Sister's Birthday - Chestnut Mousse Cake

Last Sunday was my sister's birthday.

I made her a birthday cake, a chestnut mousse cake.

I wasn't happy with the decoration so no picture of the birthday cake was taken.

The cake is delicious with an intense aroma of chestnut, & the texture is very smooth.

To satisfy myself, I made a few petit ones & also try out the new silicone mould I bought a while ago.

I really love making petit ones, much easier to decorate with.

Recipe (8'' round):

Chocolate cake:

2 eggs

35g sugar

25g plain flour

8g cocoa powder

15g sunflower oil

18g milk

Grease a 8'' round baking pan & preheat oven to 180'C.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with 10g of sugar until pale & fluffy, then fold in the sunflower oil.

Mix & sieve the flour & cocoa powder, then mix with the egg yolks & fold in the milk.

In another bowl, whisk egg whites & remaining sugar in 3 portions until stiff & fluffy, gently fold in the chocolate batter.

Pour in the prepared ban & bake for 20 - 25 min.

Remove from the oven & cool on a wire rack.

Chestnut mousse:

200g unsweetened chestnut puree

95g milk

25g sugar

130g whipping cream

10g gelatine

140g whipping cream

Mix everything except the 140g whipping cream, heat & stir until smooth, then set aside to cool.

Whisk up the whipping cream & fold with the chestnut batter.

White chocolate chestnut mousse:

30g white chocolate

30g whole cooked chestnuts (chopped)

160g whipping cream

15g milk

2g gelatine

Melt chocolate with milk over simmering water, then add gelatine & stir until dissolve.

Whisk the whipping cream to soft peaks, fold in the chocolate batter & the chopped chestnuts.

Assembling:

For 8'' round cake:

Place the cake in a 8'' round mousse ring, pipe the chestnut mousse then refrigerate to set.

Pipe the white chocolate chestnut mousse on top & refrigerate to set.

Remove the cake from the mousse ring, then decorate as you like or simply cut & serve.

For hemisphere mini cakes (3''):

Bake the chocolate cake in a large baking pan, cut into 2'' round cake bases after cooling.

Carefully pipe the chestnut mousse into the mould, leave a hole in the middle & then refrigerate to set.

Remove from the fridge, pipe the white chocolate chestnut mousse in the middle, cover with the cakes & refrigerate to set.

Remove from the mould, then decorate with chestnut or as you like & serve with chocolate sauce.