Chocolate Mousse Cake with Chocolate Ganache

So February arrived, came the time to bake a cake for my young Mr R's birthday. He actually requested for a Chocolate Nemesis Cake (will share this recipe in another post) but I decided to be more adventurous and not be boring baking a something familiar, so opted to do a similar rich chocolate-y cake - Chocolate Mousse Cake.

Yes, I totally agree, as one can see from the photo, I definitely need to improve on my cake decorating skills! :P ... For the record ;), the wordings are pumped out with melted chocolate, first amateur attempt, so please be kind, not too bad right??? At least still readable AND legible! @_@ Hahhahaha ;)

"HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY MY ONE & ONLY BELOVED PRINCE!" *mwahhh*

Notes:

1. Method seems overwhelming with so many steps but can be split into components where cake base and ganache can be made a day ahead.
2. Cake is to be baked in a slight bigger tin so can cut to size of assembling tin where mousse will fill nicely on top without leaking to sides of cake.
3. Ganache can be melted again in microwave so can be spread easily.
4. Mousse must be well refrigerated until firm before spreading ganache over the cake.

chocolate mousse cake
(recipe adapted from Donna Hay's Simple Essentials: Chocolate)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (50 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup (55 g) caster sugar
• 25 g butter, melted

chocolate mousse filling

• 2 tsp powdered gelatine
• 2 tbsp water
• 200 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 75 g butter, chopped
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup (250 ml) thickened cream
• 3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Sift the flour and baking powder three times.  Set aside.
3. Beat eggs and sugar together for 8-10 minutes or until mixture is thick, pale and tripled in volume.
4. Sift the flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold through.
5. Add the butter and fold through.
6. Grease a 22 cm round cake tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
7. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 20 minutes or until cake comes away from the sides.
8. Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.

chocolate mousse filling:

1. Place gelatine and water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to absorb.
2. Place the chocolate, butter and cocoa in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth.
3. Remove from heat and stir the gelatine mixture through the chocolate mixture, until dissolved.
4. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the egg yolks gradually, beating well until combined.  Set aside.
5. Whisk the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Set aside.
6. Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
7. Gradually add icing sugar and whisk until thick and glossy.
8. Gently fold the egg white mixture through the chocolate mixture.
9. Fold the whipped cream through.

to assemble the cake

1. Trim the sponge to fit the base of a 20 cm round springform tin which has been lined with non-stick baking paper
2. Press the sponge in (optional: spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache).
3. Top with chocolate mousse filling.
4. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

chocolate ganache

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup thickened cream
• 150 g dark chocolate, chopped

Method:

1. Heat the cream in a saucepan until almost boiling.
2. Remove from heat, add chocolate and let sit for until melted slightly before stirring until glossy and smooth.