Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Berry Mousse

Chocolate Cake Ingredients (Recipe adapted from Hershey's):

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons light cream

Berry Mousse Ingredients:

  • 12 oz frozen berries (about 2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
  • 1/4 cup (cold) water
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Step 1: Bake the cake!

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans. You may also line the

pans with parchment paper (to help prevent sticking), if desired.

-Place the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in the bowl of your

mixer. Stir to combine.

-Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

-Add the boiling water and mix until incorporated. The batter will be thin.

-Pour the batter into the prepared pans, trying to distribute it equally between the two pans.

-Bake for 33 to 36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

-Cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 2: While the cake bakes, prepare the mousse!

-Pour the cold water into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin on top (do not stir). Let the water/gelatin

stand for a few minutes while you prep your berries.

-Puree the berries in a food processor or blender.

-Strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Stir so that the liquid will drain.

-Stir the lemon juice into the strainer, to reconstitute and get the last remnants. Discard the seeds.

-Whisk the gelatin/water over low heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved. This only takes a

minute, don't let it boil!

-Whisk the sugar into the raspberry puree.

-Whisk in the gelatin mixture. Place the bowl into your refrigerator to chill until it starts to thicken. This

will take about an hour.

Step 3: Assemble the cake!

-Transfer the thickened puree into the bowl of your mixer. Beat on the highest speed for about 3 to 4

minutes until it starts to look foamy.

-With the mixer on a low speed, slowly pour in the cream. Once you have poured all of the cream into the

bowl, beat on the highest speed for 5 minutes.

-To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake onto a cake plate. Spoon the mousse onto the center of

that layer.

-Spread the mousse evenly, but leave approximately 1 inch around the perimeter to allow for oozing.

-Place the second layer of cake onto the mousse. Insert a dowel (or small utensil) into the center to keep

the layers from sliding.

Step 4: The Frosting!

-In the bowl of your mixer, using the wire whip attachment, whip the butter for 5 minutes on the highest

speed.

-Splash in the vanilla and whip until it's combined.

-Add the confectioners sugar. Mix at the lowest speed until the sugar is combined, then whip for 5

minutes at the highest speed.

-Add the cream and whip for 5 more minutes.

(Before you begin to frost the cake, place a small spoonful of the frosting into a small bowl. You will use this to frost over the hole that will be left when you remove the dowel (plastic utensil) from the center of the cake.)

-Put a few large dollops of frosting onto the top of the cake. then spread evenly to cover. Frost the sides

of the cake after you've frosted the top.

-After you've finished frosting, refrigerate for at least an hour so that the mousse will set. The frosting

will also set as it chills.

-Before serving, remove the dowel/utensil and cover the spot in the center with the reserved

spoonful of frosting.

-Cake may be served chilled or allowed to come to room temperature for 1/2 hour.