Chocolate Mousse Cake

I had been dying to create a chocolate mousse cake for ages but had not had the right occasion to do so. My dad invited the family around to his place for a post-Christmas dinner so I set about concocting this deliciously decadent dessert.

This cake is make in two parts; firstly you need to bake a chocolate cake and then you add the mousse later. Be sure you have plenty of time up your sleeve as this recipe does take quite a while due to the baking time and the chilling time required.

Chocolate cake

1 cup self raising flour, sifted

3 tbls cocoa, sifted

1 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

90g butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180 (160 fan forced) and line a 20cm cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Add all ingredients together and use electric mixer to mix until just combined (do not over mix or this will affect your cake's ability to rise). Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed.

Allow to cool slightly and turn out on to cooling rack. Allow cake to cool completely before beginning mousse.

Take some non-stick baking paper (approx 10cm wide) and wrap it around the cake, securing with staples (tape will not stick, trust me!) This will form a collar for your mousse to sit in.

Chocolate Mousse

300g good quality dark chocolate (I use 70% but milk chocolate would be fine for a lighter mousse)

3 eggs

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 tbl cocoa powder, sifted

300ml thickened/whipping cream

Peppermint Crisp bar and extra chocolate shavings, to serve

Melt chocolate in short bursts in microwave, stirring each time, until completely melted.

Place eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric mixer for several minutes until the mixture becomes pale and doubles in volume. Fold in melted chocolate and cocoa until just combined (do not over mix or the mousse will lose air).

In a separate bowl, whip cream until firm peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the chocolate mixture until well combined.

Spoon mousse into prepared collar and level out with the back of a spoon.

Top with crushed Peppermint Crisp bar and shaved chocolate.

Place cake in fridge and allow mousse to set for a couple of hours before removing collar. Remove cake from fridge 15 minutes before serving so that the cake isn't dry and cold when you serve it to your guests. To tidy up the edge of the mousse, run a pallet knife under hot water, dry it off and use it to smooth the sides.

Note: this cake is extremely filling so please don't do what we did and OD on it!

Enjoy!