Chocolate Mousse Cake

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 8 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 18 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

Recipe

• 1 cake:.
• 2 lightly grease insides of 3 9 inch cake pans with melted butter. line each pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease parchment paptr with more melted butter. set aside.
• 3 preheat oven to 325 degrees f.
• 4 heat 1 inch water in bottom of a double boiler over medium heat. place 14 tablespoons butter and 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler. tightly cover top with plastic wrap. allow to heat for 10-12 minutes, remove from heat, stir until smooth and hold at room temperature.
• 5 place 8 egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in bowl of electric mixed with paddle. beat on high until slightly thickened and lemon-colored, about 4 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for an additional 2 minutes.
• 6 in another bowl, whisk or beat 4 egg whites until stiff, but not dry, about 3-4 minutes.
• 7 fold the melted chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolk mixture. add a quarter of the beaten egg whites and stir to incorporate, then gently fold in remaining egg whites.
• 8 divide the batter among the 3 pans, spread evenly and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22-30 minutes. allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes. (during baking, the surface of the cakes will form a crust; this crust will normally collapse, when the cakes are removed from the oven.) invert the cakes onto cake circles, remove the parchment and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• 9 mousse filling:.
• 10 heat 1 inch of water in bottom of a double boiler over medium heat. place 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler. tightly cover with plastic wrap and allow to heat for 8-10 minutes. remove from heat, stir until smooth. transfer melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed. place 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a well chilled bowl of electric mixer fitted with well-chilled balloon whip. whisk on high until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. remove the bowl from the mixer. use a hand whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and fold together.
• 11 ganache:.
• 12 heat 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium high heat. bring to a boil. place the 18 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in 3 quart stainless steel bowl. pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. stir until smooth. chill 1 cup of ganache for at least 1 hour. remaining ganahe should be at room temperature.
• 13 assemble the cake:.
• 14 arrange one of the cake layers in a 9 inch springform pan, evenly spread half of the mousse filling over the cake and top with the second layer. add remaining mousse and top with the remaining cake layer. chill 2 hours. transfer chilled cup of ganache to a pastry bag fitted a star tip. remove cake from springform pan and coat top and sides with room temperature ganache. using chilled ganache, pipe decorative stars on top of cake.