Chocolate Mousse Mud Cake
Ingredients:
For the Chocolate Mud Cake:
113 g unsalted butter (1 stick / ½ cup)
75 g dark (70%) chocolate (2.6 oz)
85 g plain (all-purpose) flour (⅔ cup / 3 oz)
20 g cocoa (2 tablespoons / 0.7 oz)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
100 g packed light brown sugar (3.5 oz / ½ cup)
65 g white granulated sugar (2.3 oz / ⅓ cup)
2 teaspoons instant coffee
2 tablespoons hot water
60 ml milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Mousse:
625 ml whipping cream, divided (2 ½ cups)
200 g dark (50%) chocolate (7 oz)
57 g unsalted butter (½ stick / ¼ cup)
2 tablespoons icing sugar
Optional Chocolate Glaze:
125 ml water (½ cup)
2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
125 ml cream (½ cup)
150 g caster sugar (superfine sugar / ¾ cup)
70 g Dutch cocoa (½ cup)
Instructions:
For the Chocolate Mud Cake:
Preparation:
Grease and line a 9-inch (22 cm) round springform tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) / 160°C fan.
Melt Chocolate and Butter:
In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and dark chocolate together until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
Prepare Dry Ingredients:
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add both sugars and whisk until well combined.
Mix Wet Ingredients:
Dissolve instant coffee in hot water. In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled chocolate mixture, coffee mixture, milk, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine and Bake:
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Press gently with a tea towel to flatten the top and ensure the sides are against the tin. Let it cool completely in the tin.
For the Chocolate Mousse:
Prepare Chocolate Ganache:
Heat ½ cup of cream, chocolate, butter, and icing sugar over very low heat until almost melted. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Let it cool to room temperature.
Whip Cream:
Whip the remaining 2 cups of cream to soft peaks.
Combine Ganache and Cream:
Stir about ½ cup of whipped cream into the chocolate ganache to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream in two parts until just combined.
Assemble:
Spread the chocolate mousse over the cooled cake base in the tin, smoothing out the top with an offset spatula. Chill for 2-3 hours.
For the Optional Chocolate Mirror Glaze:
Prepare Gelatine Mixture:
Sprinkle gelatine over ¼ cup of water and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
Make Glaze:
Combine remaining water, cream, caster sugar, and Dutch cocoa in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves completely. Add the gelatine mixture and whisk thoroughly until smooth.
Cool and Glaze:
Strain the glaze through a sieve into a jug. Chill until it reaches a thick, pourable consistency.
Remove the cake from the tin base onto a flat bowl inside a larger bowl. Pour the glaze over the cake, smoothing it with a spatula. Repeat if needed for a smooth finish.
Serve:
Chill the cake for at least an hour before carefully removing the base and baking paper. Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy!
This Chocolate Mousse Mud Cake is a decadent treat perfect for any occasion
