Bon Appetit Chocolate Mousse Cake Food

ALMOST-FAMOUS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Prepare the cake mix as the label directs for a 9-by-13-inch cake. Bake; cool slightly in the pan, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
• Clean out the cake pan and line it with plastic wrap. Cut the cake in half lengthwise, then in thirds crosswise to make 6 rectangles. Using a serrated knife, slice each rectangle in half to make two layers. Arrange half of the pieces snugly in the cake pan. Crumble the remaining pieces and press tightly into 6 small balls; arrange 1 cake ball in the center of each cake rectangle in the pan.
• Make the mousse: Heat the chocolate, butter, coffee and 1/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), stirring, until melted. Remove the bowl from the pan; stir until cool. Reserve the simmering water. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Whisk the egg yolks, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a separate large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water and whisk until pale yellow, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chocolate-coffee mixture and the vanilla and whisk until combined, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and set in the bowl of ice water; whisk until slightly cool but not thick, about 4 minutes.
• Beat the egg whites and salt in a bowl with a mixer until foamy. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until almost stiff; gently fold into the chocolate-yolk mixture to make a dark chocolate mousse. Spread 5 cups over the cake and cake balls. Freeze until firm on top, about 30 minutes.
• Beat the heavy cream and the remaining 4 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form; fold into the remaining mousse. Remove the cake from the freezer; spread with the light chocolate mousse, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Make the chocolate shell: Stir the chocolate, heavy cream and 4 tablespoons corn syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until melted. A spoonful at a time, spread half of the shell mixture over the frozen mousse. Return to the freezer.
• Make the chocolate sauce: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon corn syrup and the butter to the remaining chocolate shell mixture. Microwave 30 seconds, then stir until glossy.
• To serve the cake, beat the heavy cream with a mixer until foamy. Add the sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Remove the cake from the freezer; invert onto a baking sheet and unmold, then invert again onto a platter, chocolate shell-side up.
• Cut the cake in half lengthwise using a warm knife, then cut into thirds crosswise to make 6 rectangles; cut each rectangle in half diagonally to make 2 triangles. Top each triangle with whipped cream, ice cream and the prepared chocolate sauce.

BON APPETIT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• For Crust: Combine crumbs and butter. Press on bottum and up sides of 10" springform pan. For Filling: Melt chocolate in top of double boiler. Let cool back to 95 degrees F. Add whole eggs and mix well. Add yolks and mix until thoroughly blended. Whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. In a large bowl, pour in chocolate. A little at a time, add some of the egg whites and fold, then some of the whipped cream, and fold. Keep alternating into chocolate until all cream and eggs whites have been incorporated. Pour the mousse (thats what you have now) into the crust and let chill in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 6 hours. For Leaves: Melt Chocolate with shortening in top of double boiler. Spread thin layer on shiny side of the leaves. Dont let it drip on the underside or you wont be able to pull the chocolate off. Let rest on some parchment and place in refrigerator until firm Whip Remaining 2 Cups of cream until firm and add powdered sugar to taste and add a bit of vanilla. Not too sweet works best. Assemble: Loosen crust on all sides with a sharp knife and remove the springform. Spread all except 1/2 cup of the whipped cream over the top. Pipe remaining cream in rosettes in center. Gently peel off leaves from chocolate starting at the stem end. Arrange in overlapping pattern around rosettes, Cut pie in wedges with sharp knife.

JULIA CHILD'S CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Place the chocolate and 4 Tbsp strong coffee in a small sauce pan and place in a pan of hot water. Stir for a minute or so until melting begins.
• Place egg yolks in a bowl and beat, adding the sugar in a thin stream. Continue beating until the mixture is thick, pale and forms a ribbon. Beat in the rum. Set over a pan of almost simmering water and beat for an additional 5 minutes. Test with your finger to make sure the mixture is warmed through.
• Allow to cool. It should again form a ribbon and have the consistency of thick creamy mayonnaise.
• Stir the chocolate until smooth and gradually add the softened butter. When totally in corporate stir the mixture into the yolks and sugar.
• In a clean dry bowl beat the room temperature egg whites. Begin slowly and increase the speed until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle with 2 TBSP of sugar and a pinch of salt. Continue beating until stiff peaks are formed.
• Fold 1/4 of the stiff egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Scoop the remaining egg whites on top and delicately fold them inches.
• Place into a mold or serving dishes and chill for several hours or overnight.
• Serve with whipped cream if desired.

THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• For the Cake:.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Wrap the outside of an 8-inch spring form pan with a double layer of tin foil to prevent seepage.
• Butter the inside of the pan and cut a circle out of parchment paper the size of the bottom of the pan. Place it in and butter it too.
• Combine the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water (don't let it touch the bottom of the pot, it will scorch the chocolate). Stir until the chocolate and butter are smooth and lump free. You can also microwave the mixture on 100% or high. Make sure you stop and stir the mixture every 15 seconds; remove the chocolate when all the lumps are gone.
• Put the eggs in a large mixer bowl over simmering water and stir constantly until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes; remove from the heat. If using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until triple in volume and form soft peaks when the beater is lifted, 5-8 minutes. To ensure maximum volume when using a hand mixer continue to beat the eggs over simmering water until hot to the touch, about 5 minutes, then removed from heat until cool.
• Fold half the eggs into the melted chocolate until partially incorporated. Add the remaining eggs and fold until just blended but no streaks remain.
• Pour at once into your prepared spring form pan and smooth the surface with an off-set spatula. Place the spring form pan into a larger pan and carefully pour boiling water into the larger pan until the water is about 2/3 of the way up the side of the spring form pan. Don't get any water on the chocolate! This method of a water bath is often referred to as a "bain marie".
• Bake the cake for 5 minutes. Then cover the spring form pan loosely with lightly buttered tin foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 45 minutes; then cover it again and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours.
• To remove the cake from the spring form pan: Run a small spatula around the edge of the spring form until the sides of the cake come loose. Place the cake on a round plate that the cake fits nicely on and invert the plate and open the spring form pan up and remove from the cake. Remove the bottom metal part of the spring form pan and the parchment. Cover it again with tin foil and leave for another 6 hours or over night. It needs to be really chilled to set.
• If you are making the Ganache, set the cake on a metal rack and put wax paper under the cake (tuck strips). Pour the tepid glaze over the center of the cake and allow the ganache to dribble down the sides of the cake.
• Using a metal off set spatula run it around the top of the cake to ensure that the g.
• Ganache won't be too thick on the top. Patch any bare spots at this point. If any air holes occur, use a pin to break them. Remove the strips of wax paper from under the cake and let this stand undisturbed for 2-3 hours at room temperature, or 30 minutes in the fridge.
• Bon Appetit!

FROZEN WHITE CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325.
• Butter a 9-inch spring form pan with 2-3/4 inch high sides.
• Mix cookie crumbs with melted butter and press mixture evenly over bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan.
• Bake 6 minutes and cool on rack.
• Bring 1/2-cup cream to boil in medium saucepan and reduce heat to low.
• Add white chocolate and stir until smooth.
• Pour mixture into large bowl mix in liqueur and vanilla.
• Cool completely.
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves; boil until it reaches 238 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Gradually beat in boiling syrup.
• Continue beating until stiff peaks form and meringue is cool.
• Fold egg whites into white chocolate mixture in 2 additions.
• Beat 1-1/2 cups cream in large bowl to soft peaks then fold into other mixture.
• Pour into prepared crust, cover tightly with foil and freeze for at least 5 hours.
• Remove cake from freezer and run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.
• Release pan sides and cover the top with raspberries.
• Cut and serve.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE TANGERINE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom with parchment. Butter parchment. Dust pan with flour. Melt butter and chocolate in heavy large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs and ground nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with very moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on rack (cake will fall and crack).
• Release cake pan sides. Turn out cake onto work surface. Peel off parchment. Cut off outer 1/2-inch edge of cake. Clean cake pan. Reattach cake pan sides; brush sides of pan with vegetable oil. Set cake in center of pan (there will be space around cake that will be filled in with mousse). Refrigerate cake.
• For Mousse:
• Boil tangerine juice and sugar in heavy large saucepan until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice in small bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to soften.
• Add gelatin mixture to tangerine juice mixture and stir to dissolve. Add 14 ounces white chocolate and whisk over low heat just until melted. Whisk in sour cream. Pour into large bowl. Chill mixture until cool and thickened but not set, whisking occasionally, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Beat chilled whipping cream to stiff peaks. Fold into white chocolate mixture. Pour mousse over cake in pan, covering top and sides completely. Refrigerate cake overnight.
• Using vegetable peeler, shave 9 ounces white chocolate into thin curls (if white chocolate is too hard to shave, place briefly in warm place to soften slightly). Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Place cake on platter. Sprinkle chocolate curls over top of cake. Press more chocolate curls around sides of cake, covering completely. Place cocoa powder in fine sieve. Dust cocoa very lightly over chocolate curls. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Garnish cake with raspberries and mint sprigs. Serve cold.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Whisk eggs, sugar and Frangelico in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water); whisk constantly until mixture thickens and thermometer inserted into mixture registers 140°F. for 3 minutes, about 7 minutes total. Remove bowl from over water. Add white chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool completely, whisking occasionally. Beat cream in medium bowl to medium-firm peaks. Fold whipped cream into white chocolate mixture in 3 additions (mixture will be soft). Chill until spreadable, about 3 hours.

BON APPETIT'S CHOCOLATE CAKE W/CARAMEL-MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray.
• Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in vanilla.
• Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions.
• Beat in 1/2 cup lukewarm water.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Divide batter among prepared pans (about 2 1/3 cups for each).
• Smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 22 minutes.
• Cool completely in pans on racks.
• Invert cakes onto 9-inch-diameter cardboard rounds or tart pan bottoms (cakes are delicate).
• Peel off parchment.
• For frosting: Combine milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in large bowl.
• Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes.
• Carefully and slowly add whipping cream (mixture will bubble vigorously).
• Stir over low heat until any hard caramel bits dissolve and mixture is smooth.
• Pour caramel over chocolate; let stand 1 minute to allow chocolate to soften, then whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Chill chocolate-caramel frosting until completely cool, about 2 hours.
• Let stand 1 hour at room temperature before continuing.
• Using electric mixer, beat frosting just until color resembles milk chocolate and frosting is easily spreadable, about 1 minute (do not overbeat or frosting will become stiff and grainy).
• If necessary to correct graininess, set bowl with frosting over saucepan of simmering water for 10-second intervals, whisking just until frosting is smooth and spreadable.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter, flat side up.
• Spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top.
• Top with second cake layer, flat side up, pressing slightly to adhere.
• Spread 1 cup frosting over top.
• Top with third cake layer, rounded side up, pressing slightly.
• Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively.
• (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.).