Chocolate Mocha Mousse Cake

Ingredients

For the MOCHA MOUSSE:

18 ounces milk chocolate chips or bar cut into small pieces

4 tbsp. powdered instant coffee, dissolved into 1/4 c. + 1 tbsp. hot water

3 cups heavy or whipping cream

For the CAKE:

1/4 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c. unsifted cake flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1 tsp. baking powder

For the CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 ounces unsalted butter

1 tbsp. light corn syrup or honey

Preparation

To Make the MOUSSE:

Add about 1 inch of water in the bottom of a double boiler (or in a sauce pan). Bring water to simmer. Place the chocolate and coffee in the top of the double boiler or in a medium heat-proof bowl that fits snuggle atop a saucepan. Turn heat off and stir constantly until the chocolate is smooth, melted, and thoroughly combined with the coffee. Remove from heat and let cool to about 85 degrees. Meanwhile, whip the cream until soft but not stiff peaks form, then carefully fold into the chocolate.

To Make the Cake:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.The cake can be baked in 2 (8-inch) round pans or in an 11x17 jelly roll pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment or waxed paper.

Heat milk and butter over medium heat in small pan until the butter melts. Reduce heat to low, but do not allow to simmer.

Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder twice. Return to sifter and set aside. In large heat-proof bowl use a hand whisk to mix the sugar, whole eggs and egg yolks. Set bowl in a pan of barely simmering water. Heat mixture until lukewarm to the touch, whisking occasionally.

Transfer bowl to an electric mixer and beat on high speed until mixture has cooled and triples in volume. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over egg batter and fold in gently by hand. Fold in 1/2 of the remaining flour, then fold in the remainder of the flour.

Pour hot milk and butter and fold in until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake cake until browned and starts to shrink from side of pan. Cool cake in pan on rack. If cake is baked in an 11x17 pan, cut 2 eight-inch circles when cooled.

For the Chocolate Glaze:

Place chocolate, butter and corn syrup (or honey) in a small heat-proof bowl. Heat gently in a pan of water over low heat until almost completely melted. Remove from heat and stir gently until completely melted.

To ASSEMBLE:

Place one 8-inch cake layer in a 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Pour one mousse recipe over the cake layer and refrigerate until mousse is set (2-4 hours). Place second cake layer on top of refrigerated mousse. Pour second mousse recipe over cake, smooth and refrigerate overnight.

To UNMOLD:

Soak a clean dish towel in very hot water. Wring out and immediately wrap around springform pan. You may have to do this twice. Release form and smooth sides with spatula.

To GLAZE:

Refrigerate the unmolded cake for 20 minutes and make the glaze while the cake is refrigerating. Once chilled, remove the cake from fridge and place on a rack over a sheet of foil. Pour glaze over cake using a spatula sparingly to spread glaze over top and sides of cake.

If the sides are not completely covered, scoop some of the glaze from the foil and spread on sides of cake. Refrigerate immediately until ready to serve (Cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days).

Please note the image above is only a representation of this recipe.