Chocolate cakes are probably the most amazing things in life. I personally cannot live without them. And this gorgeously rich cake is chocolate heaven! Lemon and nutmeg are a surprising and amazingly delicious addition that makes this cake standout. It’s also very versatile: you can skip the lemon and nutmeg and go 100% chocolate or substitute them with strawberry or raspberry jam. How about a cinnamon and orange version? I think I’m going to try that one! Whichever option you choose, enjoy it to the max!
Chocolate cake
- 120 gr egg yolks
- 150 gr flour
- 20 gr cocoa
- 240 gr egg whites
- 180 gr sugar
Chocolate mousse
- 500 ml double cream
- 90 gr sugar
- 50 ml water
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 220 gr dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Lemon jelly
- 250 ml lemon juice or 150 ml lemon juice and 100 ml water for a less sharp jelly
- 80 gr sugar
- 2 teaspoons agar agar
For the decoration
- 100 gr dark chocolate
- White chocolate
Directions
- Start with the jelly. Heat the lemon juice (and water, if using) until 40ºC. Add the sugar and agar agar and bring to a boil. Line a container of 22×14 cm with cling film. Pour in the lemon mixture and refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven at 180ºC.
- For the cake, whisk the egg yolks with a fork.
- Sieve the flour and cocoa powder.
- Whip the egg whites until they turn stiff. Gradually add the sugar and keep whisking until peaks start to form.
- Carefully whisk in the egg yolks and gently fold in the flour and cocoa.
- Line a baking tray with baking parchment, large enough to make 2 layers of 25 cm by 17 cm. Put the batter in an icing bag and draw equal lines on the parchment. (Alternatively you can make two separate layers on two parchments)
- Bake the cake 15 minutes. Take out and leave to cool.
- Prepare the mousse. Bring the sugar and water to boil, on medium heat. Once the syrup reaches 105ºC, remove from the heat.
- Whip the egg yolks and egg. While whipping, gradually and slowly add the sugar syrup. Increase the speed and whip until creamy and fluffy.
- Chop the chocolate and melt it in a bain-marie. Remove from the eat when it reaches 45ºC.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks.
- Add the melted chocolate to the egg cream and nutmeg, mix well and fold in the whipped cream. You should get a silky, soft and consistent mousse.
- Build up the cake using a rectangular form of 25 cm by 17 cm. Begin with a first layer of cake, place the jelly on it and cover with half of the mousse. Top with the second layer of cake. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Put the rest of the mousse in a piping bag and put in the freezer about 30 minutes. (You can skip this step if you’re not decorating the cake with a piping bag. See step 18)
- Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie. Take the cake out the cake and carefully pour the chocolate and spread equally. Put back in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
- To complete the cake, pipe the rest of the mousse top cover the top and finish off with some white chocolate shavings.
- If you don’t feel comfortable decorating the cake with the mousse, simply spread the rest equally on top. In this case, you can skip step 15.
