Beautiful Chocolate Mousse Cake

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 cup unbleached cane sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup light butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 ounces baker's semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Recipe

• 1 before you start, you'll need 8 ramekins (2 1/2-inch round, or 8 ounce tomato sauce cans, ends removed and cleaned) and 8 parchment paper pieces (9x4").
• 2 prepare cake: preheat oven 350°f.
• 3 in large bowl combine sugar, flour and cocoa.
• 4 in small saucepan combine butter, water and oil. bring to boil and pour over dry ingredients.
• 5 add egg, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla. blend thoroughly.
• 6 pour cake batter into 10x15" sheet pan.
• 7 bake 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. cool on rack.
• 8 cut 16 (2 1/2" x 1/2" thick) rounds from cake and set aside.
• 9 prepare mousse: melt chocolate and butter in saucepan.
• 10 beat 3 egg yolks and add to mousse. set aside mousse to cool.
• 11 in small clean bowl beat 3 egg whites to stiff peaks.
• 12 in second clean bowl beat 3/4 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks. fold egg whites and whipped cream into cooled mousse.
• 13 assemble: put ramekins on flat tray or plate that will fit in refrigerator & insert parchment paper inside each ramekin.
• 14 add one chocolate cake round to each ramekin, divide chocolate mousse among ramekins (spoon on top of cake).
• 15 add another cake round on top of mousse (do not press down).
• 16 cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• 17 remove ramekins and parchment paper from each cake and place on individual dessert plates. garnish with fruit or sauces.
• 18 if desired, spoon over with raspberry sauce, crème anglais or chocolate ganache sauce. garnish with sliced strawberries, chocolate shavings, or mint sprigs.