By GoodThingsCatered a few months ago
Recipe Tags: 2 Eggs, Baking Soda, C Milk, C Vegetable Oil, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Ingredients, Chocolate Mixture, Chocolate Mousse, Dessert Bowls, Double Boiler, Egg Yolks, Extract 1, Hershey Chocolate, Medium Sauce Pan, Party Cake, Place Mixture, Purpose Flour, Semisweet Chocolate, Whip Cream, Whipped Cream Frosting

Chocolate Mousse Party Cake

My idea of a perfect party cake, this cake is fun, delicious and rich without being heavy. A fudge flavored chocolate cake filled with light airy chocolate mousse and covered in a sweet whipped cream frosting is set out as a show stopper as well as a palate-pleaser. Very simple to put together, the filling and cake can be made the day before and easy assembled in a matter of minutes. Some truffles and white candy melt shapes adorn the cake but the real treat is definitely inside.

Chocolate Mousse Party Cake
cake recipe adapted from Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate

Ingredients:
For cake:
2 c. sugar
1-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. Hershey’s Cocoa
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. hot brewed coffee

for mousse:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 c. (cold can be used here) coffee, divided
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 c. whipping cream

for icing:
2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:
-Begin with making mousse the night before: In large double boiler, add chocolate, 1/4 c. coffee and butter.
-Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted.
-Let cool for 10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add egg yolks, sugar and remaining coffee.
-Whisk to combine con heat, stirring well, until mixture reached 160 degrees, about 2 minutes.
-Remove saucepan from heat, add chocolate mixture and and set in saucepan in ice.
-Stir mixture until cooled, about 7-10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, in bowl of stand mixer, whip cream until just forming stuff peaks.
-Fold whipped cream into mixture and then place mixture into desired serving bowls (For the cake I leave 1 1/2 c. in a bowl and the rest in dessert bowls).
-Cover with plastic wrap and place into fridge overnight.
-Prepare cake: preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 9-inch round baking pans.
-Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
-Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.
-Stir in hot coffee (batter will be thin).
-Pour batter into prepared pans.
-Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
-Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.
-Cool completely.
-When ready to assemble, make icing: in bowl of stand mixer, combine icing ingredients and whip just until stiff peaks form, adding a little more powdered sugar if desired.
-When cake is completely cooked, level top of each layer.
-Place one layer, cut side up on cake plate.
-Top layer with chocolate mousse, spreading within 1/2 inch of edge of cake.
-Place second layer, cut side down, directly on top of mousse filling.
-Using off-set spatula, ice cake with whipped cream frosting.
-If desired, melt candy melts in a piping bag, clip end and pipe shapes onto parchment.
-When cooled, remove from parchment and place onto cake.
-Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.