Dark chocolate and meringue is one of the best flavors and textures combination in desserts. The bitterness of the dark chocolate (the more cocoa solids – the better) combines perfectly with the crunchiness and sweetness of the meringue.
This chocolate mousse cake may look plain, but it hides a meringue disc in its center and the decoration is made of meringue cookies. It’s festive, super chocolatey and simply delicious. It’s a great cake for special occasions and holidays, and would also be great for upcoming Passover.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Chocolate Mousse Cake with Meringue
For the crust:
- 200 grams plain biscuits or graham crackers (see notes for Passover version)
- 50 grams (3 tbsp.) melted butter
- 25 grams (1 heaping tablespoon) Nutella
For meringue insert and decoration:
- 3 egg whites (at room temperature)
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
- 100 grams (3/4 cup) sugar powder
For dark chocolate mousse:
- 2 grams (1/2 tsp.) gelatin powder
- 10 ml. (2 tsp.) water
- 200 ml. (3/4 cup) milk
- 50 ml. (1/4 cup) heavy cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- 20 gram (2 tbsp.) sugar
- 350 grams dark chocolate 53% cocoa solids
- 200 grams dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids
- 480 grams (2 cups) heavy cream
For chocolate ganache (optional):
- 200 grams dark chocolate (chopped)
- 200 ml. (3/4 cup) heavy cream
- 20 grams (1 tbsp.) glucose or golden syrup
- 10 grams (1 tbps.) soft butter
- Crust: grind the biscuit in a food processor to a fine powder.
- Add melted butter and Nutella and mix until blended. Transfer onto the bottom of the pan and tight in an even thin layer. Freeze for about 1/2 hour.
- Meringue: whisk the egg whites at high speed.
- When mixture gets a whitish foam texture, add the sugar and continue to whip for 10 minutes.
- Sift in the sugar powder and fold until incorporated.
- Spoon into pastry bag fitted with 8mm piping tip and drizzle 22 cm circle over an oven pan lined with baking paper. Drizzle the remaining meringue into “kisses” for decoration.
- Bake the meringues (base and kisses) at 100 degrees for 2-3 hours, or until completely dry.
- Chocolate mousse: in a small bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside for about 10 minutes at room temperature.
- In a medium bowl melt the chocolate in the microwave or over double-boiler.
- In a saucepan heat cream, milk and sugar to simmering point.
- In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks slightly. When milk mixture is boiling, add it in a thin stream into the yolks while whisking.
- Return the mixture into the pot over low heat and continue to cook on low-medium heat while stirring with a spatula, until it reaching a temperature of 82c degrees.
- Remove the mixture from heat. Melt the gelatin and add into the mixture while stirring. Strain the mixture over the melted chocolate and mix until blended.
- Whip the cream into a soft but stable whipped cream.
- Fold the whipped cream into chocolate mixture until the mixture is quite sparse.
- Remove the pan from the freezer, and pour in a little more than half amount of mousse.
- Place over the meringue base and pour the rest of the mousse over.
- Level the top with a spatula and freeze for about 4-5 hours (preferably overnight).
- Chocolate ganache: heat cream and golden syrup to a simmer.
- Pour the cream over dark chocolate and wait a minute. whisk the mixture until smooth and shiny.
- Add the soft butter and stir until the butter melts.
- Pour the ganache over the cake and chill until set.
- Remove the cake from the pan and garnish with meringue kisses.
- Refrigerate for 2-3 hours to defrost and serve.
- You can skip the chocolate ganache coating and simply sprinkle some cocoa powder on top.
- Keep the chocolate mousse cake in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- In Passover, use Passover vanilla cookies (Wine Cookies) in the same amount of the biscuits.