Alrighty then….Chocolate Mousse Cake!
Choco-holics, this one is for YOU.
Well, you and me – can you save me a piece please?
Pretty please???
Just before we set off on our vacation to Maui I received a lovely box of goodies in the mail from Alter Eco Foods. They are based in San Francisco and work directly with small-scale farmers who grow their products. All the products come in compostable packaging, are certified Fair Trade and Organic, and they even work with their partners to preserve heirloom grains and help the farmers improve their farms and homes – all the things that you guys know I’m passionate about.
One of the chocolate bars I received was the Dark Blackout Organic Chocolate Bar which comes in at 85% cocoa and only has four ingredients – cocoa beans, cocoa butter, raw cane sugar and vanilla beans.  I knew I wanted to make something in which the chocolate would be the center stage and decided that this dreamy chocolate mousse cake would be the perfect vessel. 
The cake is made up of four layers – soft and spongy chocolate cake, light and fluffy chocolate mousse, thick and creamy chocolate ganache and shaved chocolate/chocolate curls – and then the whole thing is crusted with chocolate cookie crumbles.
You guys…trust me when I say that the death by chocolate cake has nothing on this chocolate mousse cake.
Nothing. At. All.
Now, please don’t be intimidated by this cake and all the layers. I promise that this cake is so easy to make, it just takes some time and planning. And a bit of willpower. Willpower not to eat the layers before they all come together to make this amazing cake.
The cake layer is the first part of the recipe – simply baked in a round tart pan with removable sides. Once chilled, the cake is topped with a decadent layer of chocolate mousse. The cake then makes it’s way to the fridge and chills overnight. The next day the sides are removed from the pan and a creamy ganache is poured over the top and sides of the cake – something to hold all of those crispy chocolate cookie crumbs that get pressed into the ganache.
And then you are done. Or you can add some chocolate curls to the top, or some fresh berries, or even more whipped cream. Or you can just eat it with a fork, perhaps sharing it with the ones you love. Or not. I do not judge my fellow choco-holics.
Hope you enjoy it!!
XO,
Jenn
Please note that this is a sponsored ad. Although I received product in exchange for sharing my thoughts with you – all opinions are my own. I will only share products with you that I believe in and those that I feed to my own family. I’m a true believer in sustainability, helping others, and environmental stewardship. Alter Eco aligns with my beliefs – and they happen to have truly incredible products – hence the sponsored ad.
chocolate mousse cake
recipe from my dad
makes 16 servings
First step – bake the cake:
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one nine inch round tart pan with removable sides with cooking spray. Line the sides with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray too.
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Second step – make the mousse:
8 ounces Alter Eco Dark Blackout Organic Chocolate (you can buy it here)
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 ounces hot water
1 package of gelatin softened in cold water (refer to instructions on how to soften the gelatin on the package of gelatin)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites
2 ounces granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream and vanilla to soft peaks. This should take about five to seven minutes on medium high speed. Once whipped, set aside.
Next, whip the egg whites with the sugar until a meringue forms. This should take about 7-10 minutes on medium high speed. Once whipped, set aside.
Place the egg yolks and water/gelatin mix into the mixer and whip with the whisk attachment for about three minutes. Chop the chocolate into smaller pieces and place it into a medium sized and heatproof bowl. Fill a small saucepan with 1-2 inches of water. Place the pan on the stove and bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Place the bowl of chocolate on the top of the pan, allowing the steam to melt the chocolate. Once the chocolate has melted completely, remove the bowl from the saucepan and allow to cool for about two minutes.
With the mixer running on a lower speed, slowly add the melted chocolate to the whipped egg yolks. Turn up the speed on the mixer to medium-high and whisk everything together until fully blended.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a spatula, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Then fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture.
Scoop the mousse into the cake pan and on top of the cooled cake. Refrigerate overnight to allow everything to set up completely.
Make the chocolate ganache:
9 ounces Alter Eco Dark Blackout Organic Chocolate, finely chopped (you can buy it here)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Place chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until bubbles begin to appear around edges and then pour the cream over the chocolate.
Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside at room temperature until cool but pourable, stirring occasionally.
Assemble the rest of the cake:
chocolate ganache
3 cups chocolate cookie crumbles (you can buy these or you can place chocolate wafer cookies into a food processor and blend them until they become fine crumbles)
white or dark chocolate shavings or crumbles (I used this recipe)
Place the cake on top of a baking sheet that is fitted with a cooling rack. Pour the cooled ganache over the top and sides of the cake, frosting the cake with the ganache. (If you miss a spot, scrape up the excess ganache that gathers on the baking sheet and pour again.) Use your hands to scoop up the chocolate cookie crumbs and push them into the sides of the cake – leaving the top without crumbs.
Once the sides have been coated with the cookie crumbs, top the cake with chocolate curls, fruit, or whipped cream. Place the cake back into the fridge to chill for at least three hours. When you are ready to serve, cut the cake with a sharp knife that has been dipped in hot water.
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