Chocolate Silk Mousse Cake
Submitted by jimnkeri
Intensely rich chocolate silk mousse cake baked in a water bath with a pound of semi-sweet chocolate and a glossy ganache glaze. Make up to 3 days ahead. Serves 8.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
10 hrsThis is not a cake you throw together on a whim. This is a cake you plan for, and every person at the table will understand why.
A full pound of semi-sweet chocolate melts with butter into a dark, glossy base. Eggs get whisked with sugar over warm water until foamy and pale, beaten for a full eight minutes until billowy and thick, then folded into the chocolate. Just a tablespoon each of flour and vanilla. That’s the entire batter.
Baked in a water bath at high heat for just 15 minutes, the center stays gloriously soft and mousse-like while the edges just barely set. Chilled overnight (or up to three days), it firms into something denser than mousse but lighter than fudge.
A poured chocolate ganache glaze finishes it off. Decorate with white candy roses for full drama.
Pro Tips
- Wrap the springform pan tightly with heavy-duty foil to prevent water bath leaks; a single layer of regular foil will not hold
- Beat the egg mixture for the full 8 minutes at high speed; this is what gives the cake its airy, silk-like texture
- The cake will look underdone when it comes out of the oven. That’s exactly right. It sets as it chills
- Make this 1 to 3 days before serving; it actually improves with time in the fridge
Ingredients
Directions
One to Three Days In Advance: Preheat oven to 425℉ (220℃).
Butter bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan.
Line bottom with parchment or waxed paper.
Using heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap foil under and up outside of spring form pan to prevent leaks; set aside.
In 3-qt saucepan, combine cut-up chocolate and butter.
Cook over low heat, stirring often, until chocolate and butter melt and mixture is smooth.
Remove from heat; cool 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, with whisk, beat eggs and sugar over hot, but not boiling, water, until eggs are lukewarm and foamy and sugar is dissolved.
Transfer to large bowl.
Beat egg mixture at high speed until very thick and pale yellow- -about 8 minutes.
Beat in flour. Spoon about one fourth egg mixture into cooled chocolate.
Fold chocolate back into remaining egg mixture.
Pour into prepared pan. Place pan in deep roasting pan.
Fill with enough hot water to come 2/3rds of the way up the side of springform pan.
Bake 15 minutes (mixture will still be soft in center).
Place cake on wire rack; remove foil; carefully loosen edge of cake with a sharp knife or metal spatula.
DO NOT remove side of springform pan. Cool at room temperature 1 hour.
Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.
On day of serving prepare glaze: In small saucepan, combine heavy cream and chocolate.
Cook over low heat, stirring often, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
Chill until thick enough to spread but still pourable, 20 minutes.
Loosen cake and remove sides of springform pan.
Invert cake onto serving plate.
Carefully remove bottom of springform pan and parchment paper.
Spread some of the glaze on side of cake. Pour remaining glaze on top, spreading with a spatula to form a smooth surface.
Let cake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes to set glaze before decorating with white candy roses.
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