As I go through this little commentary on the recipe and the dessert, please remember that I don't like chocolate and that's all this thing is about; layer upon layer of chocolate. I also don't like cleaning up after myself and while making this recipe I had at least seven different bowls out in order to make what accounts to four recipes that merge into one at the end. In addition the the bowls, there's a sheet pan and at least one sauce pan that are in the sink waiting to be cleaned.
The four recipes include the cake, the mousse, the streusel, and the sauce. Separately, each is easy enough to make, though you have to be careful when melting the chocolate for the mousse since it's done over simmering water and it would be easy to cause it to seize (become lumpy and worth nothing but a trip to the trash).
Other than the amazing amount of clean-up that's required in making this dish and how time-intensive it is, it's not difficult to do if you've had the experience of melting chocolate, whipping egg white to stiff peaks and cream to soft peaks. I just don't know if it's worth it.
I threw most of my dessert out because it was just too much dark chocolate taste for me. Even my husband didn't finish his and said that it was too much. I think both of these devil's food cake desserts need to lighten up a bit on the bittersweet chocolate and allow a bit more sweetness to shine through.
I'm trying to come up with ways to "save" the elements of this dish. I'm pretty sure the streusel will get thrown out. The cake will be eaten if I put whipped cream on it and I'm pretty sure our daughter will eat the mousse if I add some Cool Whip or something to it too. I'll freeze the sauce for my dad. He's a dark chocolate hound and will love it.
If you're one of those who are addicted to chocolate and you like it on the darker side; this dessert will be for you. But I'll be even then, it'll be eaten in small doses. The counterpart to this dessert was the Southern Devil's Food Cake, which I made early on in this magazine challenge.
Devil's Food Cake Verrine
from Fine Cooking Magazine
For the Cake:
4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pan
3-1/2 oz. (1 cup) cake flour
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 oz. (2/3 cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/2 cup hot freshly brewed coffee
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
For the Mousse:
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz. milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 large egg yolks
1/2 Tbs. Lyle’s Golden Syrup, honey, or light corn syrup
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup heavy cream
For the Streusel
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
5 oz. (1 cup plus 2 Tbs.) unbleached all-purpose flour
2-1/2 oz. (3/4 cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1-1/2 oz. cocoa nibs (about 1/3 cup)
3/4 tsp. fine sea salt
For the Sauce
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. Lyle’s Golden Syrup or light corn syrup
Pinch kosher salt
2 Tbs. Nocino or dark rum
Make the Cake
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Butter an 8x8x2-inch square cake pan, line the bottom with parchment, and butter the parchment.
Sift the cake flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt onto a piece of parchment. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and the coffee over medium heat to melt the butter. Transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in the buttermilk, egg, and yolk and then the flour mixture until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto the rack, remove the parchment, and cool completely.
Make the Mousse
Melt the bittersweet and milk chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, whisk the yolks and the syrup over the water bath just until warm. Remove from the heat and whisk briefly to cool.
With an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
With the mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream in another medium bowl until soft peaks form.
Whisk the yolk mixture into the melted chocolate. Whisk in a spoonful of the whipped cream. With a rubber spatula fold in the remaining whipped cream and then the egg whites. Refrigerate. (The mousse can be made up to 4 hours ahead.)
Make the Streusel
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour and cocoa powder. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour mixture in three increments, including the cocoa nibs and salt with the final addition. Mix until the dough comes together. (The dough can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for up to 2 months.)
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and press the dough into the pan in a 1/4-inch-thick layer.
Bake at 325°F for 8 minutes and then rake with a fork to break into medium clumps. Bake for 7 minutes more and rake again to create small pieces. The streusel will look sandy and will crisp as it cools. (The streusel can be made 1 day ahead.)
Make the Sauce
Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Put the cream, syrup, salt, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, pour over the chocolate, and stir to melt.
Assemble
Divide the warm chocolate sauce among twelve 8-oz. glasses. Cut the cake into 1-inch cubes and put 4 in each glass. Drizzle 1/2 tsp. of the Nocino on the cake cubes. Scoop a spoonful or a quenelle of mousse into each glass. Sprinkle about 2 Tbs. of streusel on top of the mousse, and serve.