Chocolate Almond Mousse Cake

So I know I wanted to make this blog about interesting flavour combinations, and I will still be writing about those that I come across...but I also want to write about "gourmet" recipes that seem hard to make and try to make them less terrifying.

For my dad's birthday I decided to make him a Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse cake but since he told me that he preferred almond, I changed the recipe to accomodate him. I found the recipe for this cake on the Gourmet magazine website: http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2006/02/chocolateglazedmoussecake

Here is the altered Almond Mousse Cake recipe:

Chocolate Almond Mousse Cake

Shortbread Base:
2 tablespoons ground almonds

3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tsp almond extract

Mousse:
2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

6 tablespoons cold water
1 cup almond butter

6 teaspoons sugar

4 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 cup mascarpone

3 cups chilled heavy cream
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons sugar

Ganache topping:
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
3 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack on the middle shelf.

Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide off shortbread base), and lock sides on to bottom.

Grease the pan.

Combine ground almonds with sugar, flour, butter, cocoa, salt and almond extract in a food processor and pulse until a dough forms.
Press dough evenly onto bottom of springform pan with your fingers.

Prick all over with a fork, then bake until just dry to the touch, about 15 minutes.

Cool base completely.

While the shortbread cools, make the mousse:
Sprinkle gelatin over water in a heavy saucepan and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat, stirring, just until gelatin is melted, about 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix almond butter with 2 tsps cocoa powder and 3 tsps sugar until well blended.

Whisk in chocolate almond mixture into gelatin until combined then remove from heat.
Whisk chocolate almond mixture into mascarpone in a large bowl.

Beat together cream, 2 tbsps cocoa powder, and 3 tbsps sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until just combined, then increase speed to high and beat until cream just holds soft peaks.

Whisk one third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whipped cream until well combined.

Spoon filling onto completely cooled shortbread base in pan, gently smoothing top, then chill, covered, at least 3 hours.

Ganache:

Bring cream to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan and remove from heat.

Add chocolate and let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until completely melted and smooth. Transfer ganache to a small bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
Run a warm thin knife around inside of springform pan, then remove side.

Slide cake off bottom of pan and transfer to a serving plate.

Pour ganache onto top of cake and spread, allowing excess ganache to drip down sides.

Decorate with almond slivers.

(Original Recipe By Maggie Ruggiero)

Besides using almonds instead of hazelnuts, I also doubled the recipe for the mousse because I found that the cake came out too short. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this recipe, especially with the almond alternative, because it wasn't too sweet and was very light. I also added almond extract into the base to bring out more almond flavour. If I were making the hazelnut version of the cake, I would add a teaspoon of frangelico (hazelnut-flavoured) liqueur.

Enjoy!

P.S. I just tried making this cake with the doubled mousse...words cannot even express my amazement. The satisfaction of pouring that amount of chocolate almond or hazelnut mousse into the cake pan is an experience of its own. DO NOT make this cake unless you are prepared to double the mousse (which has already been done in my version of the recipe).