Happy Spring!: Dark chocolate & mousse Birthday cake!

Today is the first day of spring! And it is also Uncle Dale's Birthday! We celebrated last night and had this yummy pizza made by Auntie Cathy and Riley  

I contributed to the birthday festivities by making my awesome chocolate cake...its rich and moist and really the best effin' chocolate cake you will ever eat..EVER! You will love this cake, unless you hate chocolate..in which case I dont know why you are reading this blog and we just cant be friends... so make it for yourself or some chocolate lover! happy baking-Jess

Riley loves Chocolate cake and homemade ice cream!

Dark Chocolate Cake recipe


Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's special dark cocoa)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup vanilla soy milk (or regular milk)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract (if you use regular milk, increase vanilla to 2 tsp.)
1 cup boiling water

Chocolate mousse filling:
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Ganache:
Ingredients
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 TBSP. butter

For cake prepare two 9 inch cake pans and preheat oven to 350F (we are at a high altitude so I like to bake my cakes at 355F.) In a large mixing bowl, sift together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes until combined. Slowly stir in boiling water and stir until smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes then carefully remove from pans and let cool completely on cake racks. 
While cake is cooling prepare Ganache by heating 1/2cup whipping cream in small sauce pan, let come to a boil without burning, remove from heat and slowly pour over cup of chips and stir in center slowly until all chocolate is melted, add butter and stir. let set at room temp stirring occasionally until cooled and thick(about 2 hours). you could also cover and place in fridge to cool faster. When ganache is ready (should be spreadable frosting consistency) and cakes are cooled, prepare mousse filling by combining all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. beat on low speed until combined, increase speed and beat until medium/stiff peaks.(will be like whipped cream). Assemble cake by topping one cake with mousse spread evenly, top with other cake and spread Ganache over entire cake, decorate with left over mousse. Enjoy!