Anyways, I made a delicious meal of things that I have already blogged about (green chile chicken enchiladas, green chile chicken corn chowder, french bread baguettes, salad) but the best was a dessert that has been haunting me for well over a month now.... Chocolate-Raspberry Mousse Cake.
I have a calendar hanging up in my kitchen entitled "seasons in the kitchen." The February entry (goes with the Valentines theme, I suppose) was the Chocolate-Raspberry Mousse Cake. I had to stare at that picture for a whole month wishing that I could make it. The only problem? I didn't have the springform pan that they asked for. So, after asking around for almost a month, I finally got one from Chuck McCarthy, the site director of Little Basin. Thank you very much, Chuck, for your generosity! Since I got one in March, I decided making this cake would be perfect for Scott's birthday. And, boy, was it ever worth it!
Chocolate-Raspberry Mousse Cake
Note: This three-layer cake uses ganache in two different ways: It's whipped to increase the volume, creating a filling that's lighter in color and texture. It's also spread on top for a thick, dark frosting. Make the cake a day ahead so it has time to set up.
Ingredients:
CRUST
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup raspberry preserves
FILLING
8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp raspberry flavoring syrup, divided
2 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
1 tbsp sugar
TOPPING
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup whipping cream
Procedure:
1) Heat oven to 375 F. In medium bowl, stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; gently spread preserves over crust. Cool completely on wire rack.
2) Meanwhile, place 8 oz. chocolate and 1 tablespoon of the raspberry syrup in large bowl. Heat 1 1/2 cups of the cream in medium saucepan over medium heat or in microwave on high until cream comes to a boil. Immediately pour cream over chocolate; stir until smooth. Let stand until cool but still liquid (about 65 F). (To speed up process, place bowl with chocolate in bowl of ice water; stir constantly.) Beat at medium speed 2 to 4 minutes or until slightly soft peaks form; spread over crust. Refrigerate.
3) In large bowl, beat remaining 1 cup cream, remaining 1 tablespoon raspberry syrup and sugar at medium speed until firm but not stiff peaks form. Spread over chocolate filling. Refrigerate.
4) Place 6 oz. chocolate in large bowl. Heat 3/4 cup cream in small saucepan over medium heat or in microwave on high until cream comes to a boil. Immediately pour cream over chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool until slightly thickened but still pourable (about 75 F). Spoon over raspberry filling. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 8 hours or overnight. (Cake can be made up to 2 days ahead).
5) To cut cake, leave cake in springform pan; use hot dry knife to cut through top layer. Refrigerate. When ready to serve, remove springform pan ring; slice completely. Store in refrigerator.
Makes: 12 servings
I spent all of last night working on this cake. The most pain in the butt part was waiting for things to cool down. I hate waiting for things to cool down. However, thanks to both a standing mixer and a hand held mixer, I had plenty of bowls and plenty of space to make everything work. In retrospect, I think perhaps that I should have whipped the cream a little bit more for the third layer, but it totally works. I improvised and added raspberries on the top. The result is definitely definitely worth all the trouble! I am amazed at just how professional this cakes tastes. It doesn't look quite professional as I couldn't get the chocolate topping to spread evenly and so ended up mixing it a bit with the whipped cream underneath, but it totally worked. I've never made a ganache before! This was definitely the most complicated cake I have made. I wish I had that little frosting spatula. And a springform pan of my own. One of these days... I hope you enjoy!
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| The final result- deliciousness in a pan! |
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| Slightly dark picture of an individual slice of cake |
