Black Tie Mousse Cake

Along with the breadsticks and Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden, this is my most ordered and most looked-forward-to part of my meal. When I heard that this month's Cooking Club theme with my MOMS Club was Chocolate Iron Chef, I knew that this dessert would be my dish. This is so good it's not even funny. I try to ignore the fact that one slice is an entire daily allowance of fat.

If you're looking for an easy recipe, this is the wrong one for you. This is a 4 layer cake and takes quite a bit of work. If you are willing to put in 4 or 5 hours, this is so so worth it!

Ingredients

Cake layer

1 box deviled food cake mix

Mousse layer

1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp boiling water
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
4oz cream cheese, cubed
3/4 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp sugar

Custard layer
3 egg yolks
1/4 c sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing layer
1 1/2 c heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
18 oz semisweet chocolate chips


Directions
Cake layer
Prepare cake according to package directions. Let cool and cut in half. Press into the bottom of a springform pan.

Mousse layer
Melt chocolate and cream cheese together, then let cool. Add cold water to gelatin and let sit for 1 minute before adding boiling water. Stir until dissolved and clear, the let cool. Whip cream and sugar together. Once the cream starts to thicken, add the gelatin and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Add 1/4 of the cream to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly. Fold in the remaining cream, spread over the cake layer, and put in the freezer to set while you prepare the custard layer.

Custard layer
Beat egg yolks until pale. Beat in sugar, flour and gelatin until well mixed. Bring cream and vanilla extract to a boil. (Be careful not to burn!) Slowly add cream mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour entire mixture through a strainer back into the pan and cook until custard begins to thicken. Cool slightly, pour over the mousse layer, and return to freezer to set while you prepare the icing layer.

Icing layer
Bring butter and cream to a boil, pour over chocolate, and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, and let cool and harden a bit. Remove the cake from the freezer, and remove the collar from the springform pan. Cover top & sides with icing and sprinkle the top with extra chocolate chips. Refrigerate until set and then serve. Enjoy!

Notes

• Eat this responsibly. Friends don't let friends eat half a cake in less than a week!

Source
RecipeZaar