These Tastes of Mine

This mousse cake came to be when I had made a sheet of chocolate chiffon cake, but didn’t know what to do with it. I decided to make some sort of layered dessert, and thought a coffee-flavoured mousse should be alright.

The cake isn’t very sweet, and the flavour of the chocolate and coffee lingers for a long time. The mousse is incredibly creamy, but not too rich. I can imagine doing the same thing but changing the coffee mousse with a chocolate or fruit-flavoured one. These were made in small ring moulds (cake rings) but they are easily done in a normal cake pan.

Recipe

Cake from joyofbaking, mousse from bestrecipes

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

3 large eggs, separated

1 large egg white

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

85g all purpose flour

40g unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Coffee Mousse

200mL evaporated milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp gelatine, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water

2 tsp instant coffee or espresso

1. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. to the whites, add the extra egg white. Sift together 2/3 cup sugar, the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and set aside.

2. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the oil, water and vanilla extract.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

4. Using the same mixer, beat the egg yolks for a minute or two on high speed. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour the oil mixer into the egg yolks until very well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated.

5. With a large rubber spatula or wire whisk, gently fold the egg whites into the batter just until blended. Pour the batter into a greased swiss roll pan (around 40cm x 23cm) which has also been lined with baking paper. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

6. Cool on a wire rack. Carefully remove the cake by inverting it onto another surface.

7. Meanwhile, make the mousse. Whisk the evaporated milk and sugar until frothy. Add dissolved gelatine and water and beat well. Add the instant coffee and beat until dissolved. Refrigerate mixer until it starts to firm.

8. Cut out two pieces of cake which can fit into a cake pan of desired size. Line the pan with clingfilm and place one piece of cake inside. Spoon the slightly firm mousse over the cake, and place the other piece on top. Cover with more clingfilm and freeze until firm.

9. Once firm, slice when still frozen with a serrated knife. Bring to room temperature before serving.