Chocolate Mousse Cake

When you're birthday is a week after Father's Day - you get a single dual purpose cake.🤣

It hardly seemed reasonable to make a big Father's Day cake (for 3 people) and another cake, a week later, for a birthday celebration.  I mean, I like cake as much as the next girl, but one should only consume so much cake in one week. 🎂  So instead of 2 separate desserts, we celebrated with a solitary spectacularly decadent edible creation halfway between the 2 events.  One cake + two signs = efficient baking. 😅 

​A decadent chocolate sponge cake layered with light, fluffy chocolate mousse and frosted with a cool and creamy chocolate buttercream is certainly a cake worthy of celebrating multiple events.  If you're a fan of chocolate - this cake is for you.  If you're not a chocolate fan ... what is wrong with you?  Just kidding.  (Sort of. 😂)

Chocolate Mousse Cake
Mousse
8 ounces dark chocolate
5 Tablespoons butter
10 egg yolks, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
4 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cups heavy cream

Cake
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups dutch process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 eggs, room temperature
3 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups brewed coffee, room temperature
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups creme fraiche

Icing
6 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups dutch process cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler for mousse.  Cool 10 minutes. 

Whisk together egg yolks and 2 T. sugar in stand mixing bowl.  Heat over double boiler to 160.

Transfer to mixer and whisk 5 minutes.  

Fold yolk mixture into cooled chocolate.

Beat egg whites until foamy.  Add 2 T. sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  

In another bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form.

Fold egg white mixture into chocolate.  

Fold in whipped cream.  Cover and chill 8-24 hours. 

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder.  Whisk in salt. 

Whisk eggs until foamy - about 2 minutes. 

Add sugar and beat another 5 minutes. 

Gradually add flour mixture, alternating with coffee and melted butter. 

Add creme fraiche.  

Divide batter between 3 greased, parchment lined 9" round cake pans.

Bake 25-30 minutes at 350.  

Remove cake from pans and let cool.

Beat butter with paddle attachment for frosting for 2 minutes.  

Gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa and beat until just combined. 

Beat in cream and vanilla.  

Place 1 cake layer on a cake circle.

Pipe a 1" frosting border around the edge of cake layer.  

Spoon half of chocolate mousse into center.  

Repeat with another cake layer,  frosting and mousse.  

Top with remaining cake layer and spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. 

Ciao!

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