Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake Recipe
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
2 cups almond meal
2 cups icing sugar
1 cup plain flour
½ cup Dutch cocoa, plus extra to dust
1 tsp baking powder
5 eggs, whisked
250g butter, melted and cooled
400g dark chocolate, chopped
100g 70 per cent dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups pure cream
240g raspberries, to serve
Whipped cream or thick cream, to serve
Method:
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 22cm round springform cake pan with baking paper. Place almond meal into a large bowl. Sift icing sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder over almond meal. Stir until well combined.
Add eggs and butter. Gently stir until well combined. Spoon into prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through when tested in the centre with a skewer. Stand for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Line a 20cm round springform cake pan with plastic wrap. Trim top of cake until even and flat. Slice cake in half forming 2 round, thin cakes. Place cake pan onto each cake, trimming so cakes fit snuggly into pan. (During cooking the original cake shrinks a little. Although this takes a little time it produces a smooth even cake with defined layers.) Place one cake into pan.
Combine chocolate and melt in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, taking care that base of bowl does not touch water. Stir until smooth. Stand to cool slightly.
Using an electric hand beater, beat cream until soft peaks form. Fold cream into chocolate. Spoon half the mousse mixture onto cake in base of pan. Spread evenly. Top with remaining cake, pressing firmly. Spoon remaining mousse onto cake and spread evenly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove cake from mould and transfer to a serving platter or cake stand. Dust with extra cocoa. Place raspberries onto centre of cake and serve with cream.