Chocolate mousse cake with summer berries
a decadent chocolate mousse cake with summer berries
TOTAL TIME 6 hours | SERVES 8-10
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate cake
- 25g cocoa powder, sifted
- 5ml (1 tsp) coffee granules
- 60ml (¼ cup) boiling water
- 2 large eggs
- 100g castor sugar
- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
- 100ml canola oil
- 100g self-raising flour, sifted
- pinch salt
Chocolate mousse
- 300g dark chocolate, chopped
- 450ml fresh cream
- fresh berries, to decorate
- icing sugar, to dust
METHOD
PREHEAT the oven to 160°C. Grease and line both the sides and base of a 21cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Place the cocoa powder in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the coffee and boiling water. Add the coffee mixture to the cocoa powder and mix to a smooth paste.
USING a hand-held- or free-standing mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil together until pale, 4 minutes. Add the flour, salt and cocoa powder and coffee paste and gently mix by hand until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the cake completely, about 1 hour.
WHEN the cake is cool, make the chocolate mousse. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and remove from heat. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and allow to melt over the hot water. Stir continuously, taking care not to let the chocolate get too hot. Do not melt the chocolate in the microwave as it burns very quickly!
WHEN the chocolate is smooth and melted, whip the cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the chocolate and cream together until no streaks remain. Pour the mousse on top of the cooled cake, while still in the tin, and refrigerate to set, 4 hours or overnight.
BEFORE serving, carefully remove the cake from the tin and decorate with fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar.
Chocolate mousse cake with summer berries
Ingredients
- Chocolate cake
- 25g cocoa powder, sifted
- 5ml (1 tsp) coffee granules
- 60ml (¼ cup) boiling water
- 2 large eggs
- 100g castor sugar
- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
- 100ml canola oil
- 100g self-raising flour, sifted
- pinch salt
- Chocolate mousse
- 300g dark chocolate, chopped
- 450ml fresh cream
- fresh berries, to decorate
- icing sugar, to dust
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line both the sides and base of a 21cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Place the cocoa powder in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the coffee and boiling water. Add the coffee mixture to the cocoa powder and mix to a smooth paste.
Using a hand-held- or free-standing mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil together until pale, 4 minutes. Add the flour, salt and cocoa powder and coffee paste and gently mix by hand until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the cake completely, about 1 hour.
When the cake is cool, make the chocolate mousse. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and remove from heat. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and allow to melt over the hot water. Stir continuously, taking care not to let the chocolate get too hot. Do not melt the chocolate in the microwave as it burns very quickly!
When the chocolate is smooth and melted, whip the cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the chocolate and cream together until no streaks remain. Pour the mousse on top of the cooled cake, while still in the tin, and refrigerate to set, 4 hours or overnight.
Before serving, carefully remove the cake from the tin and decorate with fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar.
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ALSO SEE: Dessert recipes for summer
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
