Chocolate mousse cake with mirror glaze

This elegant chocolate mousse cake looks like it belongs in a top patisserie! It’s one of Anna Olson’s most impressive chocolate desserts (do you watch her baking shows?). Rich, intensely chocolatey and utterly delicious, it’s a real showstopper. The mousse is made without gelatine, using egg yolks whisked with hot sugar syrup to give it a beautifully light, silky texture. A glossy chocolate mirror glaze is the perfect finishing touch. It takes a little time to make and uses quite a few bowls and pans, but the result is absolutely worth the effort. Highly recommended!

Ingredients for the chocolate cake:

• 62.5 ml boiling water
• 28 g dark chocolate
• 30 g butter
• 1 small egg or half a large egg
• 60 g caster sugar
• 95 g plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ⅓ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• a pinch of salt
• 62.5 ml freshly brewed strong coffee

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the boiling water, chocolate and cubed butter in a small bowl. Stir until everything has melted and the mixture is smooth. The mixture may look as though it has split, but this is perfectly normal. Set aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the sugar and vanilla until the mixture has doubled in volume. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and fold in with a spatula or whisk. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Gently mix until just combined. Finally, pour in the hot coffee and mix again.

Line the base of a 20 cm cake tin with baking paper. Pour in the batter and bake at 165°C for about 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Cut the cake horizontally into two equal layers.

Ingredients for the chocolate mousse:

• 750 ml double cream, chilled
• 340 g dark chocolate (50–70% cocoa solids), chopped, or chocolate chips
• 3 egg yolks, from large eggs
• 110 g caster sugar
• ⅓ cup water

Prepare a 23 cm cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

Whip half of the double cream until stiff peaks form and refrigerate. Pour the remaining cream into a saucepan and heat until almost boiling, then remove from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth to make a chocolate ganache. If necessary, pass it through a sieve. Set aside.

Place the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on the highest speed until pale and fluffy.

Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir and bring to the boil. Attach a sugar thermometer and cook the syrup over a medium heat, without stirring, until it reaches 118°C (245°F). With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour the hot syrup in a thin, steady stream into the whisked egg yolks. Increase the speed and continue whisking until the mixture has cooled to approximately body temperature. Check that the chocolate ganache is at around 40°C. If necessary, warm it gently in the microwave. Add the ganache to the egg yolk mixture and very gently combine with a whisk. Leave for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Fold in the chilled whipped cream in two batches, using a spatula or whisk and taking care not to knock the air out of the mixture.

Place the first chocolate cake layer in the prepared 23 cm tin. Spread half of the chocolate mousse over it. Carefully place the second cake layer in the centre and cover with the remaining mousse. Smooth the top.

Refrigerate the chocolate mousse cake for about 5 hours, or overnight.

Ingredients for the chocolate mirror glaze:

• 125 ml water
• 1 cup caster sugar
• ½ cup double cream
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1½ tbsp powdered gelatine

Sprinkle the gelatine over ¼ cup cold water and leave to bloom.

Pour the water and double cream into a saucepan and add the sugar. Heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the cocoa powder and stir thoroughly. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, add the bloomed gelatine and stir until completely dissolved. Leave the glaze to cool completely, for about 3 hours or less. It should thicken but remain fluid enough to pour easily over the cake.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Gently warm the sides of the tin with a hairdryer to release the cake, then carefully transfer it to a serving plate or cake stand. Place in the freezer for about 60 minutes.

Pour the mirror glaze over the centre of the cake, allowing it to flow evenly over the top and down the sides. Refrigerate until set.

Store in the refrigerator. Once chilled, the cake also holds its shape very well at room temperature for several hours.

Enjoy!

Recipe source: Food Network Canada.