Chocolate Mousse Cake

Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday, dear meeeeeeee. Happy birthday to me!

For my birthday, I thought I would change things up a bit. Instead of having you give me a present, I will give you a present! Here you go:

(I picked it out myself, and I hope you like it!)

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CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

CAKE:

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups hot, brewed coffee
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Preheat your oven to 300. 
2. Grease two 9 by 2 inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with wax or parchment paper. Grease the top of the paper, and then flour the pan.
3. Finely chop the the chocolate. Mix it in with the coffee. Let the mixture stand until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, stir occasionally.
4. Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. 
5. In your mixer bowl, beat the eggs until thickened slightly (about 3 minutes in an electric mixture). They should be lemon colored.
6. Slowly add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate/coffee mixture to the eggs until it is just combined well.
7. Add the dry mix and beat on medium speed until it is just combined well.
8. Divide the batter between the pans. Bake in the middle of the oven until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about an hour.
9. Let the cake completely cool on a cooling rack.
10. For this recipe, you only need one of the cakes. You can wrap the other cake (out of the pan) tightly and store it in the freezer for later. If you want to use both cakes, you will have to double the mousse recipe.

MOUSSE:

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
• 1 Tbsp. cold water
• 2 Tbsp. boiling water
• 1/2 sugar
• 1/4 cocoa powder
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. In a cup, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it sit for one minute. 
2. Add the boiling water and stir until all of the gelatin is completely dissolved.
3. Mix the sugar and the cocoa together in a medium bowl. Add the whipping cream and the vanilla.
4. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is stiff, occasionally scraping the bottom of the bowl. 
5. Pour in the gelatin mixture that you prepared ahead of time and beat it until it is well blended.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Invert the cooled cake onto your serving dish. 
2. Thickly spread the mousse over the top of the cake.
3. Optional: Drizzle melted chocolate and sprinkle chocolate chips over the deliciousness. 
4. Enjoy!

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Let them eat cake!
Katie