• Double-chocolate mousse cake

    Serves: 6 - 8
    Cooking Time: 2 hrs + 2 hrs, to set

    Ingredients

    • CAKE

    • 234g cake flour
    • 80g cocoa powder + extra, to dust
    • 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) baking powder
    • 80g salted butter
    • 400g castor sugar
    • 6 extra-large eggs
    • 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
    • 170ml (2/3 cup) buttermilk
    • 170ml (2/3 cup) water
    • DARK-CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

    • 75ml water
    • 50g sugar
    • 75g liquid glucose/golden syrup
    • 150g Belgian dark chocolate
    • 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream
    • MILK-CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

    • 75ml water
    • 50g sugar
    • 75g liquid glucose/golden syrup
    • 150g Belgian milk chocolate
    • 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream
    • GANACHE

    • 150ml fresh cream
    • coffee bean, to infuse
    • 150g Belgian dark chocolate

    Instructions

    1

    Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.

    2

    Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder together in a bowl.

    3

    Beat the butter and castor sugar together in a separate bowl. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract, buttermilk and water.

    4

    Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and mix until smooth.

    5

    Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven, 30 minutes.

    6

    For the dark-chocolate mousse, place the water, sugar and glucose or golden syrup in a pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, add the chocolate and stir until smooth. Beat the cream and fold into the chocolate. Place the mousse mixture in a large bowl.

    7

    For the milk-chocolate mousse, repeat step 6, using the milk chocolate.

    8

    To construct the mousse, line twelve 6cm ring moulds with cling film. Cut the chocolate cake with a 6cm round cutter and place in the bottom of each mould. Top with a layer of dark chocolate mousse. Add a layer of milk chocolate mousse, then refrigerate, 30 minutes.

    9

    While this is in the fridge, make the ganache. Warm the cream and coffee bean over a double boiler (do not allow the water to touch the bottom of the bowl). Remove the coffee bean and add the dark chocolate. Stir until smooth and shiny.

    10

    Remove the mousse cakes from the fridge, top with the ganache and refrigerate for a further 2 hours to set. Remove from fridge and serve immediately, dusted with cocoa powder.

    Imka Webb
    Author

    Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine.  www.imkawebb.com