Double Layer Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake - two recipes in one cake!

My birthday was about a month ago. And since it was a milestone birthday this year, I decided not to rely on anyone else to make my cake because - as I've learned over the years - no one makes cakes for a professional baker. Or so I thought. A cake was dropped off at my door on my big day. But I didn't know this before my birthday, so I went ahead and made an epic one for myself. So there was no need for fancy decoration (as you'll see in the photos), because this cake was just for me.

My cake preference is for something super chocolaty and rich. But to make a cake that is rich enough for my taste buds, I really must combine two cakes. And that is precisely what I did.

I LOVE chocolate cheesecake, and I LOVE chocolate mousse cake. So I decided to mix them together!  And I didn't want to bake, so I chose two no-bake recipes and got started.  I used gluten-free flour in the crust to cut down on guilt and just because I thought I'd mix it up a bit. This changed nothing on the deliciousness scale, but you can decide whether yours will be GF or not.

The end result is a delicious combination that is both rich and chocolaty. As a bonus, it can be pre-sliced and frozen, so you can pull out a piece and thaw it in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds (or an hour just left on the counter) whenever you have a dessert craving!

Let's get to it. Here is the 'how-to' for this delicious cake...


Double Layer Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake Recipe

For the crust:

You need...

• 1/2 cup butter (set aside more for the flour-based crust)

        plus

• 1 package (or 2 to 3 cups chocolate wafer cookies, gluten-free or regular)

                      OR

• 2 cups GF or unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar, coconut sugar, or another dry sugar alternative

Crust Instructions:

1. Cover the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper and butter the bottom and up the inside sides. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave in a heat-proof bowl or in a saucepan on the stove.
3. Crumble your cookies (if using) and place in a medium-sized bowl or place flour, sugar, cocoa powder in a medium-sized bowl and stir to disperse ingredients.  Add the melted butter to the mix and stir until mix is moist and crumbly. Add more butter as necessary.
4. Press into the bottom of an 8" or 9" springform pan, until smooth and even and covers the entire bottom.
5. Place your pan on a cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for just 10 minutes if using crumbled cookies, and for 15 minutes if using flour/sugar mixture crust.
6. Remove from oven and let cool in the fridge for a half an hour or until it feels cool to the touch.

For the no-bake chocolate cheesecake filling:

You need...

• 2 packages of cream cheese (2 250 gram packages), softened to room temperature (or packages fully removed and microwaved for 20 to 30 seconds on a plate or paper towel to reach room temperature)
• 2/3 cup sugar (organic raw cane sugar, or coconut sugar are fine)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 7 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate (you can also use 70% dark chocolate, but you might want to increase the sugar by a 1/4 cup if you do)
• 1 tsp real vanilla

Cheesecake filling instructions:

1. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave for 1 minute on high, or 2 minutes on half power. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Whip the whipping cream in a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, until fluffy and stiff (about 1 minute or less in a stand mixer, 5 minutes with a hand mixer). Transfer to another bowl (to free up your stand mixer bowl) and place in the fridge.
3. Place the cream cheese in your mixing bowl and beat until soft and fluffy, stopping every now and then to carefully stir in the bottom to ensure no lumps form.
4. Add the sugar and beat again until smooth (about 30 to 60 seconds), also stopping to stir in the bottom with a spatula so no lumps form. Beat for 30 seconds more.
5. Add the vanilla and beat in for 10 seconds.
6. Add the chocolate and beat in for 20 seconds or so until fully combined.
7. Gently fold in your whipping cream.
8. Pour the entire mix onto the crust ready in your springform pan. Spread around until the top is smooth and even.
9. Place the crust and bottom layer of the cake in the fridge to chill and set, while making your chocolate mousse.

For the chocolate mousse cake filling:
This recipe is modified, but originally comes from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley/Toronto, 2007

You need...

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 cups of chocolate chips (preferably 55% to 65% dark chocolate - Ghirardelli recommends their 60% chocolate chips)
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (organic cane sugar works here)
• 1/4 cup hot brewed coffee or espresso

Chocolate Mousse Filling Instructions:

1. Whip the whipping cream in a large bowl to form light peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (careful not to let any water drops drip into it or it will turn lumpy) or in the microwave for 2 minutes on half power in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until smooth. 3. If over a double boiler, pull off heat while about 1/8 chocolate remains in lumps, so the chocolate does not overheat. Stir until smooth.
4. Whip the eggs with the sugar at medium-high speed for about 10 minutes (less if using a Kitchenaid stand mixer), until very fluffy and thick.
5. Stir the hot coffee into the chocolate chips rapidly but until smooth, and then immediately stir it into the beaten eggs, again rapidly. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
6. Pour the mixture over the cheesecake filling in the pan. Spread around until smooth.
7. Place back in the fridge and let set a least 2 hours (24 hours is good too) until ready to serve or to top the cake.

To serve the cake...

Run a knife around the inside edges of the springform pan. Remove the sides. Carefully transfer to a serving plate. Top the cake with chocolate ganache dizzled over it, chocolate shavings, cookie crumble, hazelnuts, raspberries or strawberries or whatever you prefer. Keep the cake in the fridge until ready to serve. Or seal in an airtight container (a box with a plastic bag sealed around it works too!) and freeze until ready to serve. Thaws in about an hour.

It's time to impress your friends! Although you might not want to share. :-)