Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups strawberries, 1/2 sliced, the rest left whole
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup strawberry, whole
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Recipe

• 1 for the cake: in a bowl, beat the eggs until foamy; gradually beat in the sugar.
• 2 beat for 5 to 8 minutes or until the batter falls in ribbons when the beaters are lifted.
• 3 beat in the vanilla.
• 4 stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; sift half over the egg mixture and fold in .
• 5 fold in the remaining flour mixture.
• 6 remove one-quarter of the batter to a small bowl; gradually fold in the butter.
• 7 gradually fold back into the batter.
• 8 scrape into a greased 8-1/2" springform pan.
• 9 bake in a 325°f oven for 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
• 10 let cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
• 11 turn out onto a rack and let cool completely.
• 12 for the filling: in a bowl over hot (not boiling) water, melt the chocolate; let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• 13 in a large bowl, whip the cream; set 2 cups aside for the strawberry mousse.
• 14 fold half of the remaining cream into the chocolate; fold in the remaining cream.
• 15 in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry peaks form; fold into the chocolate mixture.
• 16 in a food processor, puree 1 cup of strawberries with the sugar; fold into the reserved whipped cream.
• 17 to assemble the cake: place a 8-1/2" springform pan without its base on a cake plate.
• 18 cut some waxed paper into a 10" x 3" strip; fit the collar around the inside of the ring.
• 19 fit the sponge cake into the pan.
• 20 slice 1 cup of strawberries; arrange half over the cake.
• 21 pour on top of the strawberries the chocolate mousse, smoothing the top.
• 22 arrange the remaining strawberries over the mousse.
• 23 pour the strawberry mousse over the second strawberry layer, smoothing the top.
• 24 cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
• 25 before serving, remove the plastic wrap, springform side and collar from the cake.
• 26 dip the whole strawberries into the melted chocolate and arrange around the top edge of the cake.
• 27 serve immediately.