Wei Wei's Recipes Collection: Chocolate Mousse Cake

29 Oct 2010

Chocolate Mousse Cake | David Lebovitz

Chocolate Mousse Cake
For similar results, use chocolate that is approximately 52% cacao solids and whip the egg whites pretty firm before folding them in. A clean cloth or thin tea towel is what she uses to line the cake plate and I was told that it was best eaten two days after it’s made, so plan ahead.
Lastly, don’t worry if your cake isn’t sliceable; if not, simply serve portions with a large spoon. It tastes just as good.
250 g (9 ounces) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
45 ml (3 tablespoons) water
190 grams (7 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons sugar, preferably light brown
4 large eggs, separated
1. In a medium saucepan, warm the chocolate, water, and butter over low heat, stirring, until melted and smooth.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar then the egg yolks.
3. Fill a basin or the sink with a few inches of very cold water and beat the chocolate for a few minutes until the consistency of brownie batter.
(The original recipe said “blanchiment” which I thought meant “whiten” but when she did it, it didn’t whiten, or even really lighten at all. But I’d still do it.)
4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture until smooth.
5. Moisten well a muslin cloth or a clean (lint free) tea towel, and line a 9-inch (23 cm) round glass or earthenware baking dish such as a pie plate, with it, letting the sides overhang the edges over the dish.
(Note: Although she normally uses and recommends a round dish, we used a square baking dish which worked fine.)
6. Scrape the batter into the dish and smooth the top. Lift the sides of the damp cloth and fold it over the batter, enveloping it.
7. Let chill for 2 days before serving.
To serve, open up the towel and invert onto a serving plate. You could serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, but it’s actually best just by itself.