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.

Also check out this delicious recipe.

Delightful Pistachio Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls