Chocolate Mousse Torte

Well this is my first real blog post in a long time.  I feel like I have let my blog down a little by not posting as I usually did. Since getting back from Thailand I have had 4 (yes only 4) weeks of work, the shortest term ever, however also the busiest and most stressful.  Now its finally over and I am on half term I feel like I can start getting back to normal posts.  I do have a few things lined up for the coming month and actually did expect to have more produced this week but due to the poor weather I had to change my original plans and not bake what I intended.

This post is all about chocolate.  Chocolate mousse torte by Anna Olson is something I have seen her make on TV a couple of times and have thought about making it for a while.  It does have a lot of steps and I don't feel like it turned out as well as I hoped this time but I did learn a lot and feel more prepared the next time I make it.  

If you intend to make this recipe be prepared to take your time.  Making the base is quite quick but the mousse needs to set in the freeze for at least 4 hours  and the chocolate coating will need making, chilling, then heating again.  Then the whole thing needs to set in the fridge for a few hours.  I would recommend if you wanted to try this cake you should make it at least the day before you need it and then store in the fridge.  An hour or so before you wish to serve take it out the fridge and allow it to return to roomish temp.  I found the chocolate sponge a little tougher when cold and an hour or so out of the fridge helps soften them.

When I tried this torte I thought of the classic 90's dinner party frozen dessert that you deforest before serving - Sara Lee's Chocolate Cake.  The chocolate mousse is pretty much identical!!  It is very nice though and I will be making another one again.  

Oh, an important point to note is you actually make two sponge bases but only require one of the recipe.  They freeze perfectly and if you wanted to make another torte later in the month you are already halfway there or another suggestion would be to whip up some cream and add some crushed raspberries, the sandwich, very thickly the left over cake together.  Dust with cocoa and you would have some sort of raspberry chocolate sponge cake.

Finally, I have presented the ingredients using american cup measures, as the original recipe, if you require it in UK measures then search for the recipe online and FoodNetworkUK has the full recipe.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

by Anna Olson

For the cake

1/2 cup boiling water

2 ounces plain chocolate (56grams - buy 100g block and keep the left over for later)

1/4 cup unsalted butter (55 grams)

1 large egg, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 & 1/4 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp bicarb soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup strong, hot, coffee

For the mousse

3 cups whipping cream

12 ounces milk chocolate (actually buy 300g and use the left over plain from before)

3 large eggs yolks, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

For chocolate glaze

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 & 1/2 tbsp gelatin powder (or veggie equiv.)

Start with the cake layers.  Preheat the oven to 160C and grease and line 2 8-inch cake tins.

Whisk the boiling water, chopped chocolate and butter together until melted.  It will look grainy and set aside.

 

Whip the eggs, sugar and vanilla until the mixture doubles in volume and looks mousse like - about 2 minutes in a stand mixer.  Fold in the chocolate mixture, I use the whisk, don't worry about knocking out air, it isn't that important.

 

 

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt over the batter mix and fold in.  Stir in the hot coffee.  Expect a very liquid batter.  Divide between the two pans.

 

 

Bake the cakes for 20 minutes, test by inserting a tester in the middle, if it comes out clean the cake is baked.  Allow cakes to cool in the pans.

Now for the mousse.  Line the bottom of a 9inch spring form tin and set aside. When cooled carefully slice the cake in half so you have two thin layers of cake.

 

Whip 1 and 1/2 cups of the whipping cream to soft peaks and set a side in the fridge for later.

 

Heat the remaining 1 and 1/2 cups of whipping cream to just below a simmer.  Pour over the chopped milk chocolate.  Let stand for 1 minute and then stir to a glossy mixture.

 

Place the egg yolks in a stand mixer fitted with whisk.  Whisk on high for 1 minute to break up the yolks then turn off.  In another pan, place the sugar and water and boil until it reaches 120C on a thermometer.  Start whipping the yolks on high and carefully pour down the side of the bowl, avoiding the beaters, until combined and leave to whisk until doubled in volume and pale yellow.

 

 

Leave the egg mousse mixture and chocolate mix to come to room temp, about 15 minutes, this is important or the mix will be too loose later.  Then fold together.

 

Add the whipped cream and fold in carefully.  

Now, pour half the mix in to the spring fold tin.  Place the top layer on top of the mousse.  Pour over the remaining mousse and then carefully press in the final chocolate later, push down but do not cover.  (see image).

 

Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours or better still, overnight.

To make the glaze, place the water, sugar and cream in a small pan and bring to boil.  Off the heat add in the cocoa and whisk.  Expect the mixture to bubble up but not that much.  Place back on the heat and simmer for 4 minutes.  Mix the gelatine with 60ml of cold water and then add to the mixture.  Whisk to combine and leave in the fridge.

 

Remove the now frozen cake and using a kitchen blowtorch or hair dryer, heat the sides of the pan and then unclip.  Invert on to a wire cooling rack and heat the top.  Remove the top and you may need to tidy up the sides if it too soft.

 

Heat the chocolate glaze, it would have set to jelly by now, until its liquid again.  Pour over the top of the cake and leave to set in the fridge, and also defrost.

 

Remove from the fridge about 1 hour before you want to serve.

Enjoy.

Thailand - Foodie Post 3

A favourite resturnant on the island is Buffalo Bills Steak House.  Very expensive as most of the steaks are imported from Austrialla but simply one of the best steaks I have ever eaten.  The steak in the image is a 10oz fillet and it cost roughly £26.  It could have been cut with a blunt knife it was so perfectly tender.

Previously I have attempted the challange steak - 32oz monster that they will heat up for you if it starts to get too cold while your trying to eat it.  I have taken this challenge twice, the first time I ate the lot, including the two sides and all the sauce they served with it.  That day I was very hungry and although it was still a challenge I didn't find it that difficult at all.  The second time I attempted the challenge I failed... oh well, can't win them all!   

Visit most Seven-Elevens in Bangkok (seems to only be in Bangkok and the odd place in Singapore) and you can serve youself one of the best and cheapest drinks ever to cool you down in the hot hot heat.  CocaCola slush drink.  This drink is ice cold and the largest cup (the one in the image) is only 24Bht (or 45p).  You can get other flavours (strawberry is the one next door however its very artifical tasting and not very nice) and in Singapore I have seen apple and orange flavours.  The apple was also artifical in flavour.  Only coke seems to be a true version of the drink.

I have mentioned Pineapple Pie in my first post but failed to attach a photo.  Below is an image one of the best pies McDs sells.  I love pineapple and this pie is filled with sweet chunks coated in their special flakey pastry.  Be careful though as the filling is still very hot!

I also snapped another pie that McDs sell...but it does not appeal to me at all -  curry crab.  29bht is about 50p by the way.  I can't remember how much pies cost in the UK but I am sure they are more than 50 pence?

Thailand - Foodie Post 2

On arriving to Kuala Lumpur I checked in to the Madarin Oriental Hotel, this hotel is located in the very centre of KL next door to the Petronas Towers.  Unfortunately, perfect as the hotel was, my room did not overlook the towers.  After two very busy days sight seeing in Singapore it was great to finally relax in this luxary hotel and spend some time by the rooftop pool.  Dinner that even was at one of the Madarin's resturants.  Mosac is a buffet style resturant like no other I have been too.  The choice was amazing and nothing like the buffet style resturnants I have been to in England. 

The resturnant had 8 main areas consisting of Meats, Chinese, Indian, Cheese/Breads, Seafood, Japanese, Italian and Desserts (my fav).  

In the meat area you could help yourself to precook BBQ meats such as chicken and satay style kebabs.  The main section though was the raw meat that they cooked to request.  Fillet steaks, chicken and lamb chops where my favourite here and they cooked it perfectly.  You could also have duck, some seafood and also varous sasusages.  As Mayalsia is mostly muslim in religion they do not serve pork.  This counter also served various accomlements to the meat, corn on the cob, carrots and sauces.  I must have consumed 6 lamb chops, 2 steaks and about 5 satay chickens from the counter alone.

Seafood is not my sort of thing at all.  I think this counter was truly wasted on me as you had your choice of sushi, smoked salmon, fresh oysters and pawns.  I don't think I ate anything from this section. 

The chinese and indian counters where not filled with huge choice but instead a few select dishes that where cooked perfectly.  The thai green curry was just spicy enough and the korma was flaoured perfectly.  

Dessert is my thing and this resturant did not dissapoint at all.  The choice was HUGE!  Two chocolate fountins (milk or white), ice creams, fruits, cakes and chocolates.  All perfect and I found it very difficult not to go back at least 4 times for different things.  The two images below are only some of the things I tired.  I was very impressed with the quality of each item.  I would go back just for the dessert!

Breakfast was also served in Mosacs and equalied the quality I had the night before.  This resturant is amazing, the hotel was amazing.  I am a 'fan' of the Oritental and will be staying at the more often in the future.