Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients

• 230 gms dark chocolate
• 230 gms unsalted butter
• 8 eggs ( at room temperature)
• 230 gms castor sugar
• 1 pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 180·C. Line a 30 cm springform tin with baking paper.
Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler over a gentle flame, stirring occasionally to combine.
Meanwhile, separate eggs and beat yolks with half the castor sugar until thick and pale. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites with salt until softly peaking, then gradually sift in the remaining sugar, whisking to stiff peaks.
Fold chocolate mixture into yolks, then fold in whites to combine and pour into lined tin.
Bake for 45 - 50 mins until set. Remove from oven and leave to cool in tin.

Mousse

Ingredients

• 300gm dark chocolate
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• 250 gm castor sugar
• 83 ml water
• 500 ml cream

Method

Melt chocolate over a double boiler.
Remove and allow to cool. Beat egg yolks and whole eggs until ribbons form.
As the sabayon is rising in volume, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil until it reaches the thread stage of 120 C.
Once the sugar has reached this temperature, the sabayon should be reaching it’s peak..
Carefully pour the boiling sugar into the mixer and beat at high speed for 10 mins.
In a stainless-steel bowl beat the double cream until soft peaks form.
Carefully fold the melted chocolate into half of the sabayon, then combine the rest of the sabayon mix.
When the chocolate and sabayon are combined, fold in the lightly whipped cream until fully combined.

To assemble

Pour the mousse gently onto the chocolate cake, then refrigerate for several hours until set.
Decorate with a fine dusting of bitter cocoa, and serve with berries and cream.