Chocolate Mousse Cream Filling
I've been looking for a good, rich chocolate mousse filling that doesn't involve egg yolks. I didn't like any of the recipes here so I found an old recipe from Bon Appetit that was originally for Mocha and adapted it for chocolate. I used it to fill a Darn Good Chocolate Cake w/Chocolate Syrup Frosting and everyone said it was truly a death by chocolate combination. Be sure to use good quality chocolate! This is a very rich, creamy and intensely chocolate filling. You can also serve this separately as a mousse.
I've been looking for a good, rich chocolate mousse filling that doesn't involve egg yolks. I didn't like any of the recipes here so I found an old recipe from Bon Appetit that was originally for Mocha and adapted it for chocolate. I used it to fill a Darn Good Chocolate Cake w/Chocolate Syrup Frosting and everyone said it was truly a death by chocolate combination. Be sure to use good quality chocolate! This is a very rich, creamy and intensely chocolate filling. You can also serve this separately as a mousse.
- Carbohydrate 58.7372334878242 g
- Cholesterol 45.795 mg
- Fat 42.8947117275903 g
- Fiber 5.44986568821642 g
- Protein 8.85827428573451 g
- Saturated Fat 26.043253332015 g
- Serving Size 1 1 cup (179g)
- Sodium 938.015842623542 mg
- Sugar 53.2873677996078 g
- Trans Fat 2.41578383091741 g
- Calories 600 calories
Step-by-step
- For cholocate - (I use Lindt 70% bittersweet but 50% or 60% is ok too – do not recommend using the 85%)
- Whipping cream - do not use heavy whipping cream
- Melt chocolate and butter over medium-low ehat until melted and smooth. Set aside.
- Sitr 1/2 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp. water in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves.
- Increase heat and boil syrup without stirring until candy thermometer registers 240 degreesF, tilting pan to submerge bulb – about 4 minutes.
- Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks.
- Gradually beat hot syrup into whites. Continue beating until medium stiff peaks form about 3 minutes.
- Fold 1/3 egg white/sugar mixture into lukewarm chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining egg whites with chocolate mixture. Set aside.
- Combine 1 1/2 cups whipping cream and powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold into chocolate/egg white mixture to form mousse. Make sure ingredients are well blended by folding.
- Cover and refrigerate about 4 hours. If using as a filling, make sure to take mousse out of refrigerator for about 30 minutes so it is easier to spread.
- Can be made 2 days ahead.
- Makes about 4 cups of mousse. It will easily fill two 9 or 10 inch rounds with some leftover.
- To firm the mousse you do need to refrigerate it. I’ve then used it as a filling, let it settle and frosted it and covered in fondant without putting it back into the refrigerator.
Incorporating a hot sugar syrup directly into whipped egg whites cooks the protein gently while building structural stability without a single yolk. Historical French techniques often relied on this exact method, known as an Italian meringue base, to give mousses and buttercreams a glossy sheen and a resilient texture that holds its shape between cake layers. Bittersweet chocolate ranging between fifty and seventy percent cocoa solids provides the optimal balance of fat and bitterness here. When melting the chocolate and butter together, keep the heat at medium-low to prevent scorching the cocoa solids, which ruins the emulsion. Whipping cream must be chilled thoroughly before beating with powdered sugar to ensure the fat droplets trap air effectively.
Achieving Structural Stability
Folding requires a deliberate, sweeping motion from the bottom of the bowl upward to preserve the air incorporated into both the meringue and the cream. Lighter elements deflate rapidly if stirred aggressively, leaving a dense syrup rather than a billowy suspension. Resting the finished mixture in the refrigerator for four hours allows the cocoa butter to set completely, yielding a firm spreadable consistency. Ambient kitchen temperatures matter immensely during assembly; cold ingredients shear apart easily, whereas properly tempered components bond smoothly. For advance preparation, store the covered bowl up to two days ahead without losing volume.
- Grainy texture indicates the sugar syrup crystallized; monitor the temperature closely with a candy thermometer reaching 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Separated or greasy mousse results from overheating the chocolate and butter mixture during the initial melting phase.
- Runny filling usually stems from incorporating whipped cream while the chocolate base remains too warm.
