CHOCOLATE KAHLUA MOUSSE CAKE
- 1 ½ cups plain flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup melted butter
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
- 3 (150 g) bars sweet dark baking chocolate
- 1 (1 tablespoon) envelope unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup Kahlua liqueur
- 3 ¾ cups chilled whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
Place first 4 ingredients and ½ teaspoon salt in mixing bowl; add melted butter and mix at medium speed for one minute.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Stir in vanilla and pecans (if using).
Coat a 9 x 3 inch round spring form pan with cooking spray.
Spread batter over bottom and place in preheated oven.
Bake at 180°C for 20 – 25 minutes or until done. Set aside to cool.
Reserve half of one bar of the baking chocolate for making chocolate curls for garnish.
Break remaining chocolate into small pieces and melt in double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, stirring occasionally until smooth; remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Sprinkle gelatin over Kahlua. Let stand 5 minutes or until gelatin is softened. Microwave on high, stirring in 10-second intervals, until gelatin is dissolved; cool.
Place chilled whipping cream and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in mixing bowl and beat at high speed until soft peaks form and cream does not move when bowl is tilted.
Combine one cup of the whipped cream with 1 tablespoon superfine sugar; place in refrigerator for topping.
To the remaining whipped cream, gently stir in cooled melted chocolate.
Next, fold in the cooled Kahlua mixture; spread over cake in spring form pan. Refrigerate 2 hours or until set.
Spread mousse layer with chilled cup of sweetened whipped cream.
For chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler to shave remaining chocolate into curls and arrange curls on top of cake.
Remove sides of pan from bottom and keep chilled until serving time.
Notes:
Avoid adding melted chocolate and Kahlua mixture to whipped cream at the same time.
Using warm ingredients will cause the mousse to fall. Both whipping cream and mixing bowl should be well chilled before whipping the cream.
Recipe and photo: Amanda Conradie
