Eggless Chocolate Mousse Cake with a layer of soft chocolate cake, light chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate ganache. Perfect dessert to celebrate just about any day!
1/4cupoil2 oz/60 ml, canola oil or any flavorless oil
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
Chocolate Mousse
1cupchopped chocolate6 oz, use good quality chocolate, I used mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate
1.5tablespoonsunsalted butter
1cupheavy cream8 oz/240 ml, chilled
splashvanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
2ozchocolatechopped, I used semi-sweet
1/4cupheavy cream2 oz/60 ml
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with oil spray and set aside.
In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
To a measuring jar or bowl, add 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar to 1/2 cup milk and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. This milk will curdle a little, and this is your buttermilk to be used in the recipe.You can straight away also use 1/2 cup store bought buttermilk in place.
To the milk now add the granulated sugar and mix well until the sugar dissolves.
Add the oil and mix and then add the vanilla extract and mix.
Now, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (the flour-cocoa powder mix)Mix until everything is combined but do not over-mix. Few streaks of flour is fine.
Pour prepared batter into a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter in the pan.
Bake at 350 F degrees for 18-20 minutes. Mine was done at 18 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let it cool completely.
Chocolate Mousse
Take chopped chocolate in a bowl (I used mix of semi-sweet and dark) and add butter to it. Put this bowl on top of a pot of simmering water (not boiling). And the bowl should not touch the surface of the water. This is called double-boiler method.Melt the chocolate using the double boiler method. You can also use a microwave here. Let the melted chocolate cool down to room temperature, this is important so don't rush this step.
Meanwhile, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). I also add a splash of vanilla while whipping the cream but that's optional.Make sure to chill the steel bowl and wire whisk attachment for 15-20 minutes before whipping the cream for best results. Of course, the cream needs to be chilled too.
Once, the melted chocolate has cooled down to room temperature, start adding the whipped cream to it in parts. Add 1/4th of the whipped cream first.
Then mix using the cut and fold method, moving your spatula in one direction. Do not mix very vigorously else you will deflate all the air from the whipped cream, so fold gently.Similarly, fold in the entire cream until you have a smooth mousse.
Transfer the prepared mousse on top of the baked cake. Make sure your cake is cooled completely before you put the mousse on top (this is important).
Spread the mousse on top of the cake using an offset spatula. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for minimum of 2 to 3 hours.
Chocolate Ganache
Once the cake has chilled, make the ganache. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl.Heat the cream in a pan on medium-low heat. It should just come to a simmer. Add the heated cream to the bowl of chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute.
Start whisking the chocolate with the milk, until it all melts into a smooth ganache.Pour the prepared ganache on top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate again for 1 hour.
To serve the eggless chocolate mousse cake, sprinkle cocoa powder on top and then cut into slices and serve.I would suggest taking the cake out of the fridge and letting it sit for around 20 minutes before serving, the mousse tastes better that way.
Notes
Remember to use good quality chocolate here for the mousse and ganache.
You may use a little bit of instant coffee in your cake or ganache to intensify the chocolate flavor.