teacher by day - chef by night
Was one of your News Years Resolutions to “Make Healthier Eating Choices”? BUT – do you love Chocolate too much to give it up in the effort to eat healthier? Well… you are in luck, I have the perfect solution for you! These Chocolate Covered …
But, I am not sure I will ever be able to top this dessert though. This Chocolate Mousse cake is rich and decadent and sweet and moist and just perfect! Start with a mousse-like flour-less cake, top with a rich chocolate mousse, and finish the whole thing off with a white chocolate/peanut butter mousse. Throw on some extra chocolate shavings and you are in Cake Heaven!!
I have made Mousse Cups before and posted them last Christmas and at Mothers Day and for Thanksgiving I made adorable Pumpkin Pie Mousse Cups (those pictures were taken with another camera and have gone missing, Dan – do you have them?).
These are so easy and adorable, I figured “why not do them again”! I recently treated myself to a Wilton Silicone Tree Pan (in addition to my really cute Skull Ice Cube Tray and my Pumpkin Pan) I figure that now I just need a cute pan for every season to make these Chocolate Cups OR for Jello Jiggler Shots (or maybe even to bake in!?). I think you should do the same… so get yourself some cool silicone pans and whip up these treats to get that big ‘wow’ factor for just a little ‘effort’!
Melt the chocolate & shortening in the microwave (in microwave safe bowl) in 30 second intervals with the microwave at 50% power (should take about 2 – 3 minute total, mixing every time). Put about 1 Tablespoon of melted chocolate in each mold and paint it evenly all around using a paint brush (thick enough so it won’t break but not too thick because you really want the mouse to be the star). Place the mold in the refrigerator to set.
Dissolve the Cocoa Powder in the hot water and set aside. Melt the bittersweet chocolate in the same manner as before in the microwave. Once smooth and melted, set aside to cool for about 5 – 10 minutes. Beat your heavy cream (and sugar/salt) into whipped cream (about 3 minutes on medium high/high in the electric mixer). Carefully mix the (now chilled) chocolate/water into the whipped cream. Put about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate and whisk to lighten the chocolate. Then add the rest of the whipped cream and carefully fold together until smooth. Place in the refrigerator until ready to fill the cups.
The chocolate cups should pop right out of the silicone – if you do this carefully they come right out! These can be made far in advance (filled or empty!). When you are ready to assemble, allow the mousse to sit out for about 15 minutes to soften slightly. Fill the cups carefully with the mousse. These I made a flat top , but you could mound it too (you loose some of the shape of your mold that way). You could also top these with more melted chocolate to make them a closed/filled chocolate if that is what you were after.
Happy Hanukkah & Merry Christmas…
And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… what is your favorite “easy” but “wow” treat!?
Do you crave sweets?
Does the fact that you crave sweets lead you to have to buy larger pants?
Are you not willing to give up certain foods/flavors?
Can you promise me that you will at least try this before making a face?
Rich LOVES Whoopie Pies. His mom picks them up for him every time we have a trip to the lake & she gets them from a small Amish Bakery stand. The stakes were high so I have avoided making him Whoopie Pies for quite a …
My Dad’s Birthday was last week and Ice Cream Cake (the kind with real cake and without those little crunchy things) is one of his favorites – that and the Chocolate Mocha Cake that I made for his retirement.
Dad’s birthday should (and is) reason enough to celebrate – but we have another reason to celebrate here at Teacher by Day – Chef by Night!
One year ago: August 17, 2010 I posted my very first blog post. I have come so far in this year… taking the plunge getting pictures posted on FoodGawker, gaining readers, being willing to experiment more, and the list goes on.
Now I have to look to the next year! In the next year I hope to continue to get images posted on FoodGawker, increase my readership, gain sponsors, get my own URL, and most of all continue to experiment & have fun in my kitchen!
While we reflect on my goals and look forward to the year ahead, I give you:
Chocolate Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper (do not skip the paper on the pans).
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely & then freeze overnight or at least 2 hours to proceed with the cake.
I just used Store-Bought, you could make you own if you were feeling up to it! I used about 1/2 of a gallon – it was not quite enough, you should should at least 3/4 of a gallon or go all out and use the whole gallon! The better the quality Ice Cream you use the better your cake will be (look for the full-fat ones without additives like gum – the best ice cream is either homemade or made with just cream/sugar/eggs)
We were going for Mocha Cake so I used a layer of Coffee and a layer of Vanilla Ice Cream (so Mom could sleep and she just skipped on the Coffee). This would be awesome with whatever flavor Ice Cream you love (chocolate, mint chocolate chip, vanilla banana, etc)
Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting
Put your heavy cream into your mixer. Allow to get thick, then add your coffee/cocoa. Combine that fully. Once your Whipped Cream is almost thick – add your sugar. TASTE at this point and see what you think – add more sugar if you want it sweeter. Allow your whipped cream to get nice and thick with stiff peaks.
Bake Layers, Allow to Cool (completely – freeze for at 2 hours after they are cooled to help them firm up as well). When you put your layers in the freezer, wrapping each one in saran individually will allow for assembly to be the easiest. Also – make sure you have room in the freezer to stack all of these with a little wiggle room all around so there is a ‘safety zone’ once it is frosted!
Take your ice cream out of the freezer about 10 minute before you are ready to start. You want to put it into a seperate bowl so you can smoosh it around to make it smooth and ready to spread. Once you have a thick/spreadable Ice Cream take out your layers and place one on your cake platter (or your cardboard cake thing or whatever you make your cake on – I personally love to use the bottom of my springform pan!). Spread your ice cream onto the cake & top with another layer, pushing down to make it flat. Return to the freezer
About an hour later – repeat with the next layer of ice cream and top with your 3rd cake layer. Return this to the Freezer again. (now is a good time to make the whipped cream)
Take out your cake & ice it (haha – you are icing and ice cream cake!). I iced my cake in two steps, about 1/3 of the icing in a “crumb coat” but since it was frozen it didn’t really need it. Allowing the icing to set up for about 20 minutes in the freezer allowed me to get a much smoother top coat of my whipped cream on the cake. I top with some shaved chocolate, allowed to set again and then finally just piped some more whipped cream around the edge.
This cake is worth the time/effort that goes into it!
I hope that you have enjoyed my first year of blogging as much as I have – and if you are just visiting for the first time, I hope that you stick around and help me see where the next year will take us!
And I leave you with a Question… What suggestions/advice do you have for me as I enter my 2nd year with this blog?