Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake with Spun Sugar Spiral Recipe

Recipe Type: cake, chocolate, flourless, dessert

Prep Time: 40 min
total Time: 40 min
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-cup granulated sugar
6 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons ground almonds
1/4-cup heavy cream, whipped for garnish
Mint sprigs for garnish

2-1/2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 ounce unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, separated
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 timbales (2 ounce size)
8 pieces plastic wrap, 6-inch x 6-inch

Instruction:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 9-inch spring form pan and dust with cocoa.

Make Flourless Chocolate Cake: Melt 8 oz semisweet chocolate, 2 oz unsweetened chocolate and butter in saucepan over medium low heat. Remove from heat and add 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 egg yolks and ground almonds. Whisk to blend then cool.

In mixer bowl beat 3 egg whites to stiff peaks; fold into cake batter; pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. When cooled cut in half horizontally. Using a round 3-1/2-inch cookie cutter or glass tumbler top cut out 8 rounds from cake. Set them aside to make the mousse.

Make Chocolate Mousse: In saucepan over medium low heat melt 2-1/2 oz semi-sweet chocolate and 3/4 oz butter; whisk in egg yolk, remove from heat, cover and refrigerate.

In a mixer bowl, beat egg white to stiff peaks. In another clean bowl beat 1/4 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold beaten egg white and whipped cream into the cooled mousse. Place plastic wrap inside timbales draping excess over the sides; fill timbales with mousse, tap down sharply on counter; cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the mean time make the spun sugar spirals, raspberry sauce and chocolate sticks. Optional.

To serve: Place a flourless cake round onl plate; invert mousse on top of cake, remove plastic; insert two chocolate sticks into the mousse, optional. Decorate plate with raspberry sauce, a spun sugar spiral garnish, mint sprig and serve.

Spun Sugar Spirals
1/4 cup Powdered (confectioners) sugar
knife sharpening steel

Chill sharpening steel in refrigerator. In a small heavy pan over high heat place sugar stirring constantly, it will begin to turn a caramel color. Keep chilled sharpening steel nearby. Use the opposite end of a dinner knife or similar to stir and pick up some of the hot caramel in a thin stream and quickly drizzle it around the chilled steel into a spiral, use caution not to burn yourself. As the caramel cools it will harden; slip spirals off the steel, continue making more spirals. (This may take some practice.)

Raspberry Sauce
(can be made 1 week ahead)
1/4 cup Raspberries
Granulated sugar, sweetened to taste
1/4-teaspoon cornstarch

Strain raspberries, combine with sugar in saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil, add cornstarch whisking until thickened; transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Chocolate Sticks
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
parchment paper
kitchen comb or fork

Melt chocolate in top of double boiler; spread on parchment paper making several 1-inch x 1/4-inch curved chocolate sticks; freeze until set. When ready to use, gently peel from parchment paper and stick into the chocolate mousse.

Wine recommendation: Cabernet Sauvignon