It's not all about Real Estate

The Bear Chocolate Cake Recipe

Watch a video of the boys making this recipe: https://youtu.be/ghgYM889-dY

Recipe: Recipe and inspiration from Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:

8 oz 64% cacao dark chocolate chopped or chips

5 Tbsp Unsalted butter

10 Large egg yolks – room temperature

¼ cup Granulated sugar

4 Large egg yolks – room temperature

½ cup Heavy cream

CAKE LAYERS

Baking spray with flower

2 ½ cups All purpose flour

1 ¼ c Unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp Baking soda

1 ½ tsp Baking powder

2 ½ tsp Kosher salt

5 Large Eggs – room temp

3 c Granulated sugar

1 ¼ c Brewed coffee – cooled to room temp

¾ c Unsalted butter

1 ½ c Crème Fraiche or sour cream to substitute

Icing We cheated and bought a package at the store!

MAKE THE MOUSSE:

Step 1: Bring 1 inch of water to boil in small saucepan over medium to low heat. Place a heatproof bowl over the top and add chopped chocolate and butter. Make sure bottom of bowl doesn’t touch water. Cook, stirring and adjusting heat as needed until mixture is smooth and cream, 3-5 mins. Remove chocolate mixture from heat, let cool uncovered until just warm to the touch – about 10 minutes. Keep water simmering.. will need later.

Step 2: Whisk egg yolks and 2 Tbsp sugar with electric beater and place bowl over the top of the simmering water, whisking constantly until mixture registers 160’ F. Remove bowl from heat and use stand mixer or electric beater to whip on med-high speed until mixture is pale yellow and tripled in volume – about 5 mins. Fold egg yolk mixture into cooled chocolate

Step 3: In a clean bowl of stand mixer, whip egg whites until foamy – 30 seconds. Gradually add 2 Tbsp sugar in steady stream and beat on high until stiff peaks form – 1-2 mins.

Step 4: Using electric mixer, whipe cream in bowl until stiff peaks form.

Step 5: Fold in egg white mixture into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Fold in whipped cream until no streaks. Cover and chill 8-24 hours

Step 6: Give your kids the leftover bowls and spatulas so they can make a mess of themselves.

MAKE THE CAKE LAYERS:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350’ F. Coat (3) 9 inch round cake pans with baking spray, line bottom with parchment paper and spay those too

Step 2: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder & salt in a large bowl.

Step 3: Beat eggs with mixer until light and foamy -about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat on high speed until very pale and voluminous – about 5 mnins.

Step 4: With mixer running on low speed – add the flour mixture in 3 additions and alternately add coffee or melted butter until everything is blended well. Add the crème fraiche or sour cream until just combined – another 30 seconds.

Step 5: Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Tap pans to ensure no bubbles and bake in oven until tooth pick inserted in middle comes out clean – about 25-30 minutes. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Remove from pans – let cool another 2 hours.

Make The Icing

Ok.. we bought premade icing from the store but you can make your own. They’re 7 & 9.. can’t make everything from scratch!

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

Trim the cakes flat with a cake leveler or serrated knife. Kids love left overs.. so don’t throw this away! Place one cake layer on a work surface and pipe icing in a circle around the outside of the cake. Spoon in ½ the mousse and spread within the icing until even and smooth. Add the next cake layer and do the same – pipe icing around the outside edge and mousse in the middle. Then when complete, cover the top and sides with the remaining icing.

This cake is crazy yummy and super dense. It’s mega-chocolate overload and if you’re into that, grab a glass of red wine, port or milk for the kiddos and enjoy!