Dancing yellow and orange entangle one another in a perpetual fight, sitting high atop a white, wax tower. Whispers fill the room. Carefully a hand is moved in front of the delicate flame, a shield from the wind as the candle lit treat is slowly, quietly carried into the next room. Mischievous eyes signal to other participating eyes. Smirks begin to pierce the lips of my brother and I. Our quiet, stealthy entrance is suddenly exposed with a boisterous belt from both brothers.

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear mommy. Happy birthday to you!” Surprise, excitement, a mom’s joy sweeps over the beautiful sixty-one year old face of my mother as my brother and I attempt to holler our way through the traditional birthday song.

“Make a wish!” We request as I set the candle topped chocolate mousse cake on a table in front of our mother.

A moment of silence falls on our small group. As I watch my mom conjure up some mysterious thought, I am instantly taken back to birthdays of my childhood, moments of silence when I tried to squeeze in as many elementary, material, silly wishes as I could before I would douse the flames with my own eager breath. I try and guess what my mother is wishing for; knowing her she is probably using her one free wish for the year on my brother and I. Knowing my mother, her wish is probably far from material or trivial.

She blows out the flame, a smile returning to her face as she thanks my brother and I for the sentiment. Hugs are exchanged before we each grab a fork. Quickly the once pristine cake is destroyed, devoured leaving but a few lone crumbs dotting the ivory plate.

The rich, decadent layers of chocolate, stacked carefully moments earlier, come together in a nuanced smorgasbord of chocolate flavors. Eyes roll back in the head as soft, airy mousse dissolves and gives way to a soft, cake chocolate base. A bite of just milk chocolate mousse is taken just before a bite of just dark chocolate mousse – each individual flavor savored on its own for a moment.

Is there any better way to celebrate life than with a deliciously rich and sweet chocolate dessert?

I suppose, out of fear of being sued, I should deliver the typical raw egg statement. You should not, under any circumstance, even if this cake is the best chocolate cake in the world and well worth the possibility of death, eat anything with raw eggs if you are pregnant, think you are pregnant, or very old or very young, or have some sort of autoimmune deficiency. That being said, the rest of us may enjoy this incredible, rich, chocolatey piece of perfection.

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Three Chocolate Mousse Cake

The idea for this cake was inspired by Martha Stewart. The recipes are adapted from a Bo Friberg recipe.

Difficulty:Intermediate – this recipe requires some patience and a bit of finesse when assembling.

Cake Base

Tools

8, 8 ounce ramekins
Mixer or large bowl and spoon
Muffin cup liners

Ingredients

4 ounces all purpose flour
1 1/2 ounce unsweetened cocoa powder
8 ounces sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup coffee, freshly brewed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line the ramekins with flattened muffin cup liners (or with round cuts of parchment paper. Butter the sides and bottom of the ramekins.

2.Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda & powder & salt) together.

3. Add the wet ingredients (milk, butter, coffee, vanilla and eggs) to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

4. Evenly pour the batter into the ramekins.

5. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out barely clean. Mine went for 24 minutes.

6. Cool the ramekins on a rack. While the cakes cool, you can prepare the mousse.

Milk Chocolate & Dark Chocolate Mousses

Tools

Stand mixer
2 large bowls
Spatula
Baine marie
8 15×3″ parchment paper rectangles
8 paper clips
Piping bag(s) and piping tip(s)
Icing spatula

Ingredients

3 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
4 ounces honey (I used orange blossom)
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 ounces milk chocolate
7 ounces dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2. Whip the egg yolks until they reach the ribbon stage.

3. Bring the honey just to the boiling point and then immediately pour the hot honey into the egg mixture while whipping the egg yolks at medium speed. Increase the speed to high and whip until the mixture is fluffy and completely cool, about 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Split the yolk and honey mixture in half into two separate bowls.

5. First melt the milk chocolate in a bain marie. Once the milk chocolate is completely melted – careful not to overheat it – mix it into one of the bowls with half of the yolk mixture. Work quickly as the mixture will thicken quickly. Add half of the whipped cream mixture and fold in the cream until the mousse is even. Set the milk chocolate aside in the refrigerator.

6. Repeat step five but with the dark chocolate, creating a second dark chocolate mousse.

Assembly

1. For assembly, remove each cake from its ramekin. Remove the paper lining and place the cake on a plate.  Wrap the cakes in the parchment paper so it creates a cylinder cup of sorts.

2. Evenly pipe the dark chocolate mousse into the parchment cups on the cake. Shake each plate a bit or use an icing spatula to spread the mousse out evenly if it doesn’t fall into place. Refrigerate a few minutes.

3. Repeat step 2 with the milk chocolate mousse.

4. Refrigerate the assembled cakes in the refrigerator for four hours or until set, making sure to leave the parchment paper cups in place. This will ensure it holds it shape.

Enjoy!