Recipe: Chocolate Mousse Cake

This recipe is almost too decadent for words. It is not too technical (thankfully!) and it is an absolute dream for chocolate lovers. The dish is made up of a chocolate base, a chocolate mousse filling and  a chocolate ganache topping. So much chocolate! Recently, my boyfriend and I were looking to make a meal for his parents and we wanted to challenge ourselves without being too, too ambitious. This recipe fit the bill perfectly, as each component separately wasn’t too tricky and they each married together to make something sophisticated and elegant. It is a recipe inspired from the Logan Brown restaurant in Wellington – it is one of Steve Logan’s (the general manager) favourites. To say it is rich is an understatement, so if you were after something less intense you could try using 60% chocolate instead.

Collect for the base

  • 60 g Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana chocolate, chopped
  • 50 g sugar
  • 2 eggs, separated

Collect for the mousse

  • 160 g Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana chocolate, chopped
  • 80 g butter
  • 85 ml cream
  • 3 eggs, separated

Collect for the ganache

  • 50 ml cream
  • 50 g Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana chocolate, chopped

Create

  1. Begin with making the base. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line the base of a pie tin with baking paper and spray with canola oil.
  2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water.
  3. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together until pale and then add the cooled melted chocolate.
  4. Whip the egg whites until stiff and gently fold into the mix with a metal spoon. Pour into the tin and bake for 15 minutes. When cool, press down so the base is nice and dense.
  5. To make the mousse, melt the chocolate and butter together, either on a low heat on the stove or in the microwave.
  6. Whip the cream to soft peaks and pop it in the fridge until you’re ready for it.
  7. Whip the egg yolks until pale, then whisk in the cooled chocolate and butter mixture by hand. Fold in the cream.
  8. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold in last. Pour onto the cooled base and set overnight or for at least 4 hours.
  9. Finally to make the ganache, heat the cream until almost boiling, and then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Whisk together until smooth and glossy, then pour over the set mousse cake. Chill in the fridge until set, then remove from the tin and portion as required.

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