Every now and then the mood for chocolate hits me and it just so happened that I had a Chocolate Mousse class on Google+ Saturday that left me with a batch of chocolate mousse, and nothing to do with it…..sigh, don’t you hate when that happens? Well I didn’t have to think too long to decide that a chocolate mousse cake was in order, the only problem would be finding a home for most of it quickly so I didn’t gorge myself on cake! I’m like a puppy where cake is concerned and will eat it until I explode, so I wanted to make sure to remove the temptation.
What I did end up with was an incredible chocolate cake (using my olive oil chocolate cake recipe) with ribbons of rich indulgent chocolate mousse in between the layers, can you say decadent? But I didn’t stop there, rather than just use the mousse for the frosting I decided to blend some mascarpone cheese into it! What I got was a light creamy version of the mousse, that didn’t overpower the cake.
I used a cake ring for the first time, and since the ring wasn’t quite tall enough, I stopped at 3 layers, (I originally had planned on 4 layers) but I don’t think the cake suffered for lack of the additional layer. If you do make the cake and decide to go for the gusto, you’ll have plenty of mousse to do it with so don’t worry.
My Chocolate Mouse cake did not disappoint, it was rich and chocolaty without being overpowering, I enjoyed mine with a tall glass of ice cold milk, but it would also go great with a good cup of coffee. If you’re planning a party and looking for that special dessert to wow the crowd, I can recommend this cake, your guests will be in chocolate heaven, all begging for the recipe! It would also make the perfect birthday cake for that chocolate lover in your life, but you don’t really need an excuse to make this delicious decadent cake………. after all its Chocolate!
- 3 cups all purpose flour 360 gm
- 2 cups sugar 400 gm
- 6 tablespoons cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- teaspoon ½ salt
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 180 ml
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups cold water 475 ml
- 13 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate finely cut, 368 gm
- 6 tbsp . butter softened 3 oz
- 1 /2 cup sugar 113 gm
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup strong black coffee or espresso 60 ml
- 1/4 cup Kahlua 60 ml
- 3 cups heavy cream 700 ml
- 8 ounces mascarpone 230 gm
- 1/2 of chocolate mousse
- 1 pint raspberries
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. With your mixer on low speed beat in the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water until smooth. Pour the mixture into the two 9″ prepared pans, coated with butter and dusted in flour or sugar.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not over bake the cake. It should be firm to the touch, and a cake skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean.
- Put the cake pans on cooling racks and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans to cool completely
- Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl, over a pot of simmering water, stir with a rubber spatula as the chocolate melts, if the pan starts to get too hot, remove it from the heat.
- Continue to stir the chocolate until it has melted completely, then remove from the heat.
- Cut the butter into 8 pieces and mix it into the melted chocolate until it has been completely absorbed by the chocolate.
- Set the chocolate aside to cool to room temperature
- Sabayon
- add the egg yolks to the bowl of your mixer and begin to whip them until doubled in size, then begin to slowly pour the sugar in a steady stream into the yolks. Continue to whip for another minute.
- add the liquid to the egg yolk mixture and place your mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk the yolk mixture until it becomes very thick.
- When the egg yolks have thickened, continue to whip in your stand mixer until the mixture has cooled.
- Combining
- when the sabayon has cooled, fold it into the chocolate mixture until well blended.
- Whip the cream in your stand mixer until it holds its shape, then fold it into the chocolate mixture.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set.
- with your stand mixer whip remaining chocolate mousse with mascarpone until creamy.
- divide chocolate mousse into two portions, use one half to make mascarpone frosting and set aside.
- slice each layer in the middle making two identical layers.
- start with one layer, then add half of the chocolate mousse (not the frosting) to the layer spreading evenly, then repeat process using all but one half of one layer. (you'll have to just eat that part of the cake)
- When the layers have been set, start frosting the cake using the mascarpone chocolate mousse frosting, spreading evenly.
- top with raspberries and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow to set up.
- slice cake, serve and enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by today, but I’m afraid that’s all for today. The old chef is a little beat up after feeding 90 people two days in a row by himself, and it’s not so much all the prep, cooking and serving, its the clean up that kills me……sigh
The good news is that today was my last lunch of the year, and I’m taking a few days off to recuperate before heading in to break down the kitchen for the season. Well actually just one day off, then Thursday I’m taking 20 of my girls to the CIA in Hyde Park for lunch at the Escoffier Restaurant and a tour of the Culinary School. It’s a 3 1/2 hour bus ride each way, but I’m sure it will be a great experience for all of my girls to see a real culinary school. Who knows, maybe one of them will be the next top chef one day!
Cheers!
Dennis, this cake is to die for! I’ll have to get up the nerve to make it, I’ve never been very good at making mousse. Have a wonderful time on the trip with the girls, you do such a great job with them!
For those who have not tried this cake, I feel sorry for you. My neice made it for her man and we were invited to his birthday dinner. OMG it was amazing. She went for the four layers and added a liquor to the mousse. She decorated the top and sides with grated chocolate.
A definite must have for all those chocoholics out there.
I’m very happy to hear that the cake was a success! Thanks so much for letting me know how much you enjoyed it.
This is some serious business. Wow Chef!!!
Beautiful and delicious looking cake,that chocolate mousse mascarpone frosting sound perfect for this cake,Thank for sharing chef,I will mark this great recipe !!
This cake looks so light yet extremely chocolately – yum!
OMG, Dennis, this cake is amazing. My husband is a member of chocoholics anonymous and I’ve GOT to make this for his birthday next month. Wow. I make my own mascarpone cheese and am always drawn to recipes with it, so your recipe gets major bonus points here.
Ok, I’m not a great baker, but this looks and sounds so good I’m going to try it! Wish me luck!
I’ve made a plain olive oil cake but never thought about adding chocolate. Like the idea of using olive oil vs. butter. Spontanaity is a wonderful thing when it comes to leftover items!
Looks absolutely delicious! I reckon I could eat the lot in 5 minutes flat!
Great looking cake! Have a great time at the CIA!
You had me at chocolate mousse and chocolate mousse Mascarpone – what a perfectly decadent cake!
This looks so good. I’ve been gathering up cake recipes since both kids have birthdays coming up. I will have to add this to the list then have my kids select one for each of their birthdays.
That is one amazing looking cake. Brian is the chocolate mousse cake monster and this wouldn’t last long around him. Enjoy the trip to the CIA. It’s close to a 2 hour drive from Manhattan but it’s quite scenic and Brian and I go up there every spring for lunch. Up until now we’ve always gone to American Bounty because it’s open on Saturdays and it’s always terrific. The campus itself is stunning and I probably have dozens of photos of it on my site. I hope you blog about your day there with your girls.
OH. MY. GOD. What an amazing-looking chocolate cake! I can’t stop staring at it. I want a slice right now. Thanks for sharing, Chef Dennis!
Looks delicious!
This cake looks so perfect and delicious. Just right for any kind of celebration 🙂
I’d have to call it sinful.
I don’t come across many cakes that call for olive oil and I am excited to see this one. Your pictures have convinced me that this is the cake for me. Enjoy the trip and sneak in a nap if you can.
This cake is fantastic. It looks delicious.
You deserve a break of more than a day or so. Enjoy the CIA !
This look soooo amazing!! WOW. Decadent does not even describe Dennis. Plus, it is just so pretty! 🙂
Ohhh Chef Dennis…this is just heavenly! Now I am in the mood for something chocolate 🙂 Thank you very much for this recipe. Already saved and pinned.
I could just dive into this cake! Mmm,Mmm 😀
You are right, this is a wonderful birthday cake . As you mention, cooking is not that hard, but cleaning the dishes yes it is hard for me. Hope your trip with students went well.
Wow, Dennis! That cake looks incredible! I love that it’s made with olive oil.
Enjoy your well-deserved days of rest!
Piggy Chef… Have a great time with your girls 🙂 Yea , who knows one of them may be the next top chef one day ! The cake looks mouth-watering…thanks for the recipe. Have bookmarked! Grat as a birthday cake 🙂
Chapeau to you, Chef! For using up leftovers I’d be like a puppy too, begging for another slice.
This looks perfect for a birthday party I’m supposed to be making a cake for, I’m betting it won’t last long. I’m the same with cake, I’m very lucky to have a big family of ‘tasters’ ready to help me out though =]
Congrats on Top 9!
wow that cake looks delicious!!!
This cake sounds amazing, Chef! Mousse mascarpone frosting – no way I would share this cake! 🙂
Was this frosting sturdy enough to pipe? Would it melt off at a summer picnic? It looks great!
Yes it was sturdy enough to pipe, I don’t think it would melt in the summer, but it would get very soft. I would just use straight mousse without the added mascarpone, and keep it cold for as long as I could before taking it outside.
Bravo Chef, and congratulations on the Top 9!
So decadent! I love chocolate mousse and mascarpone. Perfect special occasion cake. What is the purpose of white vinegar exactly?
Congrats on top 9!
when you don’t use eggs in cakes or cookies, you can use vinegar with baking soda to get a chemical reaction to help make them rise. You never taste it at all.
COngrats on Top 9!!!! Well done Chef Dennis!!!
Thank you for the recipe and congrats on top 9.
I was looking for something to lighten my chocolate mousse. I found the solution!! Thanks once again.
wow, this looks absolutely amazing! sounds so wonderfully decadent!
Congrats on Top 9-excellent and this cake has me drooling…you’re killing me…I need another lifetime just to make all of your recipes that I have added to my must try list !
This looks absolutely exquisite! Pure torture for me to be looking at this right now while on a juice fast…
DECADENT TIMES 2! wow!
This cake looks incredible!
hi wow nice cakes I really need help my daughter is turning 3 and she loves caramal do you have a nice caramal mousse recipe I could use or any other like chocolate and orange mousse sorry she loves mousse or you could give me some recipes and I could pick from it thank you so much for your help…
Hi. I have just made this for my son’s birthday. The cakes didn’ t rise much, but that worked fine as I just interspersed them with the mousse. I just deviated a little by doing a layer of crushed choc biscuits with melted butter, and then layering condensed milk caramel on top of that, then the mousse, then the cake, more caramel, mousse and cake, finishing with the amazing frosting with ganache swirls. Can’t wait to taste it!! Looks fabulous!
Thank u so much for this recipe was wonderfull we were on a girl party and they eat all of it saying that the coffee note was emphasing this much chocolate