The Four Seasons Mocha Mousse Cake

By KathieC

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 T cornstarch
• 2 T butter or margarine, melted
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1 T instant coffee powder or granules
• 2 C heavy or whipping cream
• 2 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate, melted
• 2 T rum
• Sponge Lace Topping
• confectioners' sugar

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Early in day or day ahead:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease and flour 8" x 13" springform pan. In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat 4 eggs and 3/4 cup sugar until thick and lemon-colored, about 10 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl with spatula. Fold flour and cornstarch into egg mixture until well blended. Gently fold in melted butter or margarine.

2. Pour batter into pan. Bake 25 - 30 minutes until cake is golden and top springs back when lightly touched with finger. Cool cake in pan in wire rack, 10 minutes. REmove from pan and cool completely on rack.

3. While cake is cooling, prepare mousse. In medium bowl over simmering water in saucepan, with wire whisk, beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until mixture is very light yellow, about 10 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan. In 1-quart saucepan, sprinkle gelatin evenly over 1/4 cup cold water. Let stand 1 minute to soften gelatin slightly. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin completely dissolves. Stir in instant coffee until dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat. With wire whisk, beat gelatin mixture into egg-yolk mixture.

4. In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat heavy or whipping cream and 1/3 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold coffee mixture into whipped-cream mixture. Remove 1 cup coffee mousse to small bowl. Stir in melted chocolate for mocha mousse. Cover and refrigerate.

5. With serrated knife, slice cooled cake horizontally into 3 layers. Line bottom of 8" x 3" springform pan with foil. In small saucepan over high heat, heat 1/3 cup water and 2 tablespoons sugar to boiling. REmove pan from heat. Stir in rum.

6. Spread 1/3 of coffee mousse in bottom of springform pan. Top with 1 cake layer. Drizzle with half of rum syrup. Spread half of remaining coffee mousse on cake layer. Top with second cake layer. Sprinkle with remaining rum syrup. Spread rest of coffee mousse over cake layer and top with third cake layer. Cover. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until mousse is set.

About 45 minutes before serving or up to 3 hours ahead (sponge topping will dry out and toughen if prepared too far in advance):

7. Prepare Sponge Lace Topping.

8. To complete cake, run knife around edge of springform pan. Invert mousse cake onto cake plate. Remove side of pan. Remove bottom of pan. Discard foil. With small metal spatula, spread mocha mousse over side of cake. Top with Sponge Lace Topping. If not served right away, cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.

SPONGE LACE TOPPING

1. Line cookie sheet with foil. Using 8" round cake pan as guide, trace circle on foil.

2. In small bowl with mixer at hgih speed, beat 2 large egg whites until stiff peaks form.

3. Pre-heat oven to 350. In large bowl with the same beaters and the mixer at medium speed, beat 2 large 2gg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until very thick and lemon-colored. With rubber spatula stir in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Fold beatne egg whites into egg-yolk mixture, one-third at a time, until blended.

4. Spoon batter into large decorating bag with large writing tube (tip about 1/2" in diameter). Pipe batter around circle and in a pretty design inside circle. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

5. Bake12 - 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool slightly on wire rack. Discard foil. Cool completely.