Decadent Chocolate Mousse Cake
Submitted by dustybars
Decadent chocolate mousse cake: a light, airy chocolate cake kissed with orange liqueur and zest, made by folding whipped egg whites into a rich chocolate batter, then frosted with chocolate mousse.
YIELD
24 servingsPREP
50 minCOOK
50 minREADY
2½ hrsRich but airy, this layered chocolate cake gets a sophisticated orange accent and a featherlight crumb that comes from technique, not a heavy hand with flour. There is barely two-thirds of a cup of cake flour in the whole thing.
The lift is all in the eggs. Yolks are beaten with sugar until they fall in a thick ribbon, then enriched with melted chocolate, butter, orange liqueur, and a tablespoon of fresh orange zest. Whipped egg whites get folded in to lighten the dense batter into something closer to a baked mousse.
Folding gently is the whole game: stir in a bit of the whites first to loosen the batter, then fold the rest and the flour in carefully so you keep all that air.
The cake forms a delicate, flaky crust, which is normal and even desirable. Once cooled, the layers get frosted with a silky chocolate mousse for an extra-decadent finish.
Chef Tips
- Beat the yolks and sugar until they fall in a ribbon; this builds the structure that holds the cake light.
- Whip the whites only to stiff, not dry, and fold gently to keep the airy texture.
- Melt the chocolate gently over a double boiler and let it cool slightly before mixing it into the yolks so it doesn’t cook them.
- The thin crust that flakes off the top is normal, not a sign of overbaking.
Variations
- Swap the orange liqueur for raspberry, coffee, or hazelnut.
- Fill with whipped cream or fresh berries between the layers.
- Skip the orange for a pure chocolate version.
Ingredients
Directions
Butter two 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with wax paper, then butter the paper.
Dust the pans with flour and knock out the excess.
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In the top of a double boiler, heat the chocolate over hot water, stirring, until just melted.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time.
Continue to stir the mixture until smooth.
In the bowl of the mixer, beat the egg yolks until combined.
Add ¾ cup of the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat the mixture until it falls in a ribbon when the beater is lifted.
Beat in the melted chocolate mixture, the liqueur and the orange pinch of salt until frothy.
Add the cream of tartar and beat the whites until they hold soft peaks.
Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat the whites until they are stiff.
Sift the flour with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt onto a sheet of wax paper.
Stir one fourth of the whites into the batter.
Fold in the remaining whites and sift and fold the flour mixture in batches into the egg mixture until just combined.
Pour the batter into the cake pans, smoothing the tops, and bake the layers in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 5 minutes, invert the cakes onto the racks, and remove the wax paper carefully.
Let the cakes cool completely. The cakes form a thin crust that will flake off.
Frost with chocolate mousse if desired.
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