Chocolate Mousse Cake

This cake is made specially for a buddy of mine to celebrate his 30th birthday!!! Have a disappointing attempt at the macarons as it ended up with a cracked shell...darn!! But I did not have time to remake the macarons as I need to prepare for that day lunch which I was hosting so end up having to make do with the not so nice looking chocolate macarons, at least it taste yummy still.. haha....

The recipes given below is more then enough to make 1 large 6 inch round cake and 6 more miniature one which I ended up with eventually, of course you can feel free to adjust the recipes according to the amount you need. The sponge and the chocolate glazes are recipes adapted from Pierre Herme while the mousse itself it adapted from William Curley.

If what my friends say is true... I hope they are, then this cake is really yummy and whole the effort to make it. Although I would say it not that difficult to make at all if you already know how to make a chocolate mousse and make a sponge cake.

Recipes: 

Chocolate Sponge 

32g                     Dutch Process Coco powder
28g                     Cake flour
3 Tbsp                Potato Starch
60g                     Butter (Melted / Cooled)
7                         Egg yolks
120g                   Castor Sugar
5                         Egg whites

• Preheat oven to 180 degree C
• Sift flour, starch and coco powder and set aside
• Whisk egg yolk with 60g of sugar till pale yellow
• Whisk egg white till soft peak then add 60g of sugar slowly and whisk till stiff peak(French Meringue )
• Fold the 1/3 of dry mixture to egg white then add 1/3 of egg yolk, repeat till everything is Incorporated.
• Mix a few table spoon of the mixture to the butter and mix well.
• Pour this butter mixture back into the batter and fold.
• Bake for 20-25 mins

Chocolate Mousse 

120ml           Milk
50g              Egg Yolk
24g              Sugar
256g            Bittersweet chocolate (Chopped)
440g            Whipping Cream

• Place milk in sauce pan and bring to boil. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolk and sugar until light in colour about 2 -3 min
• Pour half of the boiled milk to the egg yolk and mixture and mix thoroughly
• Pour this back into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring continously until mixture is thick enough to coat back of spoon
• Take off heat and pass through a sieve onto the chocolate 
• Mix till smooth and emulsified then leave to cool. 
• Whisk the cream until soft peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate and use 

Chocolate Mirror Glaze

1/4 cup           Cold water
2 tsp               Powder gelatin
150g              Castor sugar
1/3 cup           Water
1 1/4 tbsp       Corn syrup
95g                 Coco powder
1/3 cup           Heavy cream

• Mix the 1/4 cup cold water with gelatin and set aside
• In small saucepan, whish together sugar and water over medium heat. When sugar melted, remove from heat and add corn syrup follow by whisking in the cocoa powder. You will end up with a glossy mixture
• Stir in the cream and return to the heat. Bring to a boil stirring constantly
• Strain into a bowl and leave to cool to about 50 degree C
• Add in gelatin and stir till dissolve
• Strain again and let cool till room temperature before pouring onto cake

Assembly 

• Cut the cake into 3 layers, (You will only need 2, the 3rd is for the mini cakes)
• Using a 6 inch round cake ring, place the first layer of cake on the bottom
• Top this layer with mousse 
• Lay the next layer and top with mousse again. 
• Chill in fridge for 4 hours or over night. 
• To remove the move, use a hot towel to wipe the ring or use a blow hot air using a hair dry at the ring. 
• Place the cake in the freezer for at least 2 hours before glazing to make the glazing easier.
• Decorate the cake as you wish... Enjoy