Three Chocolates Mousse Cake

Dancing yellow and orange entangle one another in a perpetual fight, sitting high atop a white, wax tower. Whispers fill the room. Carefully a hand is moved in front of the delicate flame, a shield from the wind as the candle lit treat is slowly, quietly carried into the next room. Mischievous eyes signal to other participating eyes. Smirks begin to pierce the lips of my brother and I. Our quiet, stealthy entrance is suddenly exposed with a boisterous belt from both brothers.

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear mommy. Happy birthday to you!” Surprise, excitement, a mom’s joy sweeps over the beautiful sixty-one year old face of my mother as my brother and I attempt to holler our way through the traditional birthday song.

“Make a wish!” We request as I set the candle topped chocolate mousse cake on a table in front of our mother.

A moment of silence falls on our small group. As I watch my mom conjure up some mysterious thought, I am instantly taken back to birthdays of my childhood, moments of silence when I tried to squeeze in as many elementary, material, silly wishes as I could before I would douse the flames with my own eager breath. I try and guess what my mother is wishing for; knowing her she is probably using her one free wish for the year on my brother and I. Knowing my mother, her wish is probably far from material or trivial.

She blows out the flame, a smile returning to her face as she thanks my brother and I for the sentiment. Hugs are exchanged before we each grab a fork. Quickly the once pristine cake is destroyed, devoured leaving but a few lone crumbs dotting the ivory plate.

 

The rich, decadent layers of chocolate, stacked carefully moments earlier, come together in a nuanced smorgasbord of chocolate flavors. Eyes roll back in the head as soft, airy mousse dissolves and gives way to a soft, cake chocolate base. A bite of just milk chocolate mousse is taken just before a bite of just dark chocolate mousse – each individual flavor savored on its own for a moment.

Is there any better way to celebrate life than with a deliciously rich and sweet chocolate dessert?

I suppose, out of fear of being sued, I should deliver the typical raw egg statement. You should not, under any circumstance, even if this cake is the best chocolate cake in the world and well worth the possibility of death, eat anything with raw eggs if you are pregnant, think you are pregnant, or very old or very young, or have some sort of autoimmune deficiency. That being said, the rest of us may enjoy this incredible, rich, chocolatey piece of perfection.

Three Chocolate Mousse Cake

The idea for this cake was inspired by Martha Stewart. The recipes are adapted from a Bo Friberg recipe.

Difficulty:Intermediate – this recipe requires some patience and a bit of finesse when assembling.

Cake Base

Tools

8, 8 ounce ramekins
Mixer or large bowl and spoon
Muffin cup liners

Ingredients

4 ounces all purpose flour
1 1/2 ounce unsweetened cocoa powder
8 ounces sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup coffee, freshly brewed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line the ramekins with flattened muffin cup liners (or with round cuts of parchment paper. Butter the sides and bottom of the ramekins.

2.Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda & powder & salt) together.

3. Add the wet ingredients (milk, butter, coffee, vanilla and eggs) to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

4. Evenly pour the batter into the ramekins.

5. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out barely clean. Mine went for 24 minutes.

6. Cool the ramekins on a rack. While the cakes cool, you can prepare the mousse.

Milk Chocolate & Dark Chocolate Mousses

Tools

Stand mixer
2 large bowls
Spatula
Baine marie
8 15×3″ parchment paper rectangles
8 paper clips
Piping bag(s) and piping tip(s)
Icing spatula

Ingredients

3 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
4 ounces honey (I used orange blossom)
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 ounces milk chocolate
7 ounces dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2. Whip the egg yolks until they reach the ribbon stage.

3. Bring the honey just to the boiling point and then immediately pour the hot honey into the egg mixture while whipping the egg yolks at medium speed. Increase the speed to high and whip until the mixture is fluffy and completely cool, about 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Split the yolk and honey mixture in half into two separate bowls.

5. First melt the milk chocolate in a bain marie. Once the milk chocolate is completely melted – careful not to overheat it – mix it into one of the bowls with half of the yolk mixture. Work quickly as the mixture will thicken quickly. Add half of the whipped cream mixture and fold in the cream until the mousse is even. Set the milk chocolate aside in the refrigerator.

6. Repeat step five but with the dark chocolate, creating a second dark chocolate mousse.

Assembly

1. For assembly, remove each cake from its ramekin. Remove the paper lining and place the cake on a plate.  Wrap the cakes in the parchment paper so it creates a cylinder cup of sorts.

2. Evenly pipe the dark chocolate mousse into the parchment cups on the cake. Shake each plate a bit or use an icing spatula to spread the mousse out evenly if it doesn’t fall into place. Refrigerate a few minutes.

3. Repeat step 2 with the milk chocolate mousse.

4. Refrigerate the assembled cakes in the refrigerator for four hours or until set, making sure to leave the parchment paper cups in place. This will ensure it holds it shape.

Enjoy!

55 Comments

  5. I love mini cakes because each are made just for one single person to have so it definitely gives you a more personal feeling, which is perfect for someone’s birthday. This post as well as the cakes do reveal that you and your mother have a very special bond.
    I love the chocolate combination as well as the mix of the silky smooth mousse with the airy cake. Stunning presentation.

    Reply

  6. this cake looks amazing… I’d love some right NOW… I’m a little lazy today to make it for myself. It seems like you have plenty. Why don’t you drop one off for me? I’m in California… probably not too far from you. Distance is relative. That chocolate cake is not.

    Reply

  7. I absolutely love when you shoot with candles! The first photograph is amazing. Just like when you made the Five Chocolates Chocolate Cake (Which was what hooked me to you and your blog) and shot with the lit birthday candles. LOVE. Great looking recipe, can’t wait to try…..even if it is just a half. I’ll take what I can get.

    Reply

  18. You take amazing pictures! I want to reach through the monitor and take a spoonful of this mousse! I’m in the market for a new camera and although I know your pictures are beautiful because you are talented, dare I ask what kind of camera you use in the mere hope of attempting photos as nice as yours??

    Reply

    • Thank you very much for the kind words!. I typically use a Canon 7D and my go to lens is the Canon 50mm f/1.4 – not only an incredible lens but a great value too. I will say though the person holding the camera makes more difference than the tool itself. Anybody can do it, but it requires looking at and studying a lot of food photography and practicing a lot. Luckily the learning process is fun! Let me know if you have any other questions!

      Reply

  29. Oh what beautiful little cakes for your mother’s birthday. Happy birthday to her, and how lucky of her to have you to make these wonderful little cakes for her. And how lucky of you, but Im sure you know that.

    Beautiful pictures and recipe as always. :)

    Reply

  32. Loves how u use my 2 fav ingred in a dish Russel… coffe and choco!
    this one is perfect for x’mas whick start to come :)
    congratz for the top 9 on foodbuzz and tq fr sharing my friend… have a blessed day to u! ;)

    Reply

    • Thank you very much!

      I have not tried it as a full cake so I can’t tell you for sure but this mouse does set up well so I think it could be possible. You’d just want to make sure you’d let the cake set for at least 4 hours, otherwise cutting it before it is set could result in a mousse avalanche.

      Reply

  40. Pingback: Cakes by rachealpatrolia - Pearltrees

  41. Oh my god this looks amazing. I love mousse so much and it looks perfect in those mini portions. Your photos are fabulous, I love the dark background in the first one, you can easily imagine someone just waiting to blow out the candle while they make a wish.

    Reply

  47. Pingback: Three Chocolates Mousse Cake | Alterego Baking Company

  48. Pingback: Chocolate Mousse Desserts that will Melt in Your Mouth | Yummly

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