I’ve been gone for far too long due to several huge (and ongoing) projects at work, but hopefully, I’ll be back for a while. On a personal note, very recently we celebrated my father-in-law becoming a U.S. citizen! We are all very excited and extremely proud of him. In honor of our family’s newest American, I decided to attempt to make his favorite cake: chocolate mousse cake. Not just any chocolate mousse cake, mind you; triple chocolate mousse cake, because when you’ve never made something before, it is always best to attempt the most challenging version you can. Then I decided to make it even more complicated by combining recipes from two different places. Surprisingly enough, I did not fail and I discovered that chocolate mousse cake is not nearly as scary or as complicated as I thought it would be.  So, without further ado (and because I really need to get back to work) here is my recipe.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Adapted from Annie’s Eats and Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

For the bottom layer:

• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• ¾ tsp. instant espresso powder
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, separated
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

For the middle layer:

• 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 5 Tbsp. hot water
• 7 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt

For the top layer:

•  7 oz. milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt

For garnish:

• Chocolate curls
• Fresh Raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. To make the bottom layer, butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. In a double boiler, combine the butter, bittersweet chocolate and espresso powder over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter and chocolate are completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. Remove from heat and let cool for at least five minutes.
5. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs yolks and vanilla.
6. Whisk the egg yolks and the vanilla into the chocolate mixture and set aside.
7. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and the salt on medium speed until foamy.
8. Slowly add the brown sugar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.
9. Fold in about one third of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture to lighten it.
10. Fold in the remaining egg whites being careful to make sure that no streaks remain.
11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. (The center should be set and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean).
12. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan (this should take about an hour and it will shrink and look like a deflated soufflé… don’t panic like I did. This is totally normal).
13. After the cake is completely cooled, remove to serving dish.
14. Using parchment paper, form a tight collar around the cake and secure it with tape (this is what will hold the mousse in place while it is chilling).
15. To make the second layer, in a small bowl whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until there are no lumps and set aside.
16. Melt the semisweet chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth.
17. Remove from heat and allow chocolate to cool for a few minutes.
18. While the chocolate is cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and salt over medium speed until it starts to thicken and then increase the speed to high and continue whipping until soft peaks form.
19. Turn the mixer speed to low and add the cocoa powder mixture and mix until combined.
20. Using a rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate into the whipped cream mixture in three batches until no streaks remain.
21. Transfer mousse to a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (you could also use a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off). Pipe the mousse evenly over the collared cake, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
22. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
23. To make the top layer, melt the milk chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth.
24. Remove from heat and allow chocolate to cool for a few minutes.
25. While the chocolate is cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and salt over medium speed until it starts to thicken and then increase the speed to high and continue whipping until soft peaks form.
26. Using a rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate into the whipped cream mixture in three batches until no streaks remain.
27. Transfer mousse to a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (you could also use a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off). Pipe the mousse evenly over the collared cake and first layer of mousse, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
28. Return the cake to the refrigerator and allow it to cool for at least two more hours and up to overnight (the longer, the better).
29. For the garnish: With the collar still on the cake, cover the top with chocolate curls, sprinkles or cocoa powder.
30. Just before serving, carefully remove the collar and garnish with fresh raspberries.