Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling

By francesn

A delicious, moist chocolate cake with layers of dark chocolate mousse filling and a warm chocolate frosting poured on top!

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• Chocolate Mousse Filling
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 4 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• Chocolate Frosting
• 6 Tbsp milk
• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup butter (one stick)
• 3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Stir in the boiling water (your batter will be very thin--that's OK!). Pour batter into cake pans.
Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
Chocolate Mousse Filling
Dissolve the cocoa powder in the hot water. In a double-boiler (or in the microwave) melt the chocolate chips, just until smooth. Add cocoa mixture to the melted chocolate chips and stir well to combine.
In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Add the whipped cream mixture to the melted chocolate and fold in with a spatula until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Chocolate Frosting
In a medium saucepan add milk, cocoa and butter. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Add powdered sugar and mix with electric beaters to get rid of lumps. Let cool for a minute or two. Pour warm frosting over cake.
Once cakes have cooled, use a sharp serrated knife to torte each 9'' cake--(cut each cake evenly in half, horizontally, so that you end up with four, thin, 9'' cake pieces!)
Place your first cake layer on your cake serving plate. Spread a big dallop of mousse filling on top of that cake layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, adding a layer of mousse filling between each layer of cake.
Take any remaining mousse filling and spread it evenly around the entire outside and top of the cake. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
(I usually make the warm chocolate frosting while the cake is in the fridge.)
Remove cake from fridge and pour chocolate frosting over the top. Use a spatula or knife to gently spread the frosting evenly over the outside of the cake as you pour. Refrigerate until ready to serve!