CAKE - Chocolate Espresso Mousse Cake

By Aemelia

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 1 stick (113gr) butter
• 1 cup (200gr) sugar
• 1/2 cup (45gr) natural cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (185gr) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (5gr) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5gr) espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5gr) baking soda
• 1 cup (250ml) warm water
• For the mousse:
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup (62.5ml) whole milk
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/2 stick (55gr) butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream, cold

Details

Adapted from tarteletteblog.com

Preparation

Step 1

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter two 8-inch round baking pans, sprinkle some flour into the pans, shake it around and tap the excess off. Line the bottoms with two 8 inch circles of parchment paper. Set aside.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. On low speed, add the cocoa and mix until incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to make sure they are properly mixed in. Add the flour, baking powder, espresso powder and baking soda and mix on medium-low speed while slowly adding the warm water and mix until smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature and unmold the cakes.
Lower the oven temperature to 300F. Level the cakes by trimming the tops off and break them in pieces. Place those on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until dried. Let cool completely and process them until smooth in food processor. Set the crumbs aside.

FOR THE MOUSSE:
In a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure that the bowl fits snuggly over the pan and does not touch the water), melt together the chocolate, milk, espresso powder and butter. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm. Whisk in the egg yolk. In a mixer, whip the cream to medium peaks and fold it into the chocolate mixture.

To assemble:
Place one cake layer in a springform pan, top with the mousse and place the second cake layer on top. Refrigerate until the mousse is firm, about one hour. Run a knife dipped in hot water around the edge of the cake and unmold. Use a long knife to cut the cake into 8 slices and make sure to dip it in hot water and wipe it clean each time to get clean cuts. Trim the ends of each slices to obtain triangles. Coat each piece with the reserved cake crumbs.
Serve with ice cream or some whipped cream if desired.