Chocolate Mousse Cake

Step 1

First, preheat the oven to 325 and spray a 6” round springform pan with cooking spray.

Step 2

Dice the butter into equal pieces, and place in a bowl with the sugar and cocoa powder. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stop, stir, and microwave for another 30 seconds.

Step 3

Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave, and stir the salt and vanilla in briefly to cool the mixture. Stir the mixture for about a minute to cool off the butter. Then, add the egg and mix well.

Step 4

Sprinkle the flour on top, and then stir vigorously for 50 strokes, using a wooden spoon. This activates the gluten and makes your brownies so chewy!

Step 5

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, and bake on a small sheet pan for 24-28 minutes. It’s okay for the brownie to stay a little gooey in the middle.

Step 6

Let the brownie cool completely; you can make this a day ahead of time.

Step 7

Next, make the mousse: beat the egg with the sugar for about 2-3 minutes, until it’s pale yellow and foamy.

Step 8

Beat in 1/2 cup of the heavy cream just for a few seconds to combine. Pour everything into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and place over medium heat.

Step 9

Stir constantly while the mixture starts to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Do not let it boil or simmer. It will start to coat the back of a spoon when its thickened. Remove from heat.

Step 10

Add the chopped chocolate to the pan, and cover. Let sit undisturbed for 1 minute.

Step 11

Remove the lid, and whisk very well to dissolve the chocolate.

Step 12

Pour this mixture into a bowl and chill it for about an hour. It will start to firm up.

Step 13

About an hour before you want to serve, beat the remaining 1/2 cup of cream in a clean bowl until soft peaks are just starting to form.

Step 14

Remove the chocolate mixture from the fridge, and break it up into bite-sized pieces. Begin adding these chocolate mixture pieces to the bowl while beating the cream. After a few minutes, everything should be homogenous and fluffy.

Step 15

Add the vanilla extract to the mixture, and beat just to combine.

Step 16

Scrape the mousse on top of the brownie in the springform pan and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Step 17

When ready to serve, pop open the springform pan, place one hand under the pan and let the rim of the pan fall around your arm.

Step 18

Slice the cake into 4 to 6 even slices, top with shaved chocolate or Godiva G cubes and serve.