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Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake. Or you could just call it mmm cake because it is so delicious it really needs no extra description. Okay fine if you need more of a description, here it is: Moist mocha-flavored chocolate olive oil cake, layered with rich and creamy chocolate mousse, and topped with fluffy white marshmallow frosting. This is totally perfect for Valentine’s Day, or someone’s birthday, or a Thursday because this is exactly what you’ve been craving, and then you make it and it is exactly what you’ve dreamed, and then it becomes dinner, and then you don’t log anything in My Fitness Pal the rest of the day because you certainly ate 5,000 calories today. How’s that for a description?

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

This is not an easy cake. Well, the cake part is easy. The mousse and the frosting require a bit more kitchen skill. You can definitely accomplish this cake and you’ll be so excited. Just know that it will take some extra effort, time and patience.

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

Mocha Olive Oil Cake. Wow. I have seen people making olive oil cake for a very long time, and honestly, I thought it sounded not so great. David had some at a hippy dippy healthy restaurant recently and I thought it was just okay. So I’ve never really tried making or eating olive oil cake. I went to make this cake the other day, and because we just moved, I didn’t have any neutral oil to use. I thought about using melted butter because that is amazing, but I was going to use the butter in the mousse and the frosting so I decided against the butter, silly I know. (I actually didn’t end up using butter in any part of this recipe!) So I turned to the internet. I Googled olive oil cakes and read a few different people’s opinions on what olive oil brings to a cake. I decided I would give it a try. Also, I wanted to make cake, not drive to the store. The olive oil definitely brings a little something extra to the overall flavor profile. Coffee also brings a little something to chocolate. So these three flavors combined caused even my non-chocolate-lover of a fiancee to say that this cake was very tasty. He said, “It’s better than any chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. There’s a better flavor past the chocolate, but I don’t know what it is.” SCORE! (Its the coffee and the olive oil.)

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

Chocolate Mousse Cake Filling. I mean, it’s chocolate and cream and sugar and delicious! After I whipped this into shape, I tasted it, and so badly wanted to just spoon it into ramekins and eat it all by itself. I had a job to do, and that was to make a beautiful cake, so instead I just ate several spatula-fulls of the mousse and then used the rest for the cake. This mousse stays soft, even after some time in the refrigerator, so I really like this version for a cake filling.

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

Marshmallow Frosting! Oh yeahhhhh! This is actually an Italian Meringue, which is the most stable sort of meringue, but I have always thought it tastes like marshmallows, so that’s what we’re calling it. Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake sounds so much better than Mocha Mousse Meringue Cake, right? Right. I also ate several spatulas of frosting before, during, and after the frosting of this cake. This will take quite a bit of time and patience to make, but it is so completely worth it! There is something so therapeutic about slowly mixing all the ingredients together while watching Dance Moms and eating Chocolate Cake crumbs off the counter. Really though, the effort is worth it, and I think the effort it takes to make things like this just help them to become that much more special and delicious.

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

Take your time in the kitchen. Read the recipes fully before beginning. You can even make the chocolate cakes and the mousse a day ahead of time so that you are doing less all at once. You really could even layer those two together, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator overnight. Then all you have to do before serving is patiently make the frosting. The frosting should be used immediately after whipping, but the frosted cake can stand at room temperature for several hours.

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake

It's all in that delicious title!

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/4 cup instant espresso powder
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs

For the Mousse:

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

For the Marshmallow Frosting:

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 6 large egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round baking pans.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Measure the milk into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup and whisk in the espresso powder to dissolve.
  4. Add the milk, olive oil, and vanilla to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined (you can also use an electric or stand mixer).
  5. Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Continue to whisk until the batter is smooth and glossy.
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.
  7. Cool the cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. When the cakes are completely cool, place one on a cake stand, spread half of the mousse on it in an even layer, top with the second cake, and top with the remaining mousse. Smooth the mousse on top of the cake and place the cake in the fridge to chill while you make the marshmallow frosting.
  9. Use the marshmallow frosting to make a crumb coating, and then frost the entire cake with the marshmallow frosting. If desired, use a kitchen torch to lightly toast parts of the frosting.

For the Mousse:

  1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator.
  2. In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until it is pale and thick, about 7 minutes. The temperature should reach 160F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  3. In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate. Use a spatula to fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture (do this by hand. Do not use the electric mixer.)
  4. Use the same spatula to fold in the whipped cream, and store the mousse in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use.

For the Marshmallow Frosting:

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, water, and vanilla. Bring to a boil and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches soft ball stage, 235F, on a candy thermometer.
  2. While the sugar is coming to a boil, beat the egg whites and vanilla in the bowl of a standing mixer until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
  3. Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Boil until the mixture reaches 235F, or soft ball stage, on a candy thermometer.
  4. With the mixer running at medium speed, very slowly drizzle the sugar mixture into the eggs. Continue to mix until you have used all the sugar mixture, and the frosting is thick, smooth, and glossy. Use immediately to frost a cake.
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