The Ultimate Chocolate Mousse Cake

ByIvy Liacopoulou
32 Comments
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This Ultimate Chocolate Mousse Cake is made with a chocolate sponge and a Baileys Chocolate mousse filling, topped with Chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Cake by Julia Child image

I was inspired making it after watching Julie and Julia film.

I have waited eagerly the past few months for the film Julie and Julia to come out in the theatres in Greece and finally it came out on Thursday, so I couldn't wait any longer and my husband and I went on Saturday evening to see the film.  

I am sure that by now you have all heard about this film, which is based on two books:  My life in France, which is the autobiography of Julia Child and  Julie Powell's book:  Julie and Julia. 

Julie worked as a Secretary for the Government and at a certain point of her life she was fed up of everyday life and wanted to challenge herself and do something different. 

Discussing it with her husband she decided to create a blog, back in 2002 and cook all 524 recipes of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 365 days and blog about it.

Back in 2002 I didn't even know what a blog was but I can relate into a lot of incidents in the film when in 2007 I had to close my bookshop, as business wasn't going well and since I couldn't find a job, I was feeling very bored at home, so I also started blogging about something I really enjoyed doing and that was cooking!

The movie was fantastic.  It was hilarious and so pleasant to watch, taking us to a wonderful journey of tastes, sensations and emotions.

The only thing that didn't seem right and bothered me was Meryl Streep's accent. 

Before the release of the film I had never heard of Julia Child before and of course, knew nothing about her.  

The following day I google searched to see if I could find a video to see how Julia Child really was and was pleasantly surprised to see how well Meryl Streep had impersonated her. 

Meryl Streep impersonating Julia Child image

The funny thing about the video is that Julia Child is making chocolate mousse!! 

I wish I had seen this video before making mine!!!

Today it's time for celebration as it's my husband name day.  As Julia said to her husband "You are the butter on my bread and the breath to my life". 

Thanks Demetri, for your love, your support and understanding.   Inspired by the film, today I will be cooking one of his favourite dishes Boeuf Bourguigon and yesterday I made this lovely Chocolate Cake for him.

Hope you enjoy my cake. I may have not graduated from the Cordon Bleu but after two years of blogging, I have graduated the "Blogging School" as everyday we learn something new and I feel very proud that I can now make creations of my own.

Hope you've enjoyed and as Julia used to say "Bon Appetit"!!

I wanted to make something different so instead of cutting the cake horizontally, I cut it vertically into six stripes, removing from each piece 1 cm of cake to fill it in with the cream.

You can use these leftover pieces to make a few truffles or a trifle or call your kids and eat it as it is 🙂

How I made the Ultimate Chocolate Mousse Cake

To make the ultimate chocolate mousse cake, I made a sponge cake which was cut into two pieces.

I then wet them with some syrup and baileys liqueur and then joined them together with a thin layer of cream.

It is better to make the sponge cakes from the previous day as it can be cut much easier.

collage making the sponge image

For the cream, I had seen a chocolate mousse on Chapot's blog and I envisioned the cake with some mousse in it. 

However, I had never made mousse before and I don't remember French as I used to, so I must have done something wrong and when I added the yolks to the melted chocolate it became very stiff, so the first thing that came to my mind was to add some heavy cream. 

That made it creamy again but when I added the beaten egg whites, it didn't come out as mousse at all.  However, that didn't discourage me, I found other ways to use it.

collage making the chocolate mousse image

Some of this mixture was mixed with some whipped cream to form the filling and the remaining was mixed with the chocolate ganache to cover the cake on top.

Result: The title says it all.  This was the most delicious yummy, indulgent ultimate chocolate cake I have ever tasted in my life, lots of ingredients, a bit fussy to make but so worth it.

I served this ultimate chocolate cake with some syrup from the poached grapes and you cannot imagine how the spicy, peppery sauce matched with chocolate.  If I had thought of it before I would have decorated the cake with some of the grapes.

Chocolate Cake with cherries image
Bailey's flavoured chocolate cake image

The Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Yield: 10

This Ultimate Chocolate Cake is made with a chocolate sponge and a Baileys Chocolate filling, topped with Chocolate ganache.

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Ingredients

For the Sponge Cake:

  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
  • ¾ cup self raising flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

To wet both the sponges:

  • ½ cup syrup (I used syrup from cherry spoon sweet)
  • 25 ml baileys
  • Cherry spoon sweet for decoration on top

Chocolate mousse:

  • 250 grams couverture chocolates
  • 120 grams (½ cup) heavy cream
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 25 ml baileys
  • 2 egg whites
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Whipped Cream:

  • 500 ml heavy cream,
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar

Instructions

    Prepare the Sponge Cake:

    1. Preheat the oven to 180o C.
    2. Line with parchment paper a spring form tin (24 - 26 cm diametre).
    3. Beat the eggs and powdered sugar for approximately 10 minutes till mousse like and thick.
    4. Add vanilla and beat.
    5. Meantime, sift the flour and cocoa powder and add the salt.
    6. Stop the mixer, add in the flour and mix gently so that the beaten air doesn't escape.
    7. Bake for 25-30 minutes till done. Turn out onto rack to cool. (If you have never made a sponge cake before, see my step by step instructions here).

    Prepare the Chocolate mousse:

    1. In a bain Marie add the chocolate and when it melts add the egg yolks, one at a time  The chocolate becomes hard  Add the heavy cream and whisk until it becomes soft again 
    2. Mix in the baileys.
    3. Allow to cool.
    4. Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar and gently incorporate it in the chocolate mixture.

    Prepare the whipped cream

    1. Whip the heavy cream with the icing sugar, until it forms peaks 
      Refrigerate until ready to use.

    Prepare the chocolate ganache:

    1. In a bain Marie add the chocolate and when it melts add the butter and mix  When it comes to room temperature add the remaining mousse and gently fold until incorporated.

    Putting the cake together:

    1. Cut the cake horizontally to make two cakes.
    2. Heat the syrup and 25 ml of baileys liqueur and wet both sponge cakes.
    3. Put one cake on the platter with the ring of the spring form tin and add a few tablespoons of the chocolate mixture and place the other sponge cake on top, so that they may stick together.
    4. Cut the cake vertically into 6 stripes, removing 1 cm sponge to leave a gap.
    5. Mix a few tablespoons chocolate mixture in the whipped cream and fill the gaps with the whipped cream using a pastry bag (reserve some for decoration on top)  Use a spatula to push in the cream.
    6. Refrigerate until you prepare next step.

    !Prepare the chocolate ganache:

    1. Melt the chocolate in a bain Marie.
    2. Add the butter and mix  Let it come to room temperature and
      then add the remaining mousse mixture.
    3. Cover the cake with the ganache and allow to cool.
    4. Decorate the cake with the reserved whipped cream and add some candied cherries.
    Nutrition Information
    Yield 10 Serving Size 1
    Amount Per Serving Calories 1704Total Fat 158gSaturated Fat 100gTrans Fat 5gUnsaturated Fat 48gCholesterol 597mgSodium 305mgCarbohydrates 58gFiber 2gSugar 43gProtein 19g

    "These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tried this recipe? Tag me @ivyliac and use the hashtag #kopiaste!

    © Ivy Liacopoulou
    Cuisine: French Cuisine

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    32 Comments

    2. Wow Ivy, you are killing me!!!!! Awesome and delicious cakes :D!!! I would take a flight to Athens only for your desserts ;D.

      Thanks for the film comments :D. I was also thinking about going to the cinemas to watch it. Now I know it wont be later than the comming weekend ;D. Happy saint day to your husband from Spain!

    3. Ivy that cake looks so so good, i too want to see the movie but hubby dont like movies like this so i will wait till it comes out in DVD.

    4. I just love these kind of cakes, but my husband (Greek and loves to eat. specially sweets!) can't help himself for taking a big spoon and attack my delicious cake over and over again...

      So we eat our weekly dutch famous applepie with lots of cream outside the house to limit the intake of calories at least from sweets.

      I will look for the film here in Holland, I love Merryl Streep but agree with you about the fake accents, that bothers me too in some films.

      Good luck to all of you making the cake and enjoy it!

    5. I am looking forward to this movie as well ... looks like Julia lead an interesting life!

      Love the presentation of your cakes .... such novel idea to pipe cream between the sponges as you did ... surely a Cordon Bleu move to me Ivy! And looks to the related recipes ... wow replay of such yummy delights ... this pregnant momma is getting hungry LOL!

    8. Ivy, you touched my heart with this magnificent chocolate cake. Wasn't Julia wonderful? Would love to have met her. Love the vertical cuts. How unique.

    10. I loved the Julie & Julia movie too - I have seen it twice (by accident!) now. I have also read both books.

      Your chocolate cake looks devine, but I can't wait to the lemon cake recipe (with citrus being my true love over chocolate). Happy name day to Demetri!

    11. Hello! Just wanted to say that I love your blog 🙂 I am a Greek-American and I love viewing your twists on classic Greek desserts, as well as your own recipes.

      Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and photographs!

      Xronia Polla ston andra sou!

    13. It does look like a perfect chocolate cake, wish I could have a taste right now! I missed the movie in the theaters so hope to see it on the video soon.

    14. Chocolate heaven...mmm...Thank you, Ivy! I feel so hungry now, and it's still early in the morning --LOL! Happy Name Day to your husband, my friend :o) ((HUGS))

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