Chocolate Mousse Cake with Strawberry Sauce ▶
Rich chocolate mousse, flavored with liqueurs, is wrapped in sponge cake. The chilled cake is served with strawberry sauce and whipped cream flavored with Grand Marnier. The easy-to-put-together chocolate mousse cake may be made a day in advance and frozen, then assembled just before serving.
Ingredients
- Chocolate Mousse
- Chocolate chips - 8 ounces
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 tablespoon
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 4 cups
- Sugar - 4 cups
- Brandy - 1 tablespoon
- Tia Maria - 1 tablespoon (alt. other coffee liqueur)
- Grand Marnier - 1 tablespoon (alt. other orange liqueur)
- Eggs - 3, separated
- Sponge Cake
- Eggs - 8
- Cornstarch - 2 tablespoons
- Sugar - 1 cup
- All-Purpose Flour - 1-1/4 cups
- Unsalted Butter - 5 tablespoons, melted and returned to room temperature
- Pure Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
- Strawberry Sauce
- Fresh Strawberries - 4 cups, hulled
- Strawberry Liqueur - 1 tablespoon (optional)
- Honey - 3 tablespoons
- Dry White Wine - 1/2 cup
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1 cup
- Grand Marnier - 1 tablespoon (alt. other orange liqueur)
- Fresh Strawberries - 1 pint
Instructions
To make the chocolate mousse: In a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a deep bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, then add the brandy and liqueurs. Blend thoroughly. Mix a small amount of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate to lighten it, then fold that mixture back into the whipped cream very gently. In a double boiler over barely simmering water, whisk the egg yolks for 2 minutes; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg yolks, then the beaten egg whites, into the chocolate mixture until smooth and blended. Cover and refrigerate.
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 4-by-12-inch pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. In a double boiler over barely simmering water, mix the eggs and sugar together and beat until thickened and smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside. Sift the cornstarch, sugar, and flour together and fold into the egg mixture. Fold the butter and vanilla extract into the batter. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched lightly. Let cool.
Cut the cooled cake into 6 slices to fit a loaf pan. Line a cake pan with the slices of sponge cake. Ladle in the chilled chocolate mousse until the pan is full. Cover the mousse with slices of sponge cake. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
To make the sauce: Puree the berries in a food processor or blender. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. In a medium saucepan, heat the puree over low heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate.
To make the flavored whipped cream: In a small deep bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add orange liqueur. Cover and refrigerate.
To serve: Warm a large knife in hot water and cut the mousse cake into 8-inch slices. Ladle strawberry sauce onto each of eight serving plates. Place a slice of frozen mousse cake on the sauce. Place in the refrigerator until semi-soft. Top with flavored whipped cream and garnish with strawberries.
