Chocolate Mousse Cake

Wow it has been a while since I have posted any new recipes! I have to admit I have been pretty busy and as a result have not as much time in the kitchen as I usually do. Also, most of my cooking and baking as of late has been repeats on family favorites or requests. However in anticipation of my mom's birthday coming up I knew that I would be making a cake for the occasion. My parents decided to have some friends over this weekend for a seafood fest and I used their dinner as a test run for the cake I plan on making in two weeks.

Coming off of my recent successes with the triple chocolate mousse cake and the chocolate and fruit mousse cake I decided to once again make a mousse cake. I wanted to make more of a traditional mousse cake, kind of like the ones you would expect to find in a bakery or store. This meant finding a recipe for a genoise cake, which is the light and airy sponge cake typically found layered in a mousse cake. I paired the genoise with the white chocolate mousse from my own birthday cake I made in March and the chocolate glaze from the coffee cheesecake I made for my brother's birthday in August. In addition I also made a raspberry simple syrup to lightly soak the genoise cake and add an extra flavor.

In the end my parents and their guests all enjoyed the cake and some people asked for seconds. Due to the fact that my mother will be having a rather large gathering for her birthday and requested that I make two of the same cake so that there will be enough servings, I have decided to simplify the recipe. Rather than cutting the genoise cake in half and layering it with the mousse I will simply make the cake with a single layer of genoise and the white chocolate mousse all around. Considering that the mousse was my mom's favorite part of the cake I don't think she will mind. Hopefully everyone will love this cake when it is served again in two weeks.

Chocolate Mousse Cake
Note: I have included the recipe for the genoise cake along with assembly instructions for the simplified version of the mousse cake. Please use the links from above for the white chocolate mousse and chocolate glaze.

• ½ cup flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4 large eggs
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and hot

For the raspberry simple syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup fresh raspberries

To make the raspberry simple syrup combine all of the above ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain to remove the raspberry solids.

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and set aside.
2. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar over a saucepan of lightly simmering water. Whisk constantly and continue to heat until the mixture is lukewarm to the touch, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Remove mixture from the heat and beat on high speed until it has cooled and tripled in volume, about 3-5 minutes. It should look like softly whipped cream and form ribbons and fall back upon itself when lifting the beaters. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Carefully fold one third of the flour mixture into the beaten batter using a large spatula. Fold in the remainder but be careful not to overmix. 
5. Take 1 cup of the cake batter and fold it into the hot melted butter. Once it is an even consistency add the butter to the cake batter and gently fold in until evenly incorporated. 
6. Pour the batter into a well greased 9" pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom (not necessary but definitely makes it easy to take out after). Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  
7. Cool the cake to room temperature then carefully remove from the pan. It can be stored for two days in the fridge before assembling for the mousse cake.

To assemble the mousse cake:

1. Lay the genoise cake in the center of an 11" springform pan.
2. Using a pastry brush, generously soak the cake with the raspberry simple syrup. There will be extra syrup left over however make sure to really soak the cake so that it becomes moist.
3. Pour the white chocolate mousse over top of the genoise cake and smooth out the top.
4. Store in the refrigerator for at least four hours, though preferably overnight, so that the mousse can set.
5. Once the mousse has set, carefully run a knife around the inside edge and release the cake from the pan. Cover with the chocolate glaze, making sure it is room temperature so that it does not melt the mousse.