Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

This is by far the most labor intensive and complicated recipe I have ever made.

But I wanted to try!

I needed to try.

It was me vs. recipe.

I think the recipe won... at least, in the appearance department!

Its supposed to look like this. Click on the video to watch... they make it look so easy!! 

(Link goes to Cooks Illustrated website.  I signed up for a free trial and stumbled upon this recipe... I think if you signed up you would find some amazing recipes as well!  I am not sure you can view picture without doing that... so sign up for the sake of all that is good! P.S.  They dont know me, I am just a huge fan of them.  Almost stalker status.)

Its gorgeous!!  Ugh.  Mine sooooooo did not look like that... it just never got the height it should have.

I think it tasted pretty amazing though!

Here is the recipe, followed as closely as I could, from Cooks Illustrated.

INGREDIENTS

Bottom Layer

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into six pieces

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

3/4 tsp instant espresso powder (I used a strong dark coffee)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs, separated

1/3 cup packed  light brown sugar

Middle Layer

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

5 tablespoons hot water

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

pinch salt

Top Layer

3/4 tsp powdered gelatin

1 tablespoon water

6 ounces white chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

 

Directions:

You will need a springform pan with 3 inch sides. I added that you can use a hand held mixer in most of the directions, simply because I do not have a stand mixer, but I do believe it is part of the reason I didn't get the height I wanted.  If you use a handheld mixer, I would try doubling the recommend mixing times.

FOR BOTTOM LAYER:

To begin, heat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter interior of pan.

Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool for about five minutes. Get your egg yolks and vanilla, and whisk them in until incorporated.

With a hand held mixer or stand mixer,  beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add half of brown sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add remaining brown sugar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute longer, scraping down sides halfway through.

With a whisk, fold one-third of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Now get a rubber spatula and fold in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain. 

Gently pour batter into springform pan.

Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center has just set but is still soft,13 to 18 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. (Cake will collapse as it cools.)

Do not remove cake from pan.

MIDDLE LAYER

Combine cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside.

Melt chopped chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Remove from heat and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.

Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt at medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.

Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth.

Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain.

Spoon mousse into springform pan over cooled cake and gently tap pan on counter 3 times to remove any large air bubbles; gently smooth top with offset spatula. Wipe inside edge of pan with damp cloth to remove any drips. Refrigerate cake at least 15 minutes while preparing top layer.

TOP LAYER

In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; set aside for at least 5 minutes.

Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring ½ cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly)

Using a hand help mixer with whisk attachment or stand mixer, whip remaining cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.  I actually did this for about 2 minutes to get soft peaks.

Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. With rubber spatula, fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain.

Gently pour white chocolate mousse into pan over middle layer. Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least two hours.

To serve cake, run thin knife between cake and side of springform pan; remove side of pan. Run cleaned knife along outside of cake to smooth sides. Cut into slices and serve.

Easy right?  

Well, not so much.  But worth it!  

This dessert really made me re-think the word decadent.  I have used it many times before, but never really understood its meaning!  One bite of this luscious dessert made groan outloud.  Its that smooth, that fine, that delicate in its complexity.  

I thought I was going to swear off baking forever after attempting it, but now I just want to bake more!

And next time I try this, I think I will make it in individual portions... like mini round cakes... it could be so beautiful!

Comments

[Jessica @ How Sweet]

This is calling to me. Absolutely CALLING to me.

[homemademummy]

That is my kind of cake. Yum x

[Becki D]

Ugh. You are terrible for my resolve! ;-)

[HeatherChristo]

How is anyone supposed to shave off the holiday pounds with stuff like this!!?? It looks soooo good! I will be coming back for this recipe when my pants fit again :)

[Heidi]

Every weight loss resolution was just broken by looking at the great pic.

[Kristen]

Looks beautiful to me! Thanks for sharing :)

[linda]

if you say this is labor intensive & complicated after you have created the most beautiful & complicated looking cakes then one big …wow!
this does look labor intensive…& very, very decadent... i just might have to bake this!

[Angela Pritchett]

When I saw the title of your post, I had to click on it because I found a recipe with the same title on Kraft Foods but didn't get a chance to make it this holiday. It was baked in a Bundt pan though. Your photo certainly makes me want a slice of cake, or two!

[Renee]

That looks REALLY GOOD. But...I'm on a diet, so I can't try it. Have a piece for me!

[Stephane]

This cake was on the cover of one of their books or one of their special-topic magazines, wasn't it?! I watched the vid and it certainly is a time-intensive little honey. I think your result looks very successful and exceedingly lovely. You (and I) just need to work on transforming our chocolate shavings into chocolate curls. Wanna get together and practice? ; )

[Paula]

Are there any leftovers! I'd love of piece of it right now. Think you did an awesome job and your idea to make individual little ones is a great one!

[Stephane]

PS I know you're worried about the height of the layers. Are you sure you used the right sized springform pan? I myself have an 8-inch and a 10-inch (but no 9-inch).

[Pernille]

Beautiful! It reminds me a lot of Martha Stewart's Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cakes!

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/triple-chocolate-mousse-cake

[Tara]

I made this for Christmas dinner last year. LOL-mine did not look as pretty as theirs either, but the guests were very impressed by the looks and definitely by the taste. I will try it again-I think I need to get a better/deeper spring form pan though, maybe the one they recommend.;-)

[shari]

This cake is fantastic. I hbave made it before, and it is a winner. Bet it tasted good, even if it didn't look exactly like the picture on cooks illustrated.

[LimeCake]

I've bookmarked this recipe as soon as I saw the video on Cook's Illustrated. This looks luscious!

[Laurab]

FYI that looks anything but ugly

[Londa]

Decadent is the perfect adjective! This looks amazing! I love the idea of mini ones! So elegant for a party! Congratulations--I think you mastered it!

[Kim @ Quit Eating Out {Recipes to Make Dining Out a Choice, Not a Chore}]

Amanda your creations never cease to amaze me. Including this! Looks so beautiful. And I can only imagine how it tastes. That last photo is exceptionally great. My father~in~love has shared some of his copies of that magazine.... I always think it's fun to try something that's "more than you would normally do"... as long as company isn't coming! ha. Love this! Hope you are having an awesome start to your year Friend....

[Jessica]

you had me at triple chocolate! You can just go ahead and send any of your future tries my way ;)

[Elizabeth]

I've made this twice before. It's FABULOUS.

[jinhwafication]

ahhh....

[Lorie]

Y-U-M!!!

[susan]

this is gorgeous, amanda. and it is really kind of perfect!

[Taz]

oh wow, this looks divine. Definitely saving the recipe for later use, yummo.

[Brittany]

This looks 100% worth the effort! It looks so professional and delicious. In fact, it reminds me of those Chocolate Barvarian Desserts we used to buy when I was a child.

Thanks for sharing! I look forward to seeing more of your recipes throughout 2011.

[Barbara]

Things don't always turn out the way they look in the photos. (I always think....Photoshop. :)
But if it tastes great, that's 3/4 of the battle!

[grace]

layered desserts are often such a hassle to make, but what results! bravo, amanda. :)

[Andrea]

I think it looks beautiful! Don't compare, just take it for what it is! I think just the appearance, let alone the taste, should receive an award!

[MrsCurrie]

I have made this several times and found it to be a hit every time! It gets easier each time you make it.

[Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes]

I've totally made this before on my blog! So I know what you mean by DECADENT :D

[SMITH BITES]

and now this? TWO POSTS IN A ROW LIKE THIS ONE??? i think there are rules about forgiving pregnant women, right?

[naomi]

Well it looks like you won the battle! The cake is awesome. I've actually made this and it's yummy! Your rendition is perfect.

[Shaina]

This sounds delightful, Amanda. Who cares what it looks like?

[bridget {bake at 350}]

Geez, girl! Can I come over, like, NOW?!? I'll have one piece of this and a slice of that cake, please!

[Darla]

I have no words, so...

*drool*

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

Wow... That is an amazing cake. I think yours looks pretty stunning. I once attempted a cheesecake recipe that was similarly complicated. I started it around 8pm not realizing that I had to let it chill for a few hours in between each of the three layers. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night. And, it cracked on the third layer. Figures.

[Cookbook Queen]

This looks AMAZING!!

Seriously...If you lived close by, I'd be over for a piece in a hot second.

Actually, I just booked a flight. I'm on my way. You don't mind, do you?? ;)

[Kristen]

It looks like it would just melt in your mouth. Delicious!

[Marcella Vander Eems]

I made this for Christmas Day and it was delicious. I did get the height :-). So good. It just is a bit time consuming and you need to wash your double boiler a lot. But so so so good. I recommend to everyone. Delicious.

[Lexi]

These are the times when my dairy allergy is terrible. I want that cake so bad, it looks so delicious. Ah well, such is life.

[Stylist]

Very Nice for the incredible efforts of this dessert -- Cooks Illustrated is highly overrated -- just a few too many liberties

[doughmesstic]

Your layers are so perfect! I have been on the hunt for this mousse cake - so glad you made it! I used to be a waitress a million years ago, and we served a cake like this. I doubt it was half as good as yours! I intend to make it myself to find out!
Thanks for the post - you've been Stmbled!

Oh - those peeking baby cookies & cupcakes? TOTALLY stealing that idea! :)

[Ingrid]

If this tastes as good as it looks...Well, I'm in trouble! :)

[Guvi]

Your pictures are to die for and your sites are amazing! What can I say? I'm speechless!
I made a similar cake for my daughter's birthday 2 weeks ago. It's not the same recipe (it has 3 layers plus the base) and maybe you'd like to take a look at it, because it's somewhat simpler to make.

[dining room tables]

I love this one! I can't wait to try this one. Love all the chocolate.

[Karen Tucker]

You crack me up the way you write! It is like enjoying a great conversation with a wonderful friend!!! Thanks!

[the country cook @ Delightful Country Cookin]

hmmmm, that looks delicious! so glad I stumbled upon it - I don't even have to make it to know it's good