This cake has been a favorite of ours for a quite a few years. It takes some work and prep so it is more of a special occasion dessert. We’ve had it for birthdays, graduation, and often for holidays. We had it again on NYE so I thought I would share the recipe.
The cake starts with a chocolate almond cake base layer. That is covered with a layer of white chocolate mousse in which is then suspended a layer of raspberry jelly, followed by more white chocolate mousse and topped with milk chocolate ganache. This combination of flavors/textures is really perfection. We can never get enough of this cake.
This recipe might see a little daunting on first inspection since it has a lot of components, but each component is actually pretty easy to make and you make this cake over a few days, so you are only making one or two components on the same day.
This cake sits well in the fridge and you can finish it ahead of time and have it sitting and ready to serve. Don’t be afraid to give this cake a try. You will not regret it! It is so delicious and feels special so it is a great way to mark any special occasion.
White Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry and Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 large eggs
- 5 egg yolks
- 6 oz crumbled almond paste
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 oz butter melted
For the raspberry jelly layer:
- 2 12 oz bags frozen raspberries
- 3 tsp unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup sugar
For the white chocolate mousse:
- 12 oz good quality white chocolate bars not chips
- 6 tbsp water
- 1 1/2 envelopes powdered gelatin
- 3 3/4 cups heavy cream divided
For the glaze:
- 2 oz good quality milk chocolate bar
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the cake (day 1):
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray just the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper (just the bottom).
- In a stand mixer, combine the eggs, yolks, almond paste, and powdered sugar and mix on medium high until well combined and light in color. There will be some small lumps of almond paste left and that is ok, just make sure it mixes until there are no large lumps.
- Add the flour, cocoa and sugar and mix until combined.
- Add the butter and mix until combined again.
- Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and bake for about 8-10 minutes until just set when you lightly tap the top. Leave in the pan to cool completely and once cool wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until day 2.
For the raspberry jelly (day 1):
- Line a 7 inch cake pan, cake ring set on a cookie sheet, or springform pan with plastic wrap. Heat berries in a sauce pan with the sugar until well broken down. Put through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and catch puree in a bowl.
- Combine the gelatin with the water in a small dish and microwave for 15 seconds to melt it and stir. Add to the raspberry puree and mix well. Pour into the plastic wrap lined pan and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer until day 2.
For the chocolate mousse (day 2):
- Using a sauce pan with an inch of water with a heat safe bowl set over it, create a double boiler on the stove and heat the water to simmering and reduce to low heat. Add the white chocolate to the bowl and stir slowly as it melts. You need to do this carefully as white chocolate is easy to seize up if you heat it too hot. As soon as most of the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and keep stirring until it is all melted.
- Add the water and gelatin to a small bowl and microwave for 15 seconds until liquid and stir.
- In another small pot on the stove, heat 3/4 cup of cream until boiling and then immediately remove from heat. Stir the gelatin into the hot cream.
- Add this mixture to the melted white chocolate and stir with a spatula until it comes together. Set aside and allow to cool until it there is only a hint of warmth left.
- Whip the remaining 3 cups of cream to stiff peaks. Fold half of the whipped cream into the cooled white chocolate and mix until combined. Fold in the rest, being sure to be gentle and not deflate the cream.
Assemble the cake (day 2):
- Remove the cake from the fridge and unwrap the pan. Leave the cake in the springform pan. Also remove the raspberry layer from the freezer and unwrap it.
- Spread 1/2 of the mousse over the cake base, filling the pan about halfway. Take the raspberry disk and place it on top of the cake and mousse. Finish filling up the pan with the rest of the mousse and level the top with an offset spatula.
- Place the cake the fridge for an hour to allow the mousse to set, then cover with plastic wrap. Place back in the fridge for at least a few hours, or you can freeze it at this point for up to a week.
For the glaze (day 2):
- Break chocolate into pieces in a bowl. Heat the cream until very hot and pour over the chocolate. Start with 1/2 the cream because you won't need it all. Continue to mix cream into the melting chocolate until you have a ganache that is smooth and a little thicker than cream. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so.
- Unhook the springform slip and slowly slide the cake out of the pan. If you have a kitchen torch, warming the sides of the pan first help it slide out more cleanly. Place the cake on a wire rack over a pan to catch drips. Slowly pour the ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip over the sides.
- Place uncovered in the fridge until ready to serve.