Should be made a day ahead and serves 12-16
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing pan
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (Bittersweet Chocolate
)
3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder(Instant Espresso Powder
)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs , separated
Pinch of table salt
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
Middle Layer
3/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin
1 tablespoon water
6 ounces white chocolate chips(Chocolate Chips
)
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
Top Layer
2 tablespoons cocoa powder , preferably Dutch-processed
5 tablespoons hot water
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (Bittersweet Chocolate)
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Garnish
Shaved chocolate and/or cocoa powder (above)
Dark Chocolate Curls 
White Chocolate Curls
Cocoa Powder
Directions
FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER
Place oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
Butter the bottom and sides of 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally with a spatula until smooth. Remove from heat and cool mixture slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and egg yolks; set aside.
Separate egg yolks from whites. Beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, approximately half of a minute. Add half of the brown sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Then add the remaining brown sugar and beat at high speed with stand mixer until soft peaks form. Scrap down the sides of the bowl lifting the whisk and beat again for 40 seconds. Using the whisk, fold 1/3 of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten the color. Fold in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain. Carefully move batter to prepared springform pan, gently smoothing top with a spatula.
Bake 12-19 minutes. Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center has just set but is still soft (center of cake will spring back after pressing gently with finger).
Move cake to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Do not remove cake from pan.
FOR MIDDLE WHITE CHOCOLATE LAYER
In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand at least 5 minutes. Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring 1/2 cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly).
In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip remaining cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Spoon white chocolate mousse into pan over bottom layer. Smooth top with offset spatula.
Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2 1/2 hours.
FOR THE TOP LAYER
Mix cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside.
Melt chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Then remove from heat and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.
Using whisk attachment in stand mixer combine whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt and whisk at medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.
Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using a rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into springform pan over cooled cake and gently tap pan on counter 3 times to remove any large air bubbles; gently smooth top with offset spatula. Wipe inside edge of pan with damp cloth to remove any drips. Refrigerate cake at least 2 ½ hours to firm up.
TO SERVE
If using, garnish top of cake with chocolate curls (Dark Chocolate Curls ) or dust/sprinkle with cocoa power (above). Run a thin knife between cake and side of springform pan; remove side of pan. Run cleaned knife along outside of cake to smooth sides. Cut into slices and serve.
Slicing Cold Cake
If cake is refrigerated and being served, run a knife under very hot water and make a clean slice. Knife may need to be heated twice to cut one slice. Repeat process until cake is cut. Cake slices will come out clean looking and may be easier to cut.
Slicing Soft Cake
To create perfectly smooth slices of soft desserts, the best tool is not a knife. It’s a cheese wire—the minimal surface area produces less drag for cleaner, neater slices. If you don’t have a cheese wire, dental floss will work almost as well.
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Ingredients
- Bottom Layer
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing pan
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (Bittersweet Chocolate)
- 3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder (Instant Espresso Powder)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs , separated
- Pinch of table salt
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- Middle Layer
- 3/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin
- 1 tablespoon water
- 6 ounces white chocolate chips (Chocolate Chips)
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
- Top Layer
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder , preferably Dutch-processed
- 5 tablespoons hot water
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (Bittersweet Chocolate)
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- Garnish
- Shaved chocolate and/or cocoa powder (above)
- Dark Chocolate Curls
- White Chocolate Curls
- Cocoa Powder
Instructions
- FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER
- Place oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Butter the bottom and sides of 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally with a spatula until smooth. Remove from heat and cool mixture slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and egg yolks; set aside.
- Separate egg yolks from whites. Beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, approximately half of a minute. Add half of the brown sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Then add the remaining brown sugar and beat at high speed with stand mixer until soft peaks form. Scrap down the sides of the bowl lifting the whisk and beat again for 40 seconds. Using the whisk, fold 1/3 of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten the color. Fold in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain. Carefully move batter to prepared springform pan, gently smoothing top with a spatula.
- Bake 12-19 minutes. Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center has just set but is still soft (center of cake will spring back after pressing gently with finger).
- Move cake to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Do not remove cake from pan.
- FOR MIDDLE WHITE CHOCOLATE LAYER
- In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand at least 5 minutes. Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring 1/2 cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly).
- In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip remaining cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Spoon white chocolate mousse into pan over bottom layer. Smooth top with offset spatula.
- Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2 1/2 hours.
- FOR THE TOP LAYER
- Mix cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside.
- Melt chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Then remove from heat and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.
- Using whisk attachment in stand mixer combine whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt and whisk at medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.
- Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using a rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into springform pan over cooled cake and gently tap pan on counter 3 times to remove any large air bubbles; gently smooth top with offset spatula. Wipe inside edge of pan with damp cloth to remove any drips. Refrigerate cake at least 2 ½ hours to firm up.
- TO SERVE
- If using, garnish top of cake with chocolate curls (Dark Chocolate Curls ) or dust/sprinkle with cocoa power (above). Run a thin knife between cake and side of springform pan; remove side of pan. Run cleaned knife along outside of cake to smooth sides. Cut into slices and serve.
- Slicing Cold Cake
- If cake is refrigerated and being served, run a knife under very hot water and make a clean slice. Knife may need to be heated twice to cut one slice. Repeat process until cake is cut. Cake slices will come out clean looking and may be easier to cut.
- Slicing Soft Cake
- To create perfectly smooth slices of soft desserts, the best tool is not a knife. It’s a cheese wire—the minimal surface area produces less drag for cleaner, neater slices. If you don’t have a cheese wire, dental floss will work almost as well.
Nutritional information is only an estimate and it's accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.
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Recipe slightly adapted from Gina via Tastebook
Image Credit: Kwestia Smaku
One Response
I made this cake for Christmas and the flavors were delicious! The combination of flavors with the bittersweet chocolate, the sweetness of the white chocolate mousse and the richness of the espresso cake were amazing. Although somewhat time-consuming, this cake is definitely an impressive dish and it was a hit at my family’s Christmas dinner! The only complaint I have is that the directions are somewhat confusing. I kept trying to imitate the photograph, but if you follow the directions it will look nothing like the photo. The directions call for the first cake layer in the pan, then the white chocolate mousse layer, then the ‘top’ chocolate mousse layer. So, it looks like cake/ a thick white chocolate mousse/then a thick chocolate mousse. The photo does not show the last thick chocolate mousse layer? When you get to the top layer instructions, it states “spoon the mousse over the cooled cake”, SO, is the chocolate mousse supposed to be spooned over the cake before the white chocolate mousse? Confusing, to say the least! It still turned out great flavor-wise, but as a word of caution, do not expect it to look like the photograph!