Some of the best things I’ve eaten in Spain have been in places I wasn’t particularly looking for.
One of them was a chocolate dessert in Tàrbena, a little mountain village in Alicante.
It arrived on a dark slate plate, with a little whipped cream on the side and chocolate sauce drizzled over the top. Nothing particularly elaborate, but that first bite was wonderful.
The filling was soft and creamy, almost like chocolate mousse, with a thin biscuit base underneath.
I enjoyed it so much that I decided to try making my own version at home.
After a little experimenting, I settled on this chilled chocolate mousse cake. It has a buttery biscuit base, a generous layer of chocolate filling, and a dark chocolate sauce to finish.
It’s lovely when you have friends over because you can make the cake the day before and leave it in the refrigerator until dessert.
I still remember that little chocolate cake in Tàrbena. Mine isn’t the restaurant’s original recipe, of course, but it’s my way of bringing a little piece of that afternoon back into our kitchen.
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Ingredients
- 180 g 6.3 oz digestive biscuits
- 75 g 2.6 oz unsalted butter, melted
- 250 g 8.8 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 100 g 3.5 oz dark chocolate, around 60–70% cocoa, finely chopped
- 500 ml about 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided into 200 ml and 300 ml
- 60 g 2.1 oz dark chocolate
- 60 ml ¼ cup heavy cream
- Whipped cream optional
- Fresh mint leaves optional
Method
- Line a 20 cm (8-inch) square cake tin with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift the cake out later.
- Crush the digestive biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor or rolling pin. Mix with the melted butter until the crumbs resemble damp sand.
- Press the biscuit mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared tin. Refrigerate while preparing the chocolate mousse.
- Place the chopped milk chocolate and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat 200 ml of the cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Pour over the chopped chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir gently until completely melted and smooth.
- Allow the chocolate mixture to cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally. It should remain fluid but no longer feel hot.
- Whip the remaining 300 ml of cold cream to soft peaks using an electric mixer.
- Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture to loosen it. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream in two additions until evenly combined.
- Spoon the chocolate mousse over the chilled biscuit crust and smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until the mousse is firm enough to slice.
- To make the chocolate drizzle, heat 60 ml of cream until steaming. Pour over 60 g of chopped dark chocolate, leave for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Allow to cool until slightly thickened but still pourable.
- Lift the chilled cake carefully from the tin and cut into eight rectangular slices using a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts.
- Place each slice on a dessert plate and drizzle with the chocolate sauce. Serve with a little whipped cream and a fresh mint leaf, if desired.
