A celebration just isn’t the same without a classic chocolate cake, and this beautiful bake is guaranteed to satisfy any chocoholic! Four layers of light, boozy chocolate sponge sandwiched with soft chocolate mousse and decorated with rich chocolate cream and vermicelli.
Serves 16
1 hr 30 mins to prepare and 14 mins to cook
358 calories / serving
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Ingredients
Serves 16
1 hr 30 mins to prepare and 14 mins to cook
358 calories / serving
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Ingredients
- butter, for greasing
- 4 eggs
- 100g (3 1/2oz) caster sugar
- 100g (3 1/2oz) plain flour
- 25g (1oz) cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp brandy or chocolate liqueur
- chocolate vermicelli, to decorate
For the chocolate mousse filling
- 300g (10oz) dark chocolate (about 60 per cent cocoa solids)
- 2 gelatine leaves
- 450ml (3/4pt) double cream
- 100g (3 1/2oz) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
- 2 pasteurised egg whites, or 2 tbsp liquid egg white from the chiller cabinet
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Directions
Directions
- Grease and line 2 x 18cm (7in) sandwich tins and 1 x 18cm (7in) deep springform cake tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C.
- Next, prepare the mousse filling. Melt the chocolate in a heatbowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Meanwhile soak the gelatine leaves in a little cold water for 10 minutes.
- Heat 300ml (½pt) of the cream to just below boiling point. Remove the gelatine leaves from the water, squeeze them dry, then add to the hot cream, stirring in until dissolved. Whisk into the melted chocolate until smooth. Add the butter, a little at a time, and beat in until smooth. Leave to cool at room temperature while you make the sponges.
- Put the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until you have a thick, mousse-like consistency that holds a trail when the whisk is lifted.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the egg mixture. Then fold gently with a large metal spoon, trying not to knock out the air. Divide between the sandwich tins and bake for 12-14 minutes, until just firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then turn the cakes onto a wire rack, peel off the baking paper and leave to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate cream pour 150ml (¼pt) of the mousse mixture into a bowl, add the remaining 150ml (¼pt) double cream, and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Chill in the fridge.
- Whisk the pasteurised egg whites to form stiff peaks, then fold into the remaining chocolate mousse. Chill for 20-30 minutes in the fridge, until thickened but not set.
- To assemble the cake, place one sponge into the springform tin. Drizzle with 1 tbsp brandy or liqueur. Whisk the egg-mousse mixture until thick then spread half over the sponge. Top with another sponge, drizzle 1 tbsp brandy or liqueur, spoon over the rest of the mousse and top with the last sponge, drizzling with the remaining brandy or liqueur. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.
- Remove the cake tin and peel away the baking paper. Spread chocolate cream around the sides of the cake then press chocolate vermicelli around the base. Spread the remaining chocolate on top. Use some piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle to pipe rosettes, if you like.
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