Recipes
Mirror Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling

Sweet Things

Mirror Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling
Every Easter, we bake a new cake and decorate it to match the family tablescape. This year, we are going all out casual with a hand sewn nearly 100-year-old quilt used as a tablecloth, a vintage cake server, vintage berry bowls, an American-made cake stand, men's shirting fabric blue and white striped napkins, and white dishes for serving. It feels so nostalgic! We are the go-all-out with the baskets kind of family with many fond memories made around who found the golden egg, and because my family is bound together by food, the meals over the years were simply the best.

Julia, our on-staff extraordinary pastry school graduate, introduced me to this shiny pink cake with its Easter egg marbled glaze; I had to make it. It was a new technique for me, exciting and so lovely. We made moist chocolate cake and filled it with chocolate mousse (a white cake with lemon curd or raspberry sauce would also be on point). Then, the big reveal, we began mixing up the mirror glaze. It turned out far easier to make than my nerves had imagined. In under 15 minutes, the cake was glazed and ready for its place as the centerpiece of our celebration of food, family, and pretty in pink pastel color!
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cuisine American
difficulty Challenging
season Year Round
serves 12

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE

  • 125 grams cake flour
  • 20 grams cocoa powder
  • 2 grams kosher salt
  • 4 grams baking powder
  • 2 grams baking soda
  • 74 grams vegetable shortening
  • 167 grams granulated sugar
  • 84 grams whole milk, room temperature
  • 2 grams pure vanilla extract
  • 63 grams whole milk, room temperature
  • 84 grams eggs

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MOUSSE FILLING

  • 585 grams high-quality chocolate, melted
  • 650 grams heavy cream
  • 30 grams water, as needed
  • 147 grams granulated sugar
  • 24 grams corn syrup
  • 173 grams egg yolk
  • 87 grams whole egg

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GLAZE

  • 8.5 grams gelatine
  • 50 grams water, for blooming
  • 130 grams glucose
  • 130 grams granulated sugar
  • 65 grams water
  • 85 grams condensed milk
  • 130 grams high-quality white chocolate
  • Food coloring gel paste

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Prepare an 8" round cake tin: spray with baking spray and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Spray the top of the parchment.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add the shortening and the 84 grams of milk.
  4. Use the paddle attachment to mix on low speed for 7 minutes. Stop every minute to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  5. Whisk 84 grams milk, vanilla, and eggs together until well combined.
  6. While the mixer is running, add 1/3 of the egg mixture. Mix to combine. Turn machine off and scrape down sides of the bowl. Repeat twice more. Mix for an additional 5 minutes.
  7. Fill the prepared pan. Tap the tin on the counter to release any large air bubbles that may have formed in the batter.
  8. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake's center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
  9. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn the cooled cake onto a wire wrap to cool completely.
  10. Slice the cake in half through its equator.
  11. Spread 3/4" of the chocolate mousse over the bottom layer of the cake. Place the top back on the cake.
  12. At this point, the cake may be wrapped and frozen for up to two weeks (the cake must be completely frozen before adding the mirror glaze).

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

  1. Prepare a double boiler. Melt the chocolate and then set it aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Set aside.
  3. In a small pot, add a couple tablespoons of water, the sugar, and the corn syrup to create a wet sand. Turn the heat to medium, brush down the sides of the pot with water, to avoid the formation of crystals. Do not stir.
  4. Heat the sugar mixture to 240 degrees F. (soft ball stage).
  5. Add the egg yolk and eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk on low speed.
  6. With the mixer running, begin pouring the sugar mixer in a steady stream down the side of the bowl with the eggs mixture. Turn the mixture up to high speed and whip until the mixture triples in volume, about 5 minutes.
  7. Once the mixture is cooled to room temperature, add the 60 grams of chocolate to temper the mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Add the remaining melted chocolate and mix well.
  8. Using a spatula, dollop 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mixture and fold until incorporated. Repeat twice more.
  9. Wrap the cooled cake and place the cake in the freezer.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE GLAZE

  1. Pour the gelatin into a bowl and hydrate with 50 grams of water, stirring constantly so it remains lump free.
  2. Add the the sugar, glucose, and 65 grams of water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt, watching closely until the temperature reaches 217 degrees F.
    Add the white chocolate, stir well until completely melted.
  3. Add the condensed milk, stir well, and add the gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved.
    Strain through a mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
  4. Add color a dot at a time and stir by hand adding dots of the food gel paste until it reaches the desired color. Let the mixture cool to between 90 to 95 degrees F.

CAKE ASSEMBLY

  1. Remove the cake from the freezer and place on plate that can catch excess glaze.
  2. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread an even layer on top of and around the cake, working as quickly as possible--if you want the marbled effect, avoid too many passes with the offset spatula.
  3. Let the glaze set for 30 minutes. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Store leftover cake in the refrigerator (the glaze will become more opaque but will still taste delicious).

Kitchen Notes

While adding the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture, combine the first 1/3 of the cream quickly to prevent the chocolate from seizing and creating chocolate chips in the finished mousse. A dot of food coloring paste goes a long way, and it is easier to add than to take it away--go slower than ever when mixing color. AmeriColor soft food gel paste never expires and has an infinite color palette.
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