatine over 50 ml cold water and leave for 10 minutes to bloom. Place over low heat and warm, stirring, until the gelatine has completely dissolved; alternatively, heat briefly in the microwave. Do not allow it to boil, as this will destroy its setting properties. Remove from the heat.

Place 180 ml of the cream in a saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat. Add the chopped milk chocolate and Nutella and leave for 2 minutes. After this time, stir until smooth. If necessary, pass through a sieve. Add the dissolved gelatine and stir until combined. Leave to cool slightly, but not completely – the chocolate mixture should remain liquid.

Whip the remaining 370 ml of cream in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add a few tablespoons of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture to lighten it and gently fold together. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold in very gently. Pour the chocolate mousse over the chocolate cake in the tin and level the surface. Place in the freezer overnight.

Ingredients for the milk chocolate mirror glaze:

• 6 tsp powdered gelatine (18 g)
• 200 g sugar
• 200 g light corn syrup or golden syrup
• 125 ml water
• 150 g sweetened condensed milk
• 200 g milk chocolate, chopped

Sprinkle the gelatine with just enough water to cover it (90 ml water) and leave for 10 minutes to bloom.

Place the sugar, corn syrup/golden syrup and water in a saucepan. Heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is clear. Remove from the heat, add the bloomed gelatine and stir. Add the sweetened condensed milk and stir to combine. Add the chopped chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until the chocolate has melted (heat gently if necessary).

Blend with a stick blender until completely smooth. Pass through a fine sieve to remove any air bubbles. Leave to cool to 35°C.

Assembly:

Remove the frozen cake from the freezer, then remove it from the mould. Place it on a smaller tin, and place the tin on a baking tray. Pour the prepared mirror glaze over the cake. Leave for 5–10 minutes to allow the excess glaze to drip off. Slide a spatula underneath the cake and carefully transfer it to a serving plate.

Decorate as desired (I used gold powder mixed with a little vodka and flicked over the glaze with a pastry brush, together with dark chocolate grated using a vegetable mandoline).

Place the cake in the refrigerator. The Nutella mousse cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cut with a hot knife, dipped in boiling water and wiped dry.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Recipe source: “Love & olive oil”.