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Monday, February 15, 2016

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

    I love to bake. I *don't* love to cook, and you shouldn't confuse the two. Baking, for me, mostly involves sweet things and of all sweet things I dearly love a showstopper. You know what I am talking about: the ones that make you close your eyes and pause a minute as soon as the fork leaves your mouth. The kind that are so decadent you wish you could eat them all day, but a few bites are about all the richness you can handle. Definitely the kind that do not involve the words "one bowl" or "quick". Not that I don't love a good, easy recipe, but sometimes the best things really do come to those who wait.

    And to those who use heavy whipping cream! This cake is a "Frankenstein" concoction of three different recipes, none of for which I can take any of the credit. I did tinker the tiniest bit with the ganache, but the other recipes were ideal in their original form. So much so, that I will just kindly direct you to their blogs, so you can give them all due credit for their respective genius.

   However, I do love a good recommendation, so I am happy to make one to you. Make this cake. I will take full responsibility (and accolades) for combining these wonderful recipes together into this masterpiece.

     Here is how I did it: I put my cake batter in two 9 inch rounds, and reduced the baking time accordingly, made the mousse, and while the mouse was chilling, I whipped up the ganache. I doubled the recipe (8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 c. heavy whipping cream, and I added 1 tsp. of vanilla to the chocolate chips before pouring the cream over.) Set your ganache in the fridge to cool-you don't want it to melt your mousse. Spread a little less than half the mousse over your bottom layer. Do this in a hap-hazard, messy fashion to give it that homemade look. Then top with second layer and add the rest of the mousse to the top only of the cake. Use the same "devil-may-care" hand here. Do not be confused: this is *not* peanut butter frosting, and it won't behave the exact same way. Then, once your ganache is sufficiently set, pour it onto the center of the cake and try not to drool as it runs helter-skelter all down the sides and puddles on your cake plate. Pro tip: put this on a cake stand. It is definitely worthy of being on display!

  Then, because it is your birthday (oh, wait, is that just me?) pop in an adorable pom-pom garland cake topper and take exactly three pictures before attacking it with a knife. The photos above are actually from four days later. You may ask: if the cake is *that* delicious, how is it around four days later? Because it is so rich and decadent, the merest sliver is exceptionally satisfying (and also, we may or may not have celebrated Valentine's Day intervening which meant lots of other sweet treats). Keep it chilled after the initial serving so the mousse doesn't get all wonky. That's a professional term, just in case you were unaware. But whatever you do, please be sure that you have plenty of people to share this marvel with. That much heavy whipping cream deserves an audience! So without further ado, the links:

Double Chocolate Fudge Cake (the most delicious "dressed-up" boxed cake you will ever eat!) Bakerella

Peanut Butter Mousse: (chill your bowl and beaters for best results) Cafe Johnsonia

Chocolate Ganache: (this.is.so.easy. Put it on all the things.) Rose Bakes

So, how about you? Do you usually make your own birthday cakes? Or is that just me? Looking for other amazing dessert recipes? Follow my "Scrumdiddlyumptious" board on Pinterest!

Shared Here:
"Made By You Monday" at Skip To My Lou
"What'd You Do This Weekend?" at Recipes and Ramblin' with the Tumbleweed Contessa
"Weekend Recipe Link Up" at Sugar, Spice and Family Life

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