Totally Mint! Peppermint Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake

Here at Peppermint Teal, we're all about the mint and how anyone couldn't love the fantastic flavour combination of mint and chocolate, we just don't know. So for the the first Wake Me Up Before Your Cacao post for the new look, newly named Peppermint Teal.

This unapologetically decadent mousse cake which is no doubt a chocoholics dream come true, has a slightly chewy, minty chocolate cookie base and is topped with a velvety rich chocolate truffle mouse, and finished off with white chocolate shavings. It does freeze well so can definitely be made quite well in advance if you've got an important event coming up and want to cut back on some of the last minute rushing around. And while you might be tempted to scoff the lot and not share, we wouldn't recommend that - as delicious as it is!

PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE MOUSSE CAKE

Serves: 12

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

INGREDIENTS

BASE:

350G chocolate mint cookies/biscuits (mint thins, grasshopper cookies etc.) Crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 tbsp. golden syrup

TRUFFLE MOUSSE:

450g dark chocolate (min 60% cocoa) chopped or grated

115g butter

30ml crème de menthe

1 tsp peppermint extract

4 eggs, separated

150g caster sugar

450ml double/heavy cream, whipped

TO DECORATE:

White chocolate shavings

EQUIPMENT

1 9" spring-form cake tin

1 Heat-proof mixing bowl

1 mixing bowl

2 medium-large saucepans

Wooden spoons

Whisks

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Measuring Scales

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT:

• For the base, gently melt the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan. Once melted add the crushed biscuits and combine well.

• Press biscuit mixture into the greased cake tin and then put into the fridge to chill.

• For the mousse, put chocolate, crème de menthe, mint extract, and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water until chocolate and butter melted and ingredients are well combined.

• Remove from heat and allow chocolate mixture to cool slightly before adding the beaten yolks, gradually.

• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then whisk in caster sugar gradually until egg whites become quite firm.

• Gently - with the emphasis on gently - fold whites into chocolate mixture.

• Then fold in the whipped heavy/double cream.

• When bowl is full of well-combined chocolatey goodness, spoon mixture over the crushed biscuit base.

• Once mixture has been spooned into tin, lightly smooth the top and then put in the fridge for at least 6 hours to chill.

• When ready, remove from tin, place on a fancy plate and decorate with the chocolate shavings - or however you wish!

COOK'S TIPS:

• If you can't find mint chocolate biscuits or cookies, you could always add a teaspoon of peppermint essence/extract to the cookies before blitzing them in the food processor.

• You could always use mint flavoured dark chocolate instead of plain.

• If you don't like alcohol, omit the creme de menthe and add another teaspoon of mint extract/essence.

• You could also use white chocolate instead of dark.

Photo: Pixabay

Word Cloud: Angel Noire