Double Chocolate Mousse Cake
For this week’s French Friday’s with Dorie recipe, Dorie stick’s Monsieur Michel Rostang‘s name on this lovely chocolate mousse cake. My mother unfortunately is not named but she should be as she makes a nearly identical treat evey Christmas Eve and has for decades. Her simple, elegant interpretation of Busche de Noël at Christmas Eve dinner is by far one of our best traditions. Essentially it is this dessert but baked in a sheet pan and rolled up with Chantilly Cream and dusted with powdered sugar. The chocolate flavor is quite intense and no further adornment by way of cute frosting molded to look like bark is necessary.
M. Rostang’s innovation deserving of name-in-the-title recognition therefore has nothing to do with creating the flavors or ingredients here but rather suggesting the form factor. (If I served Dorie meatloaf in a round pan would it would become Sis Boom’s Meatloaf Pie? I hope so!) I do have to hand it to Michel as those not in my family will be quite happy to enjoy this dish see any time of year as I will be serving it. I will not be serving this dish to actual members of my family. Traditions are traditions, right?
And since we are handing out credit today I will also have to give Dorie her due for over-complicating this one. Her recipe calls for pouring the moussey, chocolatey, cakebatter into a ring from spring-form pan resting on the baking sheet. WTF? I just knew this would be trouble the comments and complaints about batter seeping out of the ring from the Doristas bear this out. There is no reason why the full springform pan can’t be used by buttering a round of parchment into the bottom with the cake pan resting directly on the oven rack while baking.
That’s what Mom would do.
It looks beautiful! And I definitely agree about the over-complication of this one… 🙂
Too funny. I would definitely put the bottom in & parchment in if I re-make this…
AWw, but any chance I get to practice my lashing skills in the kitchen is a good thing, right? But seriously, no amount of string would have prevented the leaks I had, and it was too cold to run to the shop for the baling wire….
Yours looks wonderful, and your mother’s sounds heavenly. Next time I think I’ll bake the bottom a bit more, and then still serve it warm. Maybe a bit more contrast?
A little fussy with the bake, chill, bake (chill), but it was pretty tasty. I’m glad you liked yours.
The cake looks lovely. And I see that Non-Bigoted Ice Cream is getting cozy with it, so it is probably in possession of inner virtue as well.
-bg
I thought the whole don’t use the bottom of the pan was odd too. I also completely ignored that advice. It looks like you got some nice cracks on the top too.
I wholeheartedly agree about the overcomplication of this recipe. However, I’m intrigued by your mother’s Busche de Noël because I was eyeing a recipe from Nigella Lawson’s cookbook, Nigella Christmas. I still may tackle that one soon, despite Christmas being over!
yah… seriously… what is the point of the no bottom with this dish. Maybe to make it sound unique. Your cake looks devine and do post mama recipe come the holidays! B:)
Wow, yours looks just like the photo in the cookbook! Lovely! I read the P&Q section of the FFwD boards before I made the cake, and a lot of the bakers were griping about the ooze. Dorie chimed in with a sweet apology and told us to use the whole pan…
Your cake looks really nice, even if the recipe was overcomplicated. I agree; it could have been much clearer and more straightforward.
My, my. Biting the hand that feeds your blog. Why didn’t you just bake it in the box that the instant brownies came in? I can tell your cake is not made from scratch. Now THAT would be uncomplicated – and more your style. I even forgot to close my springform pan – and it didn’t leak. The mousse gods were friendly I guess. It’s a lovely Betty Crocker Brownie though – nicely done (or baked, I should say), in the microwave.
Thanks for your comment – made my day!
I think yours looks amazing – I definitely need to get myself a 8″ pan.
Mama always knows best! I didn’t have a problem with leakage with my ring. I so enjoy reading your perspective. Your interpretation of Dorie’s interpretation of Michel’s cake looks great!
So beautiful! Your mousse is absolutely gorgeous. Even though I didn’t get a chance to bake it this week, I’m definitely going to make it soon. (With the bottom of the springform pan!)
I think mike should refrain from drinking and blog surfing… just sayin’.
Hmm, doesn’t look a brownie I ever saw!! Lol. That Mike must have a magic springform pan! Mine leaked too … didn’t make a difference really except the bit that leaked out burned. Looks lovely!!xoxo
I think I enjoyed re-reading your post through again this time as much as I did the first time, Trevor. I enjoy your writing style so much as well as the fabulous cooking and baking you do and that is why I have awarded you a “Stylish Blogger Award” via my blog. 🙂
Trevor, I wish I had followed my instincts and inserted the bottom of the pan, too. Instead, I ended up with such a mess that I couldn’t bear to blog about it! My Chicken B’stilla, on the other hand, is stunning!
I like your mom’s instincts, use the parchment. GREG
Mon Dieu!!! Does that look unbelievably good! I’m a chocoholic at heart. What I would do for a piece!!!
I wrote to Julia Childs once and asked her for a flourless fudgy creation of hers, never thinking she would reply. I still have her letter and recipe. Boy! That woman could talk, even her letter was long winded. This remnds me of her recipe. It was awesome.
Great job again Trevor, you’re a master, at photography too!